DIVINE DESIGN: Cramped home gets loft-like makeover

By Candice Olson, Scripps Howard News Service

Published June 6, 2008 at 3 p.m.
Updated June 6, 2008 at 6:13 p.m.

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Photo by HGTV

By knocking down walls and using a system of wooden posts and beams, the closed-up, rundown space seen below now has an open, loft-like feeling.

Photo by HGTV

Cal is an animation artist, director and teacher - and a first-time homeowner. He moved into his home two years ago, a 1920s structure that had been owned by an 80-year-old woman who hadn't changed it much in her 60 years of occupancy. The ground floor was dated, dingy and full of cramped rooms, which was less than ideal for a twentysomething guy who works from home and entertains a lot.

Cal wanted his living and working space to function on a variety of levels, with a modern kitchen, a professional office and a cozy lounge area. And he wanted it all to be hip, creative and modern. So I decided to transform his home's main floor and give him a fashionable and functional space that fits his lifestyle.

I started by knocking down all the walls and creating one large, open-concept space with a system of wooden posts and beams with steel joinery.

Not only are these crucial for support, but they give the room an open, loft-like feeling. In keeping with this industrial look, I painted the walls in airy neutrals and put down beautiful wood flooring.

Then I divided the space into three zones: a kitchen, an office and a lounge. In the kitchen I put in a long counter along one wall that looks like concrete but is actually polished quartz. I jazzed things up with a green-gray glass-tile backsplash and added Shaker-style over-counter cabinets in the same color as the beams.

I then installed a sleek stainless-steel sink, a fridge with French doors and a built-in dishwasher.

In the middle of the kitchen I set up an island with a cook top that features a glass-and-stainless- steel fume hood above and a range below. I then attached a wooden table to the island that will act as Cal's eating area. Above the table I put up a custom- made industrial fixture, which I made with 16 light bulbs hung from wires.

On the other side of the kitchen I installed the office area, complete with two big workstations with stylish, heavy-duty quartz desks and ergonomically designed chairs. As this is a space in which creativity will flourish, I put up a huge blackboard on a sliding door (which also hides a new pantry) where Cal can jot down his brilliant ideas.

I also put a gorgeous flat- screen TV on the wall between the office and lounge areas. This television can swivel to face either area, depending on whether it is needed for work or play.

In the newly designed lounge/entertainment space, I installed a fireplace with a gas insert and a double surround - one of quartz to match the countertops and one of wood to match other elements in the space.

I wanted the furniture in this area to be comfortable, so I put in a big, cozy sectional in a gray felted fabric, a couple of chairs and a few benches. I added an area rug, colorful throw pillows and a funky light pendant.

To finish the look, I put khaki linen drapes on the living-room window and the doors to the backyard.

After a few more finishing touches, Cal's new space was ready. What was once a closed- up, rundown space is now an industrial idea factory that is perfect for cooking, cartooning and chilling out.

Interior decorator Candice Olson is host of HGTV's Divine Design. For more ideas, information and show times visit HGTV.com or divinedesign.tv.

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