My Houzz: Sweet Vintage Touches in an 1865 Cincinnati Loft
Collected farmhouse-style decor fits in beautifully in this couple’s cozy rented apartment
Bowen, pictured, and Warwick have loved living in their urban loft in the heart of the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood for the past five years. “Both of us really value the idea of farm life and family values that run through rural America. But we both really love the city,” Bowen says.
They use the loft as a canvas for their many vintage finds, gleaned from hours of browsing flea markets and online sites such as Etsy in search of the perfect piece. “My parents were both avid antique collectors but worked within a fairly tight budget,” Bowen says. “I remember them working together to repurpose vintage finds into useful pieces for our home that were reflective of what was important to us.”
They use the loft as a canvas for their many vintage finds, gleaned from hours of browsing flea markets and online sites such as Etsy in search of the perfect piece. “My parents were both avid antique collectors but worked within a fairly tight budget,” Bowen says. “I remember them working together to repurpose vintage finds into useful pieces for our home that were reflective of what was important to us.”
Glasses are stored on hooks attached to a vintage wooden piece, purchased on Etsy, that came from an old New England farmhouse. “My mama had the sweetest cabin I would visit as a child,” Bowen says. “She made such an effort to ensure that the space was warm and cozy, and I try to emulate that feeling as much as possible now that I’m grown.” The teapot and creamer are gifts from her grandmother, and the paper towel holder is custom made out of a spindle and was found online.
The couple asked their landlord to remove the existing refrigerator when they moved in, and they replaced it with a vintage-inspired one made by Big Chill. “The original refrigerator just wasn’t vintage enough to tie in with the rest of our space,” Bowen says.
Working within the constraints of a rented apartment can be a challenge. Bowen customized the cabinets with vintage doors found on 1940s Hoosier cabinets. The drawer pulls are sides of ammunition boxes she found at a flea market. They’re affixed to the existing cabinets with Velcro strips for easy removal when the couple decide to leave.
“Living small forces me to be very selective about what I purchase for my home,” Bowen says. “I look for items filled with stories or that are handcrafted by artisans.” The honey pot and salt cellar are from Farmhouse Pottery in Woodstock, Vermont, a favorite of Bowen’s. “In a way, I love the constraint of small spaces as it forces me to live the simple sort of life I want to live.” she says.
Most of the couple’s dinnerware are vintage pieces they’ve collected over the years. “It makes home decorating so much more affordable when done incrementally,” Bowen says. While the tiny loft doesn’t offer much space for entertaining, Bowen relishes the moments with visitors, offering baked goods from Brown Bear Bakery just down the street.
Warwick converted an old farm window casing found by Bowen into a countertop shelf for their dishes. The green set of dishes is from Anthropologie; the white Windrow bowls are from Farmhouse Pottery.
Most of the living space in the loft is in the family room, where Warwick and Bowen spend the majority of their time. The green TV stand is a vintage find from an Ohio antiques mall and is used as found.
“Every single item in our home must serve an aesthetic function and a storage function,” Bowen says. She doesn’t allow anything that doesn’t meet these two standards into the home. The top item seen here on the wall is a Pennsylvania Dutch kindling box from the 1800s that Bowen bought at a reduced price of $550.
“I purchased this piece 10 years ago as a college student. What college student spends $550 on a kindling box? But I knew I just had to have it,” she says. “It’s a heritage piece and something I will never get rid of.” The middle item is an oyster basket from southern France and the lower basket is from a vintage boutique store in Tipp City, Ohio.
“I purchased this piece 10 years ago as a college student. What college student spends $550 on a kindling box? But I knew I just had to have it,” she says. “It’s a heritage piece and something I will never get rid of.” The middle item is an oyster basket from southern France and the lower basket is from a vintage boutique store in Tipp City, Ohio.
A handmade shelving unit accommodates the couple’s shoe collections. Baskets from the late 1800s found on Etsy store additional odds and ends.
A warehouse cart purchased at an antiques store in Springfield, Ohio, does double duty as a coffee table and dining table.
The couple love the fact that living in the loft allows them to be part of their urban neighborhood. Warwick and Bowen like to shop at local boutiques whenever possible. Small things, like this candle from neighborhood flower shop Gia and the Blooms, acts as a way for them to connect their home with their community.
Couch: Anthropologie
The couple love the fact that living in the loft allows them to be part of their urban neighborhood. Warwick and Bowen like to shop at local boutiques whenever possible. Small things, like this candle from neighborhood flower shop Gia and the Blooms, acts as a way for them to connect their home with their community.
Couch: Anthropologie
This antique cabinet provides storage in the main living area.
In the hallway is a vintage coat rack made from a Victorian architectural salvage piece found on Etsy.
A vintage grain scoop acts as a mailbox at the loft’s entrance, while a dry sink provides a handy spot for dropping off items culled during the day’s adventures.
Vintage-washed Belgian linen shower curtain: Restoration Hardware
Bathroom storage using vintage containers ties in with the rest of the apartment.
Bowen bought this old barrel at a flea market several years ago and has found many uses for it since. It currently serves as a bathroom wastebasket.
Upstairs, the bedroom holds more vintage finds. On the left is a vintage locker cabinet found in northern Kentucky. The green deli cabinet came out of an old barn in Virginia and now holds sweaters.
The striped linen Ishi blanket is by Lemlem, a brand focused on helping African women out of poverty.
The striped linen Ishi blanket is by Lemlem, a brand focused on helping African women out of poverty.
The bedside tables hold more clothing. Layering one table in front of another helps avoid wasted space.
Linen sheets and coverlet: Parachute Home
Linen sheets and coverlet: Parachute Home
Hooks above the railing and along the rails help keep loose items organized.
Three vintage Pepsi crates are wall mounted for more storage. “I love our home because of the joint vision Justin and I have to make it a space that reflects ourselves and our values,” Bowen says. “We don’t decorate to entertain or to impress; we decorate as a symbol of the life we are building together.”
See more of this loft
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
More home tours: Apartments | Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | All
See more of this loft
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
More home tours: Apartments | Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | All
Who lives here: Lauren Bowen and Justin Warwick
Location: Over-the-Rhine neighborhood of Cincinnati
Size: 650 square feet (60 square meters); one bedroom, one bathroom
Year built: 1865
Lauren Bowen and Justin Warwick are guided by the decorating philosophy that every piece counts. Their compact 650-square-foot brick loft in Cincinnati is filled with multipurpose vintage pieces and special finds that add rich texture to the 1865 brick walls.
In their tiny kitchen, the silver baker’s shelves came with the apartment, and the couple use vintage baskets and bins to store and display their kitchen wares. “I love that everything in my home shares a story,” Bowen says.