Dee’s Bright and Modern Oakland Loft

Name: Dee Adams
Location: Oakland, California

You may have already seen images of the home of Oakland artist (and interiors consultant and senior producer at Yahoo!) Dee Adams, as it was featured on the Herman Miller blog. We contacted Dee about a house call and she shared with us more about her style as well as the unique challenges of living in a loft.

I’ve been in the loft since June of 2009. One of the most challenging aspects of moving into this space was relocating from a 1100 square foot condo with wall to wall carpeting to a place more than twice it’s size with hardwood floors and industrial fittings. It’s one thing to dream of all the space and the high ceilings and light but another to make a big white rectangular box feel livable.

My style hasn’t changed over the years so it’s been challenging trying to make it work in everything from a beach side condo to an inner-city high rise apartment. I hadn’t always had the luxury of displaying my glass collection or lunch boxes in a way that was suitable. In fact, the lunch boxes were in storage for probably the last 8 years.

The loft presents some unique challenges. With no walls other than those that separate the bathroom and upstairs bedroom in the loft, privacy is scarce. My partner (Speed is a software engineer) and I are used to overhearing each others conversations or talking a walk for a bit of private time. While the bedroom is separated by a curtained area, it’s still fairly exposed to viewing. There’s no such thing as a guestroom.

And while other people may consider it a dream to have so much space, I have to be very aware not to overfill the loft with stuff. I’m a collector and curator. It could easily lose it’s open feel not to mention be terribly problematic if I had to downsize into a smaller place. The furniture we own is wonderfully suited for a loft as you can see by the size of our couches and chairs but might present problems in a smaller environment.

Inspiration comes from the items I love. I’m a curator at heart and every piece is special to me. I mix mid-century originals with mid-century inspired modern pieces. My home is a backdrop and display piece for the paintings I create. I regularly entertain visiting collectors and clients here and many of them have a home aesthetic similar to mine.

Thanks, Dee!

(Image credits: Photos by James D. Grisham)

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