Dear Apartment Therapy,
I moved into a "loft" recently because it was available and cheap. It's like a loft in that it is above a business and has the coveted open floor plan, but it has some very non-loft characteristics.
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I've already taken down the Tiffany-style ceiling fixture in favor of bare bulbs, but I can't figure out what to do with the waist-high beadboard paneling. I can take the moulding directly above the beadboard off with a minimum of trouble, but when I peeped under the beadboard itself, some of the drywall had come off where I had (carefully) pried it. So taking it off is not an option. It seems like they were going for a country/colonial look, but in a LOFT?!
I also have this weird rustic column in the middle of the floor that I'd like to hide/disguise/get rid of. Neither of these things match my Ikea/MCM furniture/accessories, but I signed a year lease, because the price was right. Please help!
Thank you very much,
Amber
Can anyone help? (Amber's our first renter to pony up some pictures for Reversible Decor month! Where are the rest of you?)
cool space. i would avoid removing the wainscoating (more victorian than country). can you paint? if so, paint the wall and wainscoating the same (or even better, one or two chip color pallet shades away in same family) color so it doesn't pop like it is now with the contrasting wall colors. consider painting the column a darker/ more industrial color that integrates with the brick.
I think if you painted the beadboard the same color as the wall above and replaced the current chair rail with a flat edged, unmolded look, it would look a lot more modern.
I see a peek of brick wall and windows to the right of the front door which is a great feature. I would suggest switching your space around so that the living area occupies that space which could be a great focal point, and move your bedroom into the corner behind that column. You could then take fabric panels and cover up that column you don't like, which would create a natural separation for the bedroom.
I think the column is great. I wonder if you can strip off the paint and reveal the wood grain - it would look awesome.
I agree about painting the paneling the same color as the walls. That way you wouldn't notice it much.
The front door is pretty ghastly. I'd try to change it out with something smooth.
That column may very well be load-bearing. Getting rid of it is probably not a viable option.
I also agree with Justine - the area with the brick is much more suited for your living room.
i think the beadboard could easily stay.
Remember Brenda's house in the first few seasons of Six Feet Under? lots of beadboard in there, yet all the furniture and decor was pure MCM and "modern design classics". so i think the two can definitely coexist. in fact, i think you should refer to screenshots of that set to figure out how to make your not-so-modern loft into a midcentury paradise.
This space has a lot of potential. I think painting the walls and the paneling is a great idea - it won't make the paneling stick out so much and a monochromatic look would be more modern. The pale blue paint that came with the place is adding to the "country" feel you described.
One of my favorite entries from the color contest is Bryan's Demarcation Zones, entry #32 on the New York site. He had a great tip about matching the paint to the mortar in the brick. Something similar to the color he used in his living room area, a warm cream, might work nicely on your walls. It appears as though the color of his bricks and his hardwood floors are similar to yours.
I also agree with Justine and Kate that it would look great to flip your living room and bedroom areas. Have fun with it - what a nice open space to work with!
Justine- I'd like to switch the living room and bedroom around, but this will cause me to lose both length and width in my living area, since the front door (ghastly, I agree!) is closer to the brick wall than the bathroom (partial) wall, and since the kitchen is beside the bedroom along the brick side. Though the kitchen uses the portable Ikea counters, the landlord won't let me "move" the kitchen (something about the possibility of poisoning myself with natural gas in the process.)
Jackie- that's definitely an idea I hadn't thought about. But if I sand the column down to the wood grain, will I also have to sand the beam that connects with it? Sanding the column will be cake, but trying to sand that beam....
Thanks for the helpful ideas. Many of these things hadn't occurred to me.
I'd think twice about stripping that column -- the wood may not be anything attractive, and you'll have a steel plate at the top connecting it to the beam.
The people who want to paint are on target. Pick a good neutral and paint everything that color, so that only light and shadow distinguishes the wainscotting, the beam, etc. A creamy off-white with a slight yellow cast works well in San Francisco light, but you can also take a neutral from the colors of your exposed brick or a major color in your furnishings.
Many fans of MCM back in the MC covered the Victorian or Edwardian detailing of their apartments with a uniformly white paint, so you're in good company.
Ever been to House of Blues in Chicago? They have painted each line of the beadboard in various... bright colors and patterns.
I have a picture I'll have to dig up (it's from film) and scan it to share with you. Don't hold your breath, my new job has me super busy.