My Houzz: Modern Settings for Old-School Pieces in a Pittsburgh Loft
Transitional style merges an urban couple's traditional furniture with the modern backdrop of their whitewashed loft
Adrienne DeRosa
May 20, 2013
Houzz Contributor. My work caters to the commercial needs of designers, architects, builders, and real estate agents, as well as anyone requiring product shots, food or otherwise. I take a naturalistic approach to composing and depicting what is in front of me to give the audience a realistic experience of the object or space. In such a visual world as we occupy, it is my intention to help my clients reach their goals through honest, beautiful imagery.
Houzz Contributor. My work caters to the commercial needs of designers, architects,... More
When Stan Adamik and Jason Charney moved from a clapboard Cape Cod–style house in rural Pittsburgh to a modern loft 10 minutes from downtown, they faced a dilemma: how to make their traditional furnishings work in a more urban setting.
Rather than force their loft into a traditional mold, they whitewashed the floors and walls to create a fresh backdrop for their old-school pieces. The couple then brought the space up-to-date with bright art and more contemporary furnishings to establish a cool transitional look that reflects their new big-city lifestyle.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Stan Adamik and Jason Charney
Location: Lawrenceville neighborhood of Pittsburgh
Size: 1,200 square feet; 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom
That's interesting: Blackbird Lofts, where the couple lives, was the first LEED-certified residential building in Pittsburgh.
Rather than force their loft into a traditional mold, they whitewashed the floors and walls to create a fresh backdrop for their old-school pieces. The couple then brought the space up-to-date with bright art and more contemporary furnishings to establish a cool transitional look that reflects their new big-city lifestyle.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Stan Adamik and Jason Charney
Location: Lawrenceville neighborhood of Pittsburgh
Size: 1,200 square feet; 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom
That's interesting: Blackbird Lofts, where the couple lives, was the first LEED-certified residential building in Pittsburgh.
The couple's understanding of proportion is nowhere more evident than in the living area, where a large fiddle-leaf fig sets the scale for the room while a painting by local artist Brody Parker Burroughs injects the wall with color and dimension. "My decorating philosophy is to trust my first instincts when selecting things for my space," Adamik says. "I find that my initial gut reaction usually produces the most interesting and successful results."
A Gus Modern white sectional sofa holds bright pillows made from antique silk ikat fabric.
Cocktail table: glass, Curvet
A Gus Modern white sectional sofa holds bright pillows made from antique silk ikat fabric.
Cocktail table: glass, Curvet
As an interior designer at Weisshouse, Adamik has immediate access to unique finds, such as this antique Japanese camphor trunk that supports a 19th-century solid ebony Anglo-Indian box filled with photos.
In the living and dining room, draperies made from lively Duralee linen break up the expansive white walls. "I love textiles," Adamik says. "I think in a different life I would be a textile designer. A fabric is a microcosm of an interior's bigger picture. A fabric can encompass many aspects of design: color, texture, scale and light."
Armchair: Earl Chair, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams; reading lamp: Studio Floor Lamp, Thomas O'Brien for VIsual Comfort
Armchair: Earl Chair, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams; reading lamp: Studio Floor Lamp, Thomas O'Brien for VIsual Comfort
Adamik and Churney added a low dividing wall to separate the kitchen from the living area, a decision that expanded possibilities in terms of how to best lay out the space. At merely 5 feet tall, the partition maintains the open-air feeling of the space yet is ample enough to accommodate the entertainment center.
To unify the living and dining areas, Adamik added a large-scale sea grass rug to unify the living and dining areas, while an indigo blue Pakistani Gabbeh rug helps define the living room.
Rug: Pakistani Gabbeh, Weisshouse; poufs: Cisco Brothers
To unify the living and dining areas, Adamik added a large-scale sea grass rug to unify the living and dining areas, while an indigo blue Pakistani Gabbeh rug helps define the living room.
Rug: Pakistani Gabbeh, Weisshouse; poufs: Cisco Brothers
Oversize artwork defines the entryway. The art is a collection of 10 prints from Visionaire magazine's "Larger Than Life" issue.
"Doing a monumental piece there was needed," Adamik says. "Anything smaller looked like a postage stamp."
Wall and floor paint: White Heron, Benjamin Moore; runner: Pakistani Gabbeh, Weisshouse
"Doing a monumental piece there was needed," Adamik says. "Anything smaller looked like a postage stamp."
Wall and floor paint: White Heron, Benjamin Moore; runner: Pakistani Gabbeh, Weisshouse
Door hardware: Barndoor Hardware; door paint: White Heron, Benjamin Moore; pendant light: Visual Comfort
"I wasn’t sure about a bedroom with no windows at first, but I’ve grown to love it," says Adamik. "It’s like a vault. It makes me feel safe and secure, especially on cold and snowy Pittsburgh nights."
By incorporating elements such as an upholstered bed frame and wooden side tables, the duo softened the lines and created masculine yet comfortable sleeping quarters.
Bed: Butler Bed, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams; table lamps: vintage
Bed: Butler Bed, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams; table lamps: vintage
Food played a big role in Adamik's upbringing, and today, as the primary chef of the house, he still is influenced by it. So when it came time to design the kitchen, he forged a plan to make the space more practical.
The galley-style space once opened to the living room, making furniture placement difficult. Adamik solved this by adding a dividing 5-foot-high wall that closes off the space yet still allows interaction with guests in the living room.
Small vase: Tapio Wirkkala for Rosenthal Studio-Line ('70s vintage); trash can: Wesco, Williams-Sonoma
The galley-style space once opened to the living room, making furniture placement difficult. Adamik solved this by adding a dividing 5-foot-high wall that closes off the space yet still allows interaction with guests in the living room.
Small vase: Tapio Wirkkala for Rosenthal Studio-Line ('70s vintage); trash can: Wesco, Williams-Sonoma
With upholstered cushions and ample back support, the vintage 1940s French chairs in the dining room make the space popular during parties. "A comfortable dining chair is important," says Adamik.
A Marcel Duchamp lithograph hangs in a double frame. The walnut-inlay frame was originally from a mirror that Adamik and Churney had hanging in their previous home. It had survived a fall that shattered the original antique silvered glass, and rather than trying to duplicate the effect, the couple gave the frame a new purpose.
Dining table: Ralph Lauren, Weisshouse; chandelier: Tilde 5L Wood and Iron Chandelier, Arteriors
A Marcel Duchamp lithograph hangs in a double frame. The walnut-inlay frame was originally from a mirror that Adamik and Churney had hanging in their previous home. It had survived a fall that shattered the original antique silvered glass, and rather than trying to duplicate the effect, the couple gave the frame a new purpose.
Dining table: Ralph Lauren, Weisshouse; chandelier: Tilde 5L Wood and Iron Chandelier, Arteriors
A steel barrister houses Adamik's library of design books and other finds, including a miniature Eames La Chaise Chair from Design Within Reach.
An animal hide on tightly woven sisal covers the home office floor. "The room is an odd shape, so doing an area rug was not going to work," Adamik explains.
He confesses that the room is more of a lesson in making things work, as opposed to deliberate design. "Usually an office or guest room ends up with the leftover furniture that was edited from the rest of the house," he says. "Ours did too. It was finding a common theme and unifying it with color that made it work."
Armchair, ottoman: Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, Weisshouse
He confesses that the room is more of a lesson in making things work, as opposed to deliberate design. "Usually an office or guest room ends up with the leftover furniture that was edited from the rest of the house," he says. "Ours did too. It was finding a common theme and unifying it with color that made it work."
Armchair, ottoman: Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, Weisshouse
For the work area in the office, Adamik and Charney opted for luscious brown from Ralph Lauren Paints. A massive triptych of a horse hangs above the desk, paired with a custom Hickory Armchair by one of Adamik's favorite designers, Thomas O'Brien.
Adamik, seen here, credits Stacy Weiss, owner of Weisshouse, with giving him inspiration. "She has encouraged me to take risks when it comes to designing," he says. "Shopping with her has helped me train my eye for finding those pieces that can really add character to a space."
More: Browse Houzz Tours by style
More: Browse Houzz Tours by style
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love the bedroom!