Flanking Birmingham's iconic canalside, the waterways produce a metaphorical conveyor belt of barges, cyclists and runners with many of the apartments overlooking the towpath and framing the views like a living artwork.

My ultimate aim was to capture the industrial essence of the surroundings within the interiors through the selection of materials, shapes and objects whilst making the final result feel fresh and contemporary.

Modular shelving was filled with vintage finds; from old flat irons fashioned into bookends and boat cleats repurposed as coat hooks. The hand-painted visual language of canal barge culture was referenced in the styling as diamond-patterned artist prints, geometric vases and tessellated arrangements of candlestick holders and key bowls.

To source the larger furnishings, we were delighted to work with our friends at Minima, a Jewellery Quarter-based furniture and lighting showroom. Minima provided the 'work-from-home' wall configuration in the living space, as well as the beautiful quilted sofa - another nod to a canalside craft. We opted for a lot of black steel finishing in the storage units and bed frames to create a strong impact against the light and airy walls, but incorporated natural materials, woven textures and our own hand tufted wall tapestries to add softness and comfort.

As an artist, curator and designer with creative training from Venice and Stockholm, I established San Stae as a place for art, interiors and architecture to collide. Since then, the studio has been lucky enough to be involved in a real number of period property renovations and new build schemes from Victorian button factory conversions to large res-mericial schemes across the Midlands and the South West of England.

Fresh and characterful, I’m super happy with how our Port Loop collaboration has come together.

To learn more about Aly's interior design work at San Stae head to instagram @san_stae or sanstae.com