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Back then, you could buy a brownstone for a mere $20,000. A lot has changed in the 50-plus years since, not the least of which is the neighborhood’s affordability for artists. One deteriorating paper factory that was turned into makeshift artist apartments in the 1980s is now in the process of being renovated into full-fledged luxury apartments, including architecture firm OSSO’s Boerum Hill Loft.

As you can probably imagine, after decades of industrial use, abandonment, and then reclamation as gritty studios, the building already had a lot of character, but it also needed a lot of love to elevate it to modern standards of living. The client, Google executive Malik Ashiru, had a vision for the space that would require completely gutting it. While he waited for the city to review the permits, Ashiru took a sabbatical from work, traveling all over Africa, Europe, and Asia.

“The moment they told me the approval was almost done,” Ashiru told Dwell, “I was on an airplane back.”

The firm decided to keep as many original elements as they could, including exposed brick walls with old painted signs still visible in some areas and a striking black metal spiral staircase. In before-and-after photos of the loft renovation, you can see how OSSO’s new walls, floors, and other surfaces augment the space without significantly changing its historical feel.

One load-bearing brick wall was removed to open up the living area, replaced by a massive steel beam that’s become the standout feature of the room. There’s also a step up into this slightly elevated space from the adjacent dining room and kitchen, taking advantage of the three generously sized windows on the front wall.

White-painted drywall and a melange of oak, maple, and American walnut wood surfaces soften the apartment and make it feel lighter and brighter. The original spiral staircase now leads to the second-floor bedroom, bathroom, and an outdoor terrace, while a second, ladder-style staircase in the kitchen offers access to a lofted, plywood-lined guest bedroom.

OSSO Architecture, a New York City-based firm founded in 2017 by Margot Otten and Douglas Segulja, worked with Ashiru to design and furnish the space with features like a wood island, new Bosch appliances, and an alcohol-burning hanging fireplace by Fireorb, which itself meets all New York City’s strict rules about ventilation.

Cities are like living organisms, constantly changing and evolving. While we’d love to see a lot more projects converting cool old structures into affordable housing, it’s nice to see renovations that honor the character and history of their original buildings and the neighborhoods around them – projects that work hard to preserve architectural elements instead of merely replacing them with something new.

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While the original bistro is known for its wood-clad comfort, capturing the spirit of its Bedford Avenue location in the Greenpoint neighborhood, the Los Angeles location takes inspiration from its own unique location within an old art deco building. Designers Home Studios are based in Brooklyn themselves, but they didn’t hesitate to dive right into West Coast style and make it their own.

Certain details in the new restaurant echo those seen on the other side of the country, including the arched shape of the bars, metallic accents all throughout, and a general sense of casual airiness. But fittingly enough, Five Leaves LA feels remarkably sunnier than its predecessor, thanks in part to high ceilings, light walls, and curving built-in banquettes in mustard yellow and a shade of coral that verges on terra cotta.

The new 2,430-square-foot space occupying the first floor of Hollywood’s Merrick Building is split into dining and bar areas, each given a window into the other. The long white bar top stretches like a ribbon over its bright turquoise base, with glass bottles carefully arranged behind it like an apothecary.

The back bar itself is custom-made from black steel by Shelton Studios, as are the plant shelves holding succulents and tropicals, which run just below the ceiling and through the entire space. In the dining area, all of the building’s rounded and arched shapes are echoed by modern pendant lighting.

The Los Angeles space is about twice the size of the restaurant in Brooklyn, giving the designers more to work with, but that presents its own challenges in terms of keeping the vibe cozy, says designer Oliver Haslegrave. Dropping the pendant lights down low over the tables was one way to achieve their desired mood.

“On the whole, if you were to put the two in front of somebody, and ask which is in New York and which is in L.A., I think they’d guess right,” says Haslegrave in an interview with Architectural Digest. “The new one is lighter and softer in materials and finishes. There’s a lot of reclaimed woodwork. There’s a little bit more color in the upholstery and paint finishes. The floor and metalwork are very true to the original in terms of their rawness. Ultimately, it’s going to be about energy. For the design part, you want to read the room, so to speak, in terms of what is the energy there, and the building.”

Serving a New American menu with an Aussie twist all day long, Five Leaves Los Angeles offers everything from breakfast with grapefruit mimosas to dinner with its signature Turmeric Bees Knees cocktail, which features gin, lemon, turmeric-infused honey, orange bitters, and spices.

Some standout plates at Five Leaves L.A. include “gravlax,” a breakfast plate with house-cured char, watercress, beet-cured egg, pickled onion, caper cream cheese, and toasted rye, as well as minted cavatelli with English peas, green garlic, Meyer lemon, and smoked ricotta.

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When it comes to conversions – particularly ones with sweeping views – it is hard to beat the minimalist approach, letting context and background speak for themselves.

And so it is with this project by Minimal USA, a partial renovation in DUMBO on the waterfront, in the most luxurious residence the area has to offer (valued at 25 million dollars).

The building and tower itself date back to 1915, with the top later converted into a whopping 6500-square-foot loft that looks out in all directions.

Imported this, triple-lacquered that, the details are of course top-of-the-line stuff, but really, the best part about them is their simplicity in shape, style and detail against an amazing series of architectural and urban backdrops.

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