Name: Philip and Tania
Location: Former Salvation Army Building in the Mission, San Francisco, California
Favorite: the courtyard and light therein (Tania), and the 14' x 14' topographical wall of San Francisco-- "an alternative and peripheral view of the city"--that will divide the office space from the gallery (Philip)
Tania, a public radio producer and Philip, a designer live together in a 1500 square foot loft in a formerly industrial building in San Francisco. Unlike Philip, this is not the ideal space for Tania who, as a native San Franciscan is more amenable to the classically organic and light drenched Victorian version of living in San Francisco. When they first saw this space she said, “I’ll suffocate without windows”. They both recently settled in San Francisco, Philip from Dorset, England, where he lived in a former Malt Factory in a similar but larger and rawer space; and Tania from a long hiatus in New York City.
Tania’s mantra for homemaking is, “You bring your own energy into a place”. In addition, she says she was amenable to this new style of living because “I’m in love with Philip”. So, in they moved.
Philip, who is 6’4” and appreciates a lot of open space in his home has a more modern and streamlined aesthetic than this converted loft space currently offers. So, even though they are renting the space, he has grand plans for major conversions. Philip's vision and intent is to create a space that serves office, gallery, and residential purposes with equal parts great design, efficiency, and flexibility. He feels the investment is worth it because the results will make for better living and the example will serve him well in promoting his interior design business. He has already drafted a digital simulation allowing the viewer to fly through his and Tania’s future multifaceted space. The most ambitious addition would include a cantilevered transparent cube extending from the guest mezzanine.
Because they have such a big space, they have decided to use it to their community’s benefit as well as their own. Tania and Philip hold monthly sound art sessions where bean-bags are strewn around the room, the lights go low, and the audience leans back and listens. They also set aside wall space to hang rotating installations of independent visual artist’s work for which they hold openings and viewings by appointment.
The combination of a strong design-oriented, hard edged aesthetic with an organic love of life yield a surprisingly thought provoking, warm, aesthetically pleasing environment.
JS
What a great space - I like the current version.
I have the exact same steel table in my kitchen as seen in slide 5. I would like to add a middle shelf to it. Anyone know how to?
Absolutely spectacular.
Envy, envy. Lust, lust. Oh, how I'd love a live/work space like that!
Lofts can offer lots of space but I wonder what's the point if you have to look at your clothes and canned goods all the time. Like those SoBro lofts in today's Times, these grand spaces are diminished by clutter and conventional fittings.
Jeddex,
The beauty of having a loft is having unlimited decor options. So, the resident can opt to view the clutter on their open shelves or house the clutter within the plethora of storage containers available in the market today. I mean really...there are no limits to what one can do in a loft space. That in itself is the beauty and the allure of loft living. I don't know about anyone else but this place makes me want to chuck the east coast rat race and head to Cali, baby!
I'm with Jeddx. Despite the large sq footage, the place looks cramped and cluttered. The second-floor loft.... d'oh! my head!
Love the art, love the cieling height, LOVE the curvy metal (?) book shelf hanging on the wall. This place is cool. And I don't think it looks cluttered at all.
The space needs some work, but it has TONS of potential. I'm not too into the renderings, however. The renderings look like they were designed by Darth Vader Associates. I keep looking for Han encased in the carbonite as a wall decoration.
Okay, so Max and I will not have to compete for the "after" then... those rednerings look amazing to me.
Love the "brush cross" from the gallery, LOVE LOVE LOVE that topographic laminate. Sooooooooooo cool.
Now y'all know I like "stuff" (especially when as personal as all this seems to be), but there is a LOT of it here (the ample expanse actually belies the amount, I think...). And there is too much open storage for my taste. I also think furniture placement is not taking full advantage...
I've noticed, based on the captions and some comments, there seems to be a weird rift in opinion about what constitutes "clutter"... if the stuff is identifiably "purchased" or having the slightest whiff of "big ticket" about it, the audience is pretty quick to freak. But when it is "found object" (even LOTS of it) it is deemed quirky, arty/artfully mundane, romantic. Hmmmm.