Chris’ Industrial “Dreamer’s Dream” Loft
Name: Christopher Cushingham
Location: Downtown Los Angeles, California
Size: 780 Square Feet
Years lived in: 6 months
Large windows are a valued element to loft living. Chris worked as a residential window cleaner growing up, which helped develop his appreciation for unique and expansive windows. In fact, these industrial windows and the generous natural light they provide sold him on this particular loft.
Working as an interior designer and having a strong interest in architectural lighting design, he put a lot of thought in the lighting of his loft. He made his own industrial up-lights, for the columns and walls, added new pendant lights to the kitchen, and installed electronic dimmers with a remote control in order to adjust the light levels from the bed.
When Chris moved into the loft after touring a similar unit down the hall, he was pleasantly surprised to discover a raw concrete wall. He preserved the character of the wall and decided to make the space his bedroom. The gray color of the wall plays into his modern color scheme.
Recently, Chris graduated from design school and decided to move out of his beloved loft in order to spend a few months traveling through Europe and discovering its architecture. There is no telling what his next project will be or what space he will conquer next. He dreams of an open New York loft, so we will keep in touch to hopefully capture a glimpse of his next big design transformation.
Apartment Therapy Survey:
My Style: A mix of modern, vintage, and industrial.
Inspiration: Living in the fashion district of downtown LA, I’ve been regularly inspired by the downtown city style: industrial buildings and abandoned warehouses next to art galleries and fashion showrooms. It is an interesting pocket of old, almost forgotten LA history, but it’s filling up with a creative youth culture. This apartment is in a fashion manufacturing building built in 1916 and designated a local historic monument. The new spirit in the old city around me inspired the design of it.
Favorite Element: The shelving unit is my favorite element and its multifunctional. It was a fun project that I made specifically for this space. It holds all of my books, movies, and random industrial artifacts, as well as a pull down projector screen, which makes for great movie nights.
Biggest Challenge: Because I knew that I was only going to be living here for six months, the biggest challenge was trying to make it feel homey and finished without sinking too much time and money into it. I never felt completely “finished” with this project, but in an industrial space like this I think “unfinished” works quite well.
What Friends Say: Everyone seems to enjoy the place; one of my friends calls it “a dreamer’s dream.” I enjoy bringing people in for their first time and watching their reaction as they come through the door. It makes the time and energy I put into it worthwhile.
Biggest Embarrassment: I don’t have a microwave, but I also view this as an accomplishment.
Proudest DIY: The pallet wood coffee table is my proudest DIY. It was the first piece of furniture I ever made, so it means a lot to me. I spent a lot of time in my parents’ garage ripping apart old pallets I confiscated from an industrial park across the way. I had no idea what I was doing, but I borrowed my brother’s power tools and went to it. In the end, I produced a solid piece of furniture that I will probably keep forever.
Biggest Indulgence: The projector cost a pretty penny, but it has provided endless hours of entertainment and it will stick with me for a while. I think it was a solid investment.
Best advice: The question isn’t who is going to let you; it’s who is going to stop you.
Dream source: Cleveland Art, Get Back Inc., Ligne Roset, and B&B Italia
Resources of Note:
FURNITURE
- Craigslist: Luther Conover Fiberglass Wing Chair and Leather Desk Chair
- Home Depot: Wood and Pipes for DYI Desk and Shelving Unit
ACCESSORIES
- Fairfax/Melrose Flea Market
- Grandma’s House
- Abandoned Building Down the Street
LIGHTING
- Rose Bowl Flea Market: Photography Tripod Lamp
- Sundance Catalog: Genesis Pendant Lights
BEDS
- Home Depot: DYI Bed Frame
ARTWORK
Thanks, Chris!
Images: Sean Stiegemeier and Dirk Mai
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