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Houzz Tour: A Philadelphia Loft Apartment Gets a Colourful Makeover
Refurbished vintage pieces and layers of pattern and color jazz up a spacious industrial-style loft
While loft apartment living has its upside, figuring out a design scheme for these open-plan spaces certainly presents some challenges. When designer and blogger Naomi Stein of Design Manifest moved into her Philadelphia loft apartment, she was instantly drawn to its industrial-style design and close location to Philadelphia’s historic district.
Since the loft apartment had several nooks within the open-plan space, Stein worked her decorating scheme around several well-styled vignettes, divided according to function. Colour and ethnic touches made the sparse space more lively, while classic and clean-lined furniture kept the look grounded.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here Naomi Stein
Location Philadelphia, USA
Size 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom
That’s interesting This home is like most in this part of Philadelphia - big, old factories that have been converted into loft apartments.
Since the loft apartment had several nooks within the open-plan space, Stein worked her decorating scheme around several well-styled vignettes, divided according to function. Colour and ethnic touches made the sparse space more lively, while classic and clean-lined furniture kept the look grounded.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here Naomi Stein
Location Philadelphia, USA
Size 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom
That’s interesting This home is like most in this part of Philadelphia - big, old factories that have been converted into loft apartments.
Although this bespoke console table has a refurbished-vintage look to it, Stein actually made the piece using two Ikea Rast dressing tables and some beautiful wood. The result is an inexpensive piece of furniture with a very expensive look.
The structure of the room presented several decorating challenges, mainly because the space isn’t just a simple square or rectangle. There are several awkward nooks and crannies, which led to a total of 15 wall sections. However, this ended up defining certain areas in the space, such as the home office and this living room area. ‘I really approached each wall as a separate area, but obviously they all had to coordinate,’ says Stein. ‘That helped me not have any dead areas or awkward corners.’
Couch: Mitchell Gold Bob Williams; wood side table: vintage
Couch: Mitchell Gold Bob Williams; wood side table: vintage
Stein considers herself a furniture auction fiend and finds many of her unique pieces while browsing these one-of-a-kind events. Craigslist, eBay and charity shops are other favorite accessory stops, while she relies on big high street chains like Ikea for fill-in pieces.
Pillows: Carlos Santiago, Etsy
Pillows: Carlos Santiago, Etsy
Although she wanted to keep the walls white and maintain the space’s ‘lofty’ feel, punctuating with colour and pattern was a big part of her decorating scheme. ‘I also gave a healthy dose of rustic charm, gold and lacquer to add dimension to the colour. I guess the plan was to have you walk in and be overwhelmed with beauty,’ Stein says. ‘I wanted each area to be perfect, but I didn’t want any particular element to pop out at you.’
Bench: Ballard Designs, covered in La Fiorentina fabric; art: vintage; pillows: scraps found from Material Culture
Get ideas for decorating with geometrics
Bench: Ballard Designs, covered in La Fiorentina fabric; art: vintage; pillows: scraps found from Material Culture
Get ideas for decorating with geometrics
The dining chairs are refurbished vintage pieces inspired by one of Stein’s favorite designers, Mary McDonald. ‘She does a great mix of glam and chinoiserie, and I aspire to create spaces similar to that,’ she says. A modern pendant light helps ground this dining area in the open-plan space, giving it a solid location in the loft apartment.
Dining table: Docksta, Ikea; tablecloth: vintage; pendant: Structube
Dining table: Docksta, Ikea; tablecloth: vintage; pendant: Structube
Blue and pink were always meant to be the main colours in the palette for the space, but Stein was careful to balance out these bold colours with neutral elements to soften them. The result is an eclectic and colourful space that feels cohesive but not matching in an overwhelming way. This home office, tucked into one of the loft apartment’s odd corners, makes use of this colour palette with a shocking blue wall and an electric pink desk.
Wall paint: Brillant Blue, Olympic; pink desk: West Elm, painted in Very Berry,Glidden; wall shelf: eBay; side tables: Rast, Ikea, repainted
Discover 10 ways to embrace bold blue
Wall paint: Brillant Blue, Olympic; pink desk: West Elm, painted in Very Berry,Glidden; wall shelf: eBay; side tables: Rast, Ikea, repainted
Discover 10 ways to embrace bold blue
Because the loft apartment is made up of lots of different areas, Stein wanted each one have its own focal point. One item in each area was designated as the colourful or patterned piece, and the rest was a blend of wood, black, white and gold.
Bar cart: vintage; art: Nicole Cohen
Bar cart: vintage; art: Nicole Cohen
The space is a rental, so the kitchen came as it is. While Stein would love to replace the cabinetry for something a little more her style, she was able to dress up the space with some unique vintage art, a fun rug and some friendly houseplants.
Mixing patterns is harder than it looks, but the simple and open layout of the loft apartment gave Stein a bit more freedom to create a textured look with layers of pillows, fabric, art and wallpaper. These layered patterns add an extra level of dimension to a space that might have felt flat otherwise.
The doors in the living room lead to the bedroom - the only closed-off space in the loft apartment. Stein was able to tone down the feel of her loft in this room, since it’s not connected to the main space. The general style is the same, but it’s a bit more soothing. There’s less pattern and color, but this eclectic room still makes sense with the rest of the apartment.
Bed frame: Urban Outfitters; table lamp: Arteriors Home
Bed frame: Urban Outfitters; table lamp: Arteriors Home
‘I knew from the beginning what I wanted to do, but it also totally evolved along the way,’ says Stein, pictured here with her pug, Bailey. ‘I love my white brick walls and really wanted my place to feel neutral, but neutral infused with bohemian glamour.’
Do you like bohemian style? Let us know what you think in the Comments below.
Do you like bohemian style? Let us know what you think in the Comments below.
Since all of the loft apartment - except for her bedroom - is one open-plan room, it was important for her to pay attention to floor plans and arrange the furniture in a logical and comfortable way. ‘Even the best furniture won’t look good if it’s positioned wrong,’ she says. ‘I had my furniture laid out three ways before I found the best arrangement.’
Rug: Pottery Barn; coffee table: vintage; wallpaper: Nina Campbell for Osborne and Little; blue mirror: Anthropologie, repainted