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Houzz Tour: Modern Meets Traditional in Eclectic Loft
Antiques, cozy seating areas and clever room dividers warm up a sleek urban space
Designer Andrew Flesher found the challenge of outfitting a wide open loft space — with no dividing walls, conventional rooms of any kind and 60 feet of glass windows — compelling enough to take it on. And he took a surprising approach when decorating the space, mixing traditional furnishings with contemporary pieces. "I love the combination of things so that there’s some surprise, some tension, some juxtaposition between materials, styles, and level of formality," Flesher says.
His Minneapolis loft exemplifies the tension between traditional and modern. Highlights include white leather furniture paired with wooden antique pieces, abstract paintings mixed with classical oil portraits, and art deco light fixtures sprinkled about.
Here's a look of how he divided the floor plan into a livable space, making an elegant-yet-relaxed living space in an urban environment.
His Minneapolis loft exemplifies the tension between traditional and modern. Highlights include white leather furniture paired with wooden antique pieces, abstract paintings mixed with classical oil portraits, and art deco light fixtures sprinkled about.
Here's a look of how he divided the floor plan into a livable space, making an elegant-yet-relaxed living space in an urban environment.
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A box-style bookcase in white serves as a divider, delineating the more casual seating area from the dining area. Instead of stuffing each box with books, objects are carefully placed in each division, creating an interesting scape that includes wire balls, modern sketches and mirrors among a few stacks of horizontally stacked books. Two white leather upholstered chairs with black frames face each other, creating a cozy conversation area.
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Farther into the space is another casual seating area featuring an overstuffed sofa upholstered in gray linen. Two white ceramic stools flank an oversized, square wooden coffee table, creating a nice contrast of light and dark. A dark brown sisal rug also helps to create a sense of a smaller room.
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The shiny white floor and bright white wall provide a modern, clean environment in which the designer has placed traditional furnishings for this corner office. A Dorothy Draper black desk goes nicely with a grand oil portrait framed in an Edwardian gold-leaf frame. Vintage crystal sconces add a touch of art deco glamour to the grouping.
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A large abstract painting by artist Harold Hollingsworth hangs against a freestanding wall. Two polished nickel chrome chairs sit in front, with a green fern to the left breaking up the highly clean, contemporary look. A vintage crystal chandelier adds to the grouping's overall elegance.
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The oversized French country bureau (complete with a fun tasseled key) is juxtaposed nicely against the ultra-modern and contemporary white Barcelona chairs and ottoman. The overall contrast provides a sleek look that is made warmer by the wooden piece. "I do think that all design, and all new design, is really an evolution of what’s happened in the past," Flesher has said, which is one of the reasons he showcases all his antiques in this glass cube of a space.
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One of the most modern vignettes of the space is this small Buddha statue that rests on a white pedestal mimicking the cylindrical shape of the column. Doesn't it feel serene? This is a stunning example of how to execute restraint.
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A soft upholstered headboard feels casual set against the elegant cherry chest of drawers and simple, oversized mirror. The simple black iron lamp is a clean choice that doesn't compete with the intricacy of the chest.
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An authentic Venetian mirror offsets the antique wooden cabinet he had fitted for the ceramic oval sink. Fresh flowers are casually arranged, and a gold framed drawing with a sage green matte is hung above the toilet. Some of the only modern sconces flank the ornate mirror, which is yet another example of the tension between traditional and modern.
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The kitchen is decidedly modern with laminate white cabinets, chrome fixtures and white appliances. Black Scandinavian wooden chairs surround a white Saarinen kitchen table. It's the most purely white space, allowing any and all food to be the star.
More home tours:
Eclectic and Colorful in Colorado
The Concord Green and Healthy House
Sleek San Francisco Bachelor Pad
Luxury With a Treehouse Feel
More home tours:
Eclectic and Colorful in Colorado
The Concord Green and Healthy House
Sleek San Francisco Bachelor Pad
Luxury With a Treehouse Feel
Ideabook updated on Sept. 14, 2011.
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http://loftlifemag.com/mu/?p=2477
Cate, I am very envious that you live in C-ville. I lived there for 11 years and loved every minute of it.
It would be helpful, as well, to see a floor plan in these instances to better visualize the results.
I love the mix of traditional and contemporary - gives great character and warmth to the space.