From a Concrete Garage to a Comfortable Family Home

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The Gables, Patalab Architecture Patalab Architecture Modern dining room
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In old and busy cities like London real estate can be hard to come by. This forces some home owners to purchase old commercial or industrial buildings and renovate them to be fit to reside in. One such renovation was done by Patalab Architects on a little concrete building that had previously been used as a mechanic's shop.This odd building had a tight wooden ceiling and garage door entrances that just weren't going to cut it for the new owners. The resulting reno was wildly successful, incorporating unique lighting and dramatic architectural features. 

Before: Drive Right In

Besides being a garage, this building also has old bricks and a damaged ugly balcony. How can this exterior be made suitable for a home? 

After: Glowing Brick

Essentially everything had to be torn down. The garage door was replaced with the lovely eight panel window we see here, and the old yellowed bricks were replaced with rich brown ones that reflect the amazing lighting. An entirely new entry way was crafted, and the old balcony was ditched to give the home some more square footage.  

After: Glowing Staircase

When you walk in this home's door you're greeted immediately by the glowing staircase, a marvelous architectural feature that has been updated with wood stained a rich brown. To the right in the bright kitchen space in white. It's hard to believe that cars used to be parked right where that kitchen counter stands! 

Before: Ugly

Someone tried to turn this mechanic's office into a functional living room, but they didn't have much success. The wooden rafters are low and dirty, the walls have had paint roughly stripped off, and those thin carpets don't look like they're doing much on the tough concrete floor. 

After: Comfort

We absolutely adore this new couch! It sits deep in the new softer flooring so that you can sink right into it's warmth. The restrictive wooden ceiling has been ripped up and a drop ceiling with back-lighting has been added in it's stead. This simple change makes the whole safe feel modern and the unique shape gives the home some character. The wooden wall has an interesting shape too, as does the new white-brick fireplace in the background. Like what you see? For more dramatic wall design check out our ten best tips for your home's walls

After: Light

When you're adding a whole new ceiling you may as well put in a gigantic skylight while you're up there! This amazing feature brings light into the space and keeps our focus up on the dramatic ceiling shape. Beneath this amazing feature the modern and simple dining area incorporates all of the elements of the home with its materials: the white table top matches the ceiling, the wooden legs match the stairs, and the dark black matches the matte furniture and kitchen counter.  

Want more renovations that create a unified and modern look? Check out how this home went from bleak to beautiful.

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