Industrial Loft Apartment Renovation: Apartment V by Naki Atelier in Ermioni, Greece

Transforming a Workshop into a Contemporary Loft

Apartment V by Naki Atelier is a striking example of industrial loft apartment renovation, located in the coastal town of Ermioni, Greece. Once a high-ceilinged ground-floor workshop of just 75 square meters, the space has been masterfully reimagined into a warm, multifunctional living environment. The conversion pays homage to its industrial roots while embracing contemporary residential design principles.

Maximizing Light and Space in an Urban Context

Positioned between a local street and a rear courtyard, Apartment V benefits from a strategically redesigned main façade. This frontage optimizes natural daylight, channeling it into the formerly dim, industrial space. With daylight only accessible from one side, the architectural intervention ensures an even distribution of light throughout the apartment, enhancing spatial perception and comfort.

Zoning the Layout: Private and Social Realms

The renovated layout is carefully divided into two main zones: the private area with two bedrooms and a bathroom, and a social area consisting of an expansive, open-plan living zone. This open space includes the kitchen, dining area, and living room, forming the social heart of the home. The corridor leading to the private area extends seamlessly from the linear configuration of the kitchen, reinforcing the apartment’s clean and continuous spatial flow.

A Loft as Architectural Centerpiece

A central feature of this industrial loft apartment renovation is the insertion of a mezzanine loft. With an existing ceiling height of 4.20 meters, the design team leveraged vertical space to add a floating volume above the kitchen and dining area. This architectural move not only increases the functional square footage with an additional resting area but also lowers the perceived ceiling height to foster a cozier ambiance below.

The loft acts as a unifying design element—structurally, spatially, and aesthetically. Crafted as a custom-built architectural “furniture piece,” it integrates a wide range of functions, including storage, seating, and access circulation. At the same time, it visually frames the kitchen and dining zones beneath, offering an intimate, contained experience while remaining visually connected to the rest of the apartment.

Materials and Industrial Memories

The material palette reinforces the apartment’s industrial heritage while introducing warm, tactile elements that soften its character. Red-painted steel structures and stainless-steel custom furniture evoke the workshop’s original function. These are balanced with the richness of Tinos green marble, thick woven textiles, vibrantly colored tiles, and raw birch plywood, all selected to imbue the interior with a refined, contemporary identity.

An Integrated Design Narrative

Throughout the project, Naki Atelier showcases a highly integrated design language where structural interventions serve multiple purposes. The loft, lighting, furniture, and spatial dividers are all woven into a holistic narrative that reflects the apartment’s past and present. By layering functions and blending industrial materials with domestic textures, the architects deliver a compact but dynamic home that maximizes every cubic meter of its compact footprint.

Apartment V stands as a refined and intelligent response to the challenges of small-scale urban living, proving that industrial loft apartment renovation can go beyond aesthetics to create deeply functional, character-rich spaces.

All the photographs are works of Thanos Palaskos / Bessawissa Studio