Attika Residence

This two bedroom, one bathroom home of approximately 850 square feet occupies the roof space on the fourth floor of Vulcan Mill, in New Islington, in Manchester’s Ancoats district, with room for six guests. Built for John Hetherington and Sons, makers of textile machinery, the mill keeps its structure in plain sight. An open plan kitchen, dining, and living space runs the width of the plan, gathered around a table set for six. Outside, a lit footbridge crosses the Ashton Canal to the marina, and the tram waits at the door.

Restraint runs through the pale rooms. White plaster meets exposed red brick, herringbone flooring runs warm underfoot, and matt charcoal cabinetry sets a crisp line against marble. Solid oak slats screen the living space, while the trusses and painted steelwork hold the industrial bones in view. Roof windows draw daylight into every room and blackout blinds take it away again, so light here is a setting, not a condition. Then the bathroom turns it down and the warmth up: travertine walls, mirrored surfaces, a black stone basin, and bare filament bulbs glowing amber against the dark. Pale by day, golden by night, this residence moves easily between two moods.