Milo Apartment

Photography, Creative & Art Direction: Edvinas Bruzas
Architecture & Design: Oza Design
Location: London, United Kingdom
Featured in Vogue Living Australia

“Colmar is renowned for its charming and colourful timber-framed houses, narrow streets, and lively balconies, presenting a romantic setting with a deep historical narrative,” explains architects and designers Özge Öztürk and Alexandre Simeray. Founders of London-based practice OZA Design, the duo has recently completed an overhaul of Milo Apartment in Colmar for a young family of three. “We incorporated locally sourced raw ironwork, referencing both Bartholdi’s artistic vision and the region’s storied iron industry,” they add. “The use of materials such as brick, concrete, and dark timber further enhances the industrial aesthetic while also nodding to the legacy of the Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower.” They were also careful to retain the building’s original architectural features, such as the concrete beams and columns. According to Öztürk and Simeray, these details and references serve to create “a dialogue between history and modernity, merging traditional craftsmanship with a contemporary industrial design language”. It’s an aesthetic that’s strikingly simple yet exudes a sense of timelessness. Despite all of its streamlined and monochromatic beats, the apartment feels like a home. The designers chose works by French street artist Gallery Murmure to feature in the space, and strategically placed Franziskus Wendels’s dual paintings in the master bedroom—the optical illusion creates a sense of openness in lieu of windows.

Featured

Özge Öztürk and
Alexandre Simeray

Architect and Designer
Co-founders of Oza Design

“For the owners, it’s a home which flexes to meet the demands of entertaining guests, but in its quieter moments still feels warm and comforting enough for family life. For the designers, the apartment underscores the value of celebrating the past. “The final result is a harmonious blend of history and innovation—a modern, industrial apartment that pays homage to Colmar's artistic and architectural heritage.”