Cozy, Layered & Collected
A Cincinnati Industrial Loft Makeover
Exposed brick, ductwork, and wooden beams give this late-19th century Italianate warehouse plenty of structure and character. This impressive 1,400 square foot open-concept loft in Cincinnati’s historic Pendleton neighborhood has remarkable bones but lacked the softness and ambiance that make a space feel like home. While respecting the loft’s industrial character, I worked with my clients to add warmth and comfort to create a space that feels intimate and inviting. The result is a cohesive, relaxed environment where every element connects without feeling overly matched. Contemporary at its core, the design draws on timeless references, creating a layered and cozy atmosphere.
This Shlomi Haziza postmodern Lucite bar cart brings a fresh, unexpected contemporary touch to vintage furnishings and pairs beautifully with the large gold planter from Cb2
Charcoal became the foundation. Grey can often read flat, but here it grounds the space and complements the exposed materials while tempering the strong orange and red tones in the architectural elements. Pottery Barn’s Worn Black Velvet blackout curtains dress all seven oversized windows throughout the condo, visually softening the brick walls and creating a warm, enveloping feeling with the thick, lustrous textiles. The drywall around the fire mantle was also painted in a deep charcoal to rid the space of any stark whites while also allowing the wall and television to quietly recede.
Crate & Barrel’s Petrie Mid-Century inspired sofa anchors the room and is paired with Pottery Barn’s Reeva hand-woven rug, which we repeated in the dining area to unify the space. A pair of 1960s Adrian Pearsall side tables were found on Facebook marketplace and complemented their existing Pearsall coffee table, creating cohesion among the furniture. The vintage Vitra orange swivel chairs were a standout local find and also reintroduced warm tones from the mantle and exposed beams back into the design. The Carmen Table Lamps from West Elm were both practical and subtle; their scale made them feel secure in the walkway and allowed the other statement pieces to shine, while perfectly complementing the materials, colors, and overall style of the room. Here, the balance comes from mixing vintage and contemporary furnishings.
In an open loft, maintaining a cohesive design can be challenging. With few walls or architectural breaks, it can be difficult to anchor art and objects that give the space interest, character, and depth. To address this, we introduced Crate & Barrel’s Tate modular etagere, which serves as both functional storage and a visual divider. I curated every object on the shelves, sourced from local vintage dealers and my own collection, layering textures, colors, and forms to create moments of visual pause. By providing subtle partitions and a place to display curated decor, the etagere organizes the open loft into distinct areas while allowing personal, collected pieces to bring warmth, personality, and a sense of home.
The Vintage Italian Wall is one of the highlights of this loft, though the surrounding structural beams and mirrors made it next to impossible to photograph. We started with a distressed metallic wallpaper from Perigold to add subtle texture and a calming green tone. An Ello mirrored sideboard holds my client’s record collection, creating a striking focal point. To avoid covering the wallpaper completely, we styled the wall with Italianate mirrors and empty giltwood frames. Mid-Century Laurel lamps frame the mirrored cabinet, their symmetry echoed by matching brass champagne chillers repurposed as planters. This approach not only creates a fun, unique look but also protects the vintage Bose speakers from potential water damage.
Pine Mountain by Behr was the perfect color choice for this wall to balance the reds and oranges of the structural features.
In most homes, furniture hugs the walls, but in an open loft, every square foot matters. My clients had this darling vintage marble bistro table that I suggested floating in front of their second fireplace. This nook was tricky: the French doors to the bedroom sit right behind the seating, so we needed to fill the space without blocking circulation. This pair of industrial Crate & Barrel chairs, sourced secondhand, worked beautifully with the table. Mid-century style Pottery Barn hurricane lanterns were styled inside the open fireplace, while a surrealist painting by Detroit artist Sheryl Hebel hangs above. The Flax linen Roman shades from Pottery Barn created a subtle but elegant backdrop while functioning as privacy for the bedroom.
Mel, the pug, relaxes in a reading nook fitted with an Eero Saarinen Womb Chair, George Nelson’s Cigar Lamp and a Nero black marble tulip table from Crate & Barrel.
This vintage Turner Retro Mirror pairs seamlessly with the Claes Oldenburg “Double Punching Bag” lithograph on the exposed brick walls.
What began as an industrial warehouse loft dominated by brick and steel is now a cozy, relaxing home. The final result captures the warmth and comfort my clients wanted, without losing the grit and authenticity that made the space so compelling to begin with. We only completed the living room area, as my clients are selling their condo! Rumor has it there may be an option to purchase it furnished, since the design works perfectly for the space. See the listing on Zillow, and for more interiors that blend vintage and contemporary design, explore other projects by House of No Era.
In the Details
I wanted to incorporate my client’s love for pugs and found these adorable pug pillows on Etsy and mixed them with the Dien Lumbar pillow from Arhaus and Crate & Barrel’s Relaxed wash organic velvet pillows and Border Ink Black throw blanket.
