This Stunning Dallas Loft Rents for $1300 a Month
Emmanuel Neira and partner, Katy Vestal, have rented this loft space in Dallas for seven months: We have always wanted a loft space, and we came across this beautiful apartment in a building from the 1920s. We were immediately attracted to the character, age, and the amazing exposed brick wall. We also love the concrete floors. We have two cats and a dog, so having the concrete is nice because it’s really durable and adds a great texture.
Figuring out the layout was the most challenging (but rewarding) part about our home. Having no walls in the main space has been very liberating and it’s so easy to move around furniture and explore different layouts. After rearranging the space a good four or five times, we have come to something that really reflects our style and goal with our home: We wanted to create a space that is warm and inviting, with a focus on conversation and comfort.
Because our home is in an older building, there is a limited amount of natural light. This has given us a great opportunity to add lighting fixtures, which have added a lot of character and warmth to the entire apartment.
We are both artists and native Texans, so we really have a strong Southwestern influence. You can see that in what we choose to style with, as well as the art we select. Because we’re artists, we love to collect original works of art from our local community.
We both love to collect objects — mainly large-scale books and records. It is reflected in our main lounge with our bookshelf room divider and our record storage against the brick wall.
We also put this perspective into how we style the art; we want to show as much of our collection, and in some cases our own work, in the space. So we have our packed gallery wall and art placed wherever we can.
Our pottery has also been created by local artists, so even in our “objects” we are inspired to showcase art.
We also have sourced a lot of vintage mid-century pieces that we adore. We love having pieces that have age and patina so there’s more to talk about.
Describe your home’s style in 5 words or fewer: Mid-century eclectic with Southwestern influences.
What is your favorite room and why? The lounge space is definitely our favorite spot. We love our vintage Herman Miller modular seating by Don Chadwick. The versatility of being able to have all the pieces together, like a sofa, or separate them into different seating arrangements can really help the space become more intimate and comfortable. Lighting is also the most present here. We love the soft light that we get from using just the lamps. We have color Hue bulbs in all of them and we can change the color temperature to match the vibe. Our vintage area rug adds texture and carries out our Southwestern influences.
What’s the last thing you bought (or found!) for your home? Our vintage marble-top dresser near the dining table. With limited closet space we have to get creative with clothing storage. We came across this piece at one of our favorite vintage stores and knew that it would be perfect for the spot we were thinking of. The marble top adds in another natural element that we were missing. Combining wood tones and stonework is a great way to get variety in a space.
Any advice for creating a home you love? Buy quality pieces, and make sure they are items you love, not just trendy items. It’s also OK to wait and build your home slowly. Do not be afraid of pieces with age! The age adds a lot of character and helps to give the space that lived in feel.
Lighting is key. Lamps can be an inexpensive way to add great dimension to any space — whether it’s a small lamp on a counter or a paper-shade floor lamp by a couch. We love our lamps and are always looking to add to our collection.
Your items can come with you; pick things that can transition to any space!
This submission’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.
Share your style: House Tour & House Call Submission Form