This condo definitely reflected its industrial heritage with concrete pillars, exposed ductwork and 16’ high ceilings with two builder-grade boring ceiling fans. As you can imagine, the lighting was atrocious, so a major design goal was to improve the amount of light, while playing with scale of the space, and add some organic elements to soften the industrial edge. It was a leap of faith on their part but my clients agreed to a hand-crafted, custom-finished bronze chandelier made in Vermont, with such an impressive scale that it perfectly occupies the upper visual space while providing luminous soft lighting over the table. This fixture is now one of their favorite things! We also replaced the other ceiling fan with a new sleeker model where the coloring and shape of the blades echo the soft petals of their new chandelier.

Starting with furniture from a previous home we blended what they had with some new pieces. For example: the solid wood, live-edge dining table is new, surrounded by their existing dining chairs, with the addition of two more side chairs to be able to seat eight. For airy storage, we found etageres that are 8’ tall which also accent the room height. The swivel chairs in front of the massive windows were from their old home, joined by a new sofa and cocktail ottoman for a welcoming seating area.

Although the clients liked the dark stain on the floors, we played a bit with modernizing and brightening the floor with amazing, hand-made works of art for area rugs. The textures and waves of color speak to the organic elements as well as the skyline you see of their harbor view.

To ramp up the cozy factor and provide an element that they were really missing from their old home, we had a custom cabinet built for underneath the television to house an electric fireplace with logs and “flames”, as well as provide storage for components and display.

The ceiling height drapery repeats the effect of the concrete columns to draw your eye up while also incorporating texture, and most importantly, the fullness of the fabric helps to diminish the echo from the tall space and concrete. Sound absorption is an important factor to create coziness, so these drapes provide function as well as visual aesthetics.

This home is a beautiful blend of modern, industrial and cozy elements without feeling overpowering or oppressive.