One of the most problematic spaces in our new loft has become one of our favorites. I recently showed an out-of-town friend some construction photos. I was struck by the transformation, so I thought I’d indulge in a little before-and-after here.
(Btw, we’re not really sure what to call this space. The realtor’s floor plan called it the “Gallery,” but that’s hard to say without rolling your eyes. We’ve tried the “Library” because of the bookshelves, but that isn’t really sticking (for the same reason as “the Gallery”, I think), and so we’re just calling it the hall.)
An issue with many loft conversions is that most reasonable arrangements of the rooms leave you with a large, windowless central space, and our place was no exception. It’s a nice place to run around in, but it eats up square footage and can feel cave-like if you’re not careful with the lighting and decoration.
As we found it, our “Gallery” was a messy cave. Without natural light and views to distract, it seemed like a showcase of the apartment’s flaws: awkward doors, boxy soffits everywhere, and poorly planned lighting.
Before and After
Before (same view as above)
Before
After
Strategy
Remodel
First, we changed the doors, raising their heights and using better materials — frosted gray glass for the den and powder room (both on the left), and painted wood panel doors for everything else. We also moved two doors out of the main sight lines: the door to Julia’s room at the end of the hall shifted to the left, and the laundry room door (last on the left) moved around the corner.
We got rid of the ceiling soffits to expose the building’s ironwork and streamlined he ductwork and plumbing they were also hiding. We left just one soffit at the end of the hall to hide a particularly dense mechanical tangle and to help define the end of a long space.
More and specialized lighting helped reduce the cave effect: wall washers, down lights and classic Alvar Aalto pendants for the bookshelves.
Decoration
To further de-cave the hall, we chose a palette of materials and colors that we thought would be bold and fresh: hot rolled steel paneling behind the floating walnut bookshelves, a clear blue carpet and a shot of bright red for the bench. A large Sandy Walker oil painting we already owned made a compelling focal point.
We struggled with what color to paint the ironwork. In the end, we went with a light gray to help reduce visual clutter.
The last element to be installed –and my favorite– was the hot rolled steel paneling. I love the warmth its patina brings to the space. (The tracks and shelf supports are from ISS Designs. It’s was a simple and economical solution, and ISS is very easy to work with.)
We keep the arrangements of books and objects on the shelves casual and flexible –by design and necessity, since Julia has her own ideas about what should go where. (She’s her fathers’ daughter.)
