Problem

My client Carlos purchased this downtown Albuquerque loft as his first home after finishing his PhD.  The location and building were both ideal, but the loft itself was a bit rough around the edges. Carlos is a minimalist and loved the open concept of the space, but the kitchen and living areas felt dark and cold despite the large windows. The kitchen was small and very basic, the walls had a yellowish tone and the floors had literal holes in the concrete. How do we make this industrial space feel more like a home?

 

Process

Carlos enlisted The Vibe to blend the industrial bones of the space with his preferred 'japandi' style. Japandi is the fusion of both Japanese and Scandinavian minimalism and materiality. Warm woods, natural materials, lots of texture, and an earthy color palette are some of the key elements that we used to create the japandi vibe. On this project, the client wanted to learn to do some of the remodeling work himself and he did an amazing job!  The first order of business was to fix the floors and install a new type of flooring that felt good underfoot. Along with painting the walls and all the trim a neutral white, changing the flooring type made an enormous impact on the overall feeling of the space. Next, we tackled the kitchen. Carlos did all of the demo work as well as installing the new cabinets. Choosing to go with IKEA base cabinets with bespoke fronts freed up a tremendous amount of space in the budget. The custom white oak fronts were created in North Dakota by the Scherr company and look stunning. We chose a textural and neutral backsplash and quartz countertops to bring light to the space.  Carlos installed custom lighting from Etsy for both task and ambient purposes. Finally, we designed a rolling kitchen island made with reclaimed wood from the local shop Rangewood Reclaimers and had a quartz top put on it for additional countertop prep and entertaining space.

 

Results

Wow, has this loft been transformed! Carlos now has more storage and counter space, seating flexibility, and a brighter kitchen workspace, but almost more importantly, he has a loft that is grounding, calming, and cozy to live in. We all know how much our spaces can affect our daily lives, and this is a great example of a transformation that feels as well as looks good! Plus, Carlos learned all kinds of home remodeling skills that he can use in the future! Bonus!