When aiming for a minimalist aesthetic with maximum function in a small space, built-ins are often the best bet, especially when they take advantage of high ceilings. Lofts are a popular and highly effective way to add extra usable square footage to a structure with a small footprint without requiring extensive renovations, which is crucial when working with historic properties. In this case, Antwerp-based design firm Studio Farris found a solution that makes use of a small barn in Flanders, Belgium, keeping the outside of the structure intact while visually expanding the interior.

The studio restored the building?s original brick facade, giving it a new roof in keeping with its original design and replacing all of the windows with new, larger expanses of glass to bring daylight inside. From the outside, it still looks like an ordinary stable of the sort you can find all over the Belgian countryside, but you?d never guess what the inside looks like before stepping through the door.
?The original stable, dating back to the early 1900s, was composed of several small rooms on two floors,? says Studio Farris. ?With their renovation, the architects wanted to transform this fragmented space by enhancing the perception of the total form of the building. So they completely emptied it by demolishing the rooms and the first floor. Within this outer brick envelope, they created an inner one made out of concrete. A new ?box? with a serene atmosphere was designed and inserted into th...