Happy New Year, everyone!!
I hope that one and all had wonderful holidays. I was so pleased that so many of you joined in the 2nd annual six-word memoir tradition. Some of you extended your efforts into a 2010 six-word "mantra" and my bud, Christa, also challenged herself to write a memoir for the passing decade. (so I did, too, and - wow- is all I'll say about that one!) Best to all of you in this new year.
For Tile Envy I wanted to kick off the new year with our very first - Get this look... post. If you recall, many of you had emailed that you wanted to explore more of the lifestyles depicted in Tilevera's new catalog. So I've set out to write the first of 16 monthly posts titled - Get this look... This month I've featured one of my favorite lifestyles - LOFT.
I'm pretty excited about it. Maybe too excited, because I've collected lots of photos and insights to share with you. So much so, that I think I need to expand it into two posts-
Part I is my "deconstruction" of how this lifestyle came about and why I believe there is a design consensus around it (including a quintessential example).
Part II will be my take on how one might "construct" this lifestyle. So hopefully you'll click back in tomorrow to pick up on some of these fun tips.
LOFT- Part I
I think the need to turn this post into two parts is because it resonates so much for me, personally. For instance, my favorite restaurant in the whole world is the Zuni Cafe on Market Street in San Franciso. I always said that if I could pick a perfect place to live, it would be in the Zuni Cafe.
At those times I was mostly referring to having access to Judy Rodgers impeccable cuisine (especially the ricotta gnocchi!!). But then one of my brilliant children pointed out that we actually live in a miniature version of the Zuni Cafe. And I looked around and discovered that he was right (except for the ricotta gnocchi!!) . So if you're ever in San Francisco check out the Zuni and the gnocchi and you'll experience an exemplary loft space, as well.
Nowadays you can't turn your head in real estate without seeing some reference to "loft". My own first experience of a loft was seeing photographs of Warhol's factory (it was originally in midtown NYC and rented for $100 per year).
The idea of artists in search of inexpensive spaces to create and live, is still a highly romanticized image, equal parts rebellion and sophistication. It has been repeated in so many Hollywood sets from movies to television, with the youngest generation of dwellers viewing this lifestyle as a clear expression of who they are versus where they grew up.
Developers quickly caught on, and now every major city has renovated their industrial zones turning them into pricey multi-unit live/work spaces. In order to quickly get a buzz on a new development- just print the word - LOFT - in the promotional piece.
For me, Loft is "form follows function" at it's best. It's all about urban and stretches far beyond a mere lifestyle as it has the ability to encompass both home and work. I've been an off-and-on loft dweller since I graduated from art school and the promise of volume, concrete, and exposed beams has always warmed my heart. (One of my dwellings even sported a mini freight elevator - which served as many-things-practical including the occasional guest room).
A while back I spotted one of the most stunning loft spaces I have ever seen. It was featured on an MTV Cribs episode (I uttered without a trace of shame) that was presenting the family home of a pop star from Barcelona. I didn't recognize the star, but her habitat and I bonded immediately. I searched and searched to find out more about this remarkable structure, but couldn't find anything and didn't have enough information to find it on the web.
But thanks to the new publication of the urban shelter magazine, Loftlife, I was recently reunited with this favorite space that illustrates all things "me".
If you haven't discovered LoftLife magazine- I highly recommend it. In the meantime, enjoy one of my top ten living spaces, the home of renowned Barcelona architect Ricardo Bofill. A brilliantly re-purposed old cement factory, this was an epic "remodel" that took a keen eye and a nervy talent to create spaces that appear grand, yet surprisingly livable.
Silos refashioned into modern-day turrets.
The magical landscaping beautifully precludes the interiors.
The "great room".
And what about the fantastic furnishings? Some were designed by Gaudi.
I'm a big fan of the big dining table. Lots of friends and food possibilities.
Beautiful view, reminds me of Terry Gilliam's visually stunning movie- Brazil.
Kitchen extraordinaire with the requisite terracotta pavers.
I hope you'll click on any of the photos and take in the full Loftlife article highlighting even more spaces of this habitat fit for the Loft gods. It's a great read and there are even more amazing photos. I've ONLY shared 7 of the 16 amazing shots.
Ricardo Bofill's magical home truly captivated me. I'd be curious to hear your own observations and reflections specific to the loft momentum that seems to be inspiring many of us. And if you care to join Tile Envy tomorrow, I'll have posted Get this look...Part II. It'll be all about how to capture this modern and architecturally satisfying subject. See you soon!