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Houzz Tour: Urban Jewel Box
San Francisco designer Anastasia Faiella warms up a loft with color, fabric and light
After taking a peek at Anastasia Faiella's work, it comes as no surprise that she was once a painter and student of the fine arts. Composition is a skill that can take time to master — but Faiella's sense of placement and proportion in her art has clearly carried through to her skills as a designer. This sense of balance and beauty came in handy while she was decorating a stark and minimalistic loft in the industrial SOMA neighborhood in San Francisco.
Faiella designed this loft for a client who had just purchased her first space. The client's style was definitely modern, but she didn't want the space to become flat. By using warm colors, lush textiles, and trendy accessories, Faiella transformed a barren loft into a wonderful little space her client was thrilled to call home.
Faiella designed this loft for a client who had just purchased her first space. The client's style was definitely modern, but she didn't want the space to become flat. By using warm colors, lush textiles, and trendy accessories, Faiella transformed a barren loft into a wonderful little space her client was thrilled to call home.
The layout of the loft provided many aesthetic restraints. For one, the main living area was a particularly awkward shape with slightly angled walls — not to mention that there was practically no storage space. The windows were very high (at 14 feet), and the ceilings were even higher at (20 feet). "The ceilings and windows created a nice lofty feeling, but it was a bit cold, and not cozy in the way the client envisioned," says Faiella.
The living, dining, and kitchen spaces were all essentially one space, so Faiella wanted to work out a plan to create a sense of separation between these areas while still maintaining the wonderful loft aesthetic the client had paid for. The large area rug in the living room — a one-of-a-kind hand knotted Pakistani Rug from Floor Design — provides a great foundation for the furniture and helps define this space as "living space only."
"We designed a custom kitchen island, which sits next to the kitchen window to help define the space between the kitchen and the living room," says Faiella. "This island doubles as additional counter space for cooking, and also works as a bistro-style table to eat at." This creative product is full of useful surprises — it's on wheels and has a flap, which helps to accommodate more guests.
Warm browns and rich jewel tones combine with soft lighting and a beautiful nude wall color to create an effortlessly elegant and cozy ambiance. By layering colors and textures, Faiella was able to transform the once-cold space into a place that truly feels like home. "The moment I saw the space I knew that there where three design elements that where going to be essential to not only transforming the loft but balancing out the very high ceilings," says Faiella. They were "color/paint, textiles, and lighting. I knew that pulling in an overall warm color palette would help to create a sense of intimacy."
The quirky blue velvet chairs — which add a perfectly eclectic touch to the living room — were a great find from Room & Board. Faiella had the chair upholstered in a blue velvet from the furniture line. The room is given another touch of warmth from the teak Recess Coffee Table by Jason Lees Design.
Faiella added a touch of individuality to the entryway with a subtle set of stripes on the hallway walls. Although it looks like two different colors were used, Faiella simply alternated between the matte and gloss of C2 Paint's "Tusk."
The thick curtain in the hallway hides a smart storage solution. Rather than install shelves and hooks in the already confined entry space, Faiella simply installed storage behind a beautiful and sturdy curved curtain rod.
The color palette for the home was inspired by the textiles that Faiella knew she wanted to use in the project. "We knew that custom window coverings were in order, so we looked at several textiles from the San Francisco Design Center until we found the perfect pieces," she says.
The draperies in the living room were custom-made panels. To keep costs down, Faiella used a budget-friendly linen for the main body of the panel, then customized the edges with a luxurious Osborne & Little gold paisley pattern and glass beaded trim.
Because of the size of the windows and the positioning of the apartment, Faiella incorporated solar shades into the curtain panels to help with the consistent amount of direct sunlight. The custom draperies were also an important factor in softening the windows and warming up the minimalistic look that they created.
The jaw-dropping chandelier in the entryway is a custom piece from Jim Misner Light Designs. It's made from large strips of mica, which were hung from a recycled chandelier frame. Its warm glow perfectly complements the colors of the loft, while its edgy look adds an unexpected pop.
Next: 3 products from this design
Next: 3 products from this design
Petrie Leather 76" Apartment Sofa | Crate&Barrel
The Petrie sofa is an absolutely classic piece that works well with any interior style. It's sturdy, structural, simple, and timeless. Crate & Barrel will let you upholster it in one of their gorgeous leathers or fabrics before it's shipped to your home.
Judy Ross Hand Embroidered Pillows
It's hard not to lust after Judy Ross's beautiful hand-embroidered designs. The amount of detail that goes into a single one of these pillows is pretty remarkable, and will bring the same thoughtful aesthetic to whatever room you place it in.
Jason Lees Recess Coffee Table
Available in a variety of woods, I'm partial to this coffee table's sleek design in a warm teak. The natural wood grain melds beautifully with the piece's modern shape, and is the perfect place to set a cup of coffee and a magazine for a very grown-up recess.
Next: More inspiring homes
Next: More inspiring homes