By Kimberly Toms with Profiles by Kate Wright ~ Photos By Mark Margraff ~ SLIDESHOW
Spring 2007
Imagination revives dilapidated factories and worn-down warehouses into chic new living spaces ready-made for entertaining.
Since the 1800s in Paris, artists have long utilized the high ceilings, vast expanses and massive windows of former commercial buildings as the optimum live and workspace. Through the windows that once pulled the attention of sometime daydreaming assembly line and machine workers, warm beams of light shot down from the sky and illuminated color placed passionately by the artist on white stretched canvas. How ironic that the former workers, often impoverished individuals who were stuck in a cycle of lower class struggle, used their imagination to focus on what was outside of the walls and windows, whereas artists of the 1950s and beyond brought their focus to the interior of the former warehouses and factories, to bring their own imagination to life.
New York, Boston and Chicago were the first American cities to embrace the transformation of empty commercial and warehouse structures within downtown areas into what are now referred to as lofts. Initially, these residences were reformed illegally, as they were commercially zoned. However, by the 1980s, the zoning had changed due to the popularity and overwhelming public acceptance of the loft lifestyle. Now, cities from coast to coast have experienced a surge of loft development, including in Philadelphia’s Center City, New York’s Soho, Portland’s Pearl District, Dallas’ Deep Ellum and Chicago’s Printer’s Row. Even smaller cities, such as Chattanooga, Lexington and Des Moines have joined the movement.
As part of the revitalization of formerly vacant or dilapidated buildings into living spaces, the urban environment as a whole is reenergized. When people move into downtown areas and warehouse districts, their need for easy access to basic necessities accompanies them. Grocery markets, salons, restaurants and cafes, boutiques and galleries soon follow the new residents into reclamation of a neighborhood that may have previously existed as empty buildings, parking areas and overgrown lots. Not only the loft occupants benefit from the changes, as downtown developments bring a certain “joie de vie” to areas once frequented only by corporate workers hungry for new places to dine, shop and relax for lunch and after work.
Loft dwellers are, for the most part, single adults and married couples without children, who enjoy living without the responsibilities of suburban life, including lawn maintenance, longer commutes to work and general house upkeep. Further, these typically college-educated, affluent residents of urban environments enjoy being within walking distance to their favorite areas of socialization, dining, cultural attractions, entertainment, shopping and business.
The beauty of lofts is the ease with which one may personalize and decorate the space. Most inhabitants opt for gourmet-style kitchens with stainless steel appliances and granite countertops, with bathrooms including large showers (or massive tubs) and the same quality appointments as the kitchen. Beyond those two rooms, the loft becomes more about the use of furnishings adequately scaled to the vastness of the overall space, as well as how each living and functional area are appropriated. Although there is generally an absence of internal walls dividing rooms, placement of furniture and rugs can dictate how the space is divided without obstructing views or freedom of movement.
As for entertaining, the social benefits of living in a refurbished commercial space are many. Ceilings are high, creating an atmosphere wherein laughter, boisterous voices or music can dictate the mood of an event, as sound resonates clearly throughout the space. Kitchens are generally open to the rest of the floor plan, so the host may continue their duties without missing out on festivities or conversation with guests. Mingling is easy and unencumbered by walls, lack of floor space and furnishings. In a loft, parties are never just simple gatherings, as from most areas of the apartment one can hear and see all of the action, effortlessly creating a lighthearted, jovial vibe.
According to Kay Roberts, Interior Designer and Instructor of Etiquette and Protocol in New York, “Lofts encourage social gatherings through their open design, wherein one area flows into the next. Use of color and placement of furniture can not only force the eye to move from one area to the next, but encourages traffic flow where guests may fluidly move, discover, and interact.”
Lofts are clearly large, airy, and open spaces suitable for entertaining and socialization, but can a person who prefers a cozier atmosphere find peace and tranquility within a loft? Kay clarifies that “the industrial flavor of some lofts may at first appear intimidating to decorate, but can be warmed into cozy living space.” In order to section areas into more intimate surroundings, “Unpretentious, simple furnishings, large pieces of art, strong color and accessories lend themselves well to the loft and can aid in defining each area, such as the kitchen and dining spaces from conversation, work, and sleeping areas.”
Profiles of Loftiness
The Cigar Factory, located in the Northern Liberties section of Philadelphia, gives its history away in the name, but today it has been converted into a residential building filled primarily with professionals aged 25 to 40. The current residents of this space perfectly portray the change of pace for loft living, from artists and students to attorneys and bankers.
With its fourteen-foot ceilings and hardwood floors, granite countertops and stainless steel appliances, exposed brick, and piping throughout the living area, and exposed beams in the walls and ceilings, these loft areas are just as original as their predecessors but have become too upscale for the starving artist or college student. It is hard to find a loft this nice for less than $500,000. Maintaining the respectability of its 90-year-old history, the bare bones of the building remain intact, yet the grand additions earmark its upscale reputation.
“Unique is the only way to describe the Cigar Factory”, says loft owner, Randy Stern. Randy, a 25-year-old district sales manager for the financial provider HSBC, works long 60-hour weeks and spends his free time taking his dog to the dog park and going to the art museum with his girlfriend. He enjoys a night out on the town, although he prefers bringing people to his place for socialization.
He designed the layout for his loft with an architect, so he was able to plan for entertaining without jeopardizing his personal space. Eight foot walls separate his two bedrooms, so although his privacy is not perfected, he has maintained a significant amount of respect for it. Stern calls his loft “late night central,” as it is where he and his friends can get together, drink, eat, and party for as long as their tired eyes will allow. He occasionally throws a dinner party for an intimate group of friends, but with 1700 square feet, his loft can fit thirty people comfortably. The open space that designates his home as a loft creates a setting conducive for conversation and comfort for everyone present. Lacking the walls that traditionally divide a home, and most likely the people, all of his guests are able to mingle in a way that is not likely in a house with separated rooms and quarters.
Vinnie and Michael, a couple living at Lofts 640 (www.lofts640.com), are the personification of the loft’s own unification of the professional and the artist. Vinnie works as a sales promoter at a posh restaurant in downtown Philadelphia; Michael is a painter and sculptor. This combination of what once was the sole inhabitant of the loft space, the artist, and what is now becoming the majority of loft dwellers, the businessman, mimics the presentation of the old and new that exists inside all refurbished lofts.
Lofts 640, located six blocks north of City Hall, was originally a pharmaceutical manufacturing plant and then became a clothing factory where, rumor has it, the original “Members Only” jackets were made. Michael appreciates the preservation of the “original integrity of what the building once was” while gratefully accepting the modern-day conveniences that have been added. The 640’s lobby décor is eclectic in both old and new – a large painting of oranges suspends next to old doors carved with Asian symbols. The combined scheme works well, and the artist and the professional work well within it.
Both men agree that the kitchen is the favorite part of their home, seconded by their three enormous walk-in closets that are each large enough for a small office. The kitchen has stainless steel appliances and plenty of cupboard space to fit their culinary gadgetry and espresso machines. Most of all, these two love their kitchen because they can cook while entertaining. The stove sits on an island facing the living room with a connected bar where three or four guests sit and chat while drinking a glass of wine or beer from the tap. The open, multifunctional area lightly sectioned into the kitchen, living and dining rooms also encourages mingling among guests, even after the cooking has ended. Comfortably seated, their home fits six to ten people, although twenty can gather for a louder, more raucous time.
Fondue dinner parties are what make Vinnie and Michael famous, Friday nights bring homemade pizza night, and often you will find them karaoke singing with a small group of their friends. As their events, large or small, are so warm and inviting with infectious laughter and conversation, it is difficult to determine whether the loft itself encourages heightened socialization, or if Vinnie and Michael are just outstanding hosts. Perhaps it is a combination of both.
