We recently took note of London-based designer Harry Thaler's renovation of a formerly run-down work and living space for artists in residence in Bolzano, Italy.
The project, named Atelierhouse, was commissioned by the city's Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art out of a need for a more dynamic residency studio. The mandate: to create a space that comfortably houses more than one person at a time, and also provides studio space for making and installing art. Thaler worked on the commission in 2012, just two years after graduating from the Royal College of Art in Product Design and receiving a Conran Award, designed to help launch promising careers. With a background as goldsmith and craftsman, Thaler stepped up to the job by building simple, moveable furnishings that we're ready to copy for our own rooms. For more information, visit Harry Thaler.
Above: Conceived as a live/work setup, the studio in Bolzano, Italy, is kitted out with designer Harry Thaler's nailed pine furniture. Made for the space, the pieces include a single and double bed that have closable fronts and are set on casters for maximum flexibility.
Above: Thaller supplied the modular twin murphy bed with built-in shelving and bedside lighting. For more examples of sophisticated murphy beds, see 5 Favorites: The Murphy Bed Grows Up.
Above: In its closed form, the murphy bed resembles a small wardrobe.
Above: The room's multi-person desk resembles an oversized open wall shelf, or, perhaps, an empty frame.
Above: The closet, sequestered at the back of the bed, has an exterior of unfinished wood and interior of black-painted MDF.
Above: Hanging over the full-length mirror, a Silver Tip Light Bulb ($5 from Schoolhouse Electric) casts a low glow.
Above: A view from the desk towards the picnic-style eating area.
Above: The dining table's floor lamp, also designed by Thaler, has a wood-box base and a frame shaped like industrial piping.
Above: The knotty pine bed is lit by an incorporated pair of weighted lights.
Above: When both are beds packed away, the room becomes a clutter-free work and living space.
Looking for more inspiration? See our previous posts: A Converted Stable in Italy and DIY Seating from Max Lamb.