We think Andy Warhol’s infamous Silver Factory may have paved the way for the rise of today’s most hallowed real estate: the modern industrial live/work loft space. A decadent conversion on the tenth floor of a brick building in Midtown Manhattan, The Factory’s in-house photographer decorated the “industrial structure of the unfurnished studio with the glitter of silver,” representing not only Warhol’s fundamental comment on American values, but also the decadence and carefree lifestyle of the time.
In the spirit of the Silver Factory, we thought we’d see how the idea of the conversion has evolved today considering the design world’s obsession with all things reclaimed and repurposed. Prepare for your jaw to actually drop because the ten homes you’re about to see are not only some of the most stunningly beautiful residential spaces in the world, but they’re also in wonderfully unexpected locales like converted oil mills, cement factories, cow stables and Victorian schoolhouse gymnasiums. Let us know in the comments which you’d most like to live in!
Ricardo Bofill’s Home in a Cement Factory — Barcelona, Spain
The Waterhouse at South Bund Boutique Hotel in a 1930s Japanese Army Headquarters — Shanghai, China
Image credit: dezeen
Living Church XL — Utrecht, Holland
Image credit: Vlamboyant
An architect’s family home in a cow stable — Caceres, Spain
Image credit: gessato
Apartment in a late Victorian schoolhouse gymnasium — London, England
Image credit: Loftenberg
Family home built around a cannon foundry — Pavilniai Regional Park, Lithuania
Image credit: Architonic
Family loft in Madame Wong’s punk club — Los Angeles, California
Modern home in a fire station stable — Melbourne, Australia
Image credit: desire to inspire
A family home in a grain silo — Tel Aviv, Israel
Image credit: Marie Claire Maison
A home in a pasta factory — Marseille, France
Image credit: Emmas Design Blogg