i love this open loft from mi casa that i discovered via desire to inspire. not to mention their chairs. just one rad chair after another. the owner of this loft clearly has the same chair affliction that i have, starting with the rocker up top. what is that thing of beauty, and where can i track one down!? the pale colors — lavender and gray are lovely, too, and compliment the open floor plan, leaving it to feel open and airy. ah, i’m feelin’ the loft love.

i’m swooning over the latest issue of covet garden. go check out the amazing art-filled live-work space of gallerist Olga. The best thing about her beautiful brick loft-style home is that her living quarters are infused with her eclectic personality and passions — from her personal collection of contemporary art to her collections of antique objects. And there’s some great entertaining tips and recipes, too – you can also find them on the covet garden blog.

oh yeah, get ready for some real loft candy. i love lofts, and hope to someday be lucky enough to live in one, but in the meantime, i’m just gonna embrace and drool over this lovely loft. it’s called the bridge loft, a converted loft studio located in dumbo, brooklyn. it’s managed and rented out by the photography location company, oswalds mill, who also has some other incredible locations in pennsylvania, including an amazing mill of course, and a locomotive with its own train station! but, let’s focus on this one with its awe-inspiring views for now, shall we? i can’t take too much awesome at once.

first, let me tell you that I just pulled the trigger to move into a loft with my boyfriend that has concrete walls, exposed pipes, the whole sha-bang. so, I have been on a bit of a loft research rampage lately trying to get decorating ideas. in my extensive searching, I came across this crazy space that looks similar to some sort of sci-fi movie that my boyfriend would make me watch. just check out those crazy yellow pod beds! while I wouldn’t personally want to live in this futuristic fort, it sure is cool to look at, right?!

do you like this, or is it way too out there for your taste?

until next week!
bri from designlovefest

• photo source: lot-ek.

The lovely Ms. Smith, and yours truly, brainstormed about possible themes for European Chic’s november guest post and we both thought about European loft style. This fits my current mood perfectly as I have been blogging quite a bit about loft style recently. I like all kinds of loft styles from raw and unfinished to chic and polished as long as the lofts are uncontrived and not too aspirational.

Germany via Freunde von Freunden.

This loft in Berlin is effortless cool but rough around the edges. I get good a loft vibe here. The owner had to start from scratch and install plumbing and everything else himself. Respect.

United Kingdom via Living etc.

This London loft is very polished and chic. I think the kitchen with the metal chairs and the golden mirror is my favourite room.

With Love from Paris, European Chic.

]]> http://www.sfgirlbybay.com/2010/11/10/loft-style-from-europeon-chic/feed/ 9 http://www.sfgirlbybay.com/2010/11/04/hothouse-flower/ http://www.sfgirlbybay.com/2010/11/04/hothouse-flower/#comments Thu, 04 Nov 2010 13:00:38 +0000 victoria http://www.sfgirlbybay.com/?p=28503

the new issue of covet garden is live (apparently we no longer say ‘available on newsstands’ in this century!), and it’s got a stylish, manly-man feel to it. and i mean that in the most gentlemanly of ways.

this issue of covet visits dennis, a professor and real-life curator of a hidden hothouse of plants and books. i love this look at his kensington loft, as well as covet garden’s guide to getting the look, including a diy terrarium! for a complete look at the magazine pop in at covet garden.

until next week!
bri from designlovefest

*images via dwell.

oooh. ahhh. that’s pretty much the sounds i uttered when i came across New York-based architect Elizabeth Roberts’ minimalist live-work loft space on brides.com’s home décor files (i do believe they are re-purposing old domino articles under their publisher, condé nast’s umbrella, which is great!).

ms. robert’s loft, which is located in an old soap and wax factory in the West Village, is a study in less is more, and simply quite stunning. how much do you love the contrast of those dark wood floors versus the white beamed ceilings? dramatically beautiful, is it not? i love how she divided her work space from her bedroom alcove, creating privacy using an ikea loft curtain on a hospital track, mounted to the wood ceiling. genius, and such efficient space planning. for a bit more on the space and the general floor plan, visit elizabeth roberts’ website.

*Photographs by  Melanie Acevedo.

i discovered this london loft via my salmagundi’s tumbler page today, and just had to share. tucked away in london’s old Spitalfields market place, what stylish old bones to fix up and make your very own. at least that’s where my mind was traveling to when i took a look-see. ah, i do love a lot about london!

Loflife magazine shared this super sweet loft that came to them by way of Uxus Design and the company’s (and the loft’s) owners and directors, George Gottl and Oliver Michell. The two decided to keep the original wooden interior of this 18th century Amsterdam sugar warehouse, built in 1763 and located on the Bloemgracht canal and in the trendy Jordaan district of Amsterdam (the one area I was able to explore on my jam-packed 48-hour journey on business to the city a few years back, and it was fabulous for both shopping and site seeing).

Uxus Design has this to say about the loft: “In keeping the original open-plan layout we created a series of dramatic curtain walls that could be opened and closed according to the needs of use. Made of luxurious Italian linen, the curtain walls are opaque when lit from the front yet transparent from behind. At night, the space becomes a series of glowing tents, creating the effect of a surreal interior landscape.” For more on this sugar factory turned loft home and virtual candy for the eyes, visit Loftlife magazine.