Feature: Lofty Goals

Jake Townsend

01/01/2008

It’s like a lion’s lair," says interior designer Joani Stewart of the split-level loft she recently decorated in Venice, Calif. "I set out to create a space that was sleek and masculine, but still inviting." One step through the heavy, industrial door that separates her efforts from the gritty Abbot Kinney neighborhood in which it sits proves she succeeded.

Though loft living has long been a choice in many American cities, it is only within the last decade that Angelenos have elected to live with such open floor plans. "I really get the concept," says Stewart. "Lofts provide a different look than an apartment; they’re much more versatile." Though Stewart, founder of Montana Avenue Interiors, is best known for her work on freestanding homes, she has lately become enamored with loft designs. "A loft can be a home, as well as a workspace," she says.

When he first approached Stewart’s firm, the client, a single doctor, didn’t know what he wanted in terms of color or decor. "Bachelors typically don’t have someone in their lives who can bring in a woman’s touch and help make their house a home—which is really a big part of what we do for most for our clients," she says. "In this case, it was up to me to translate the client’s personality into a look that made his home comfortable and inviting."

Entirely open, the first floor includes a small kitchen, a dining room and living area. Though a self-professed lover of all things contemporary, Stewart knew the space needed more warmth. "This was a totally raw space with concrete floors that we wanted to feel homier," she says, "so the first thing we did was put down wood floors." Stewart chose an airy, blond maple from Contempo Floor Coverings that matched the wood on the preexisting staircase.

Cabinetry was the next step. "There was no storage," says Stewart. "We had to custom design everything." With the help of Nicola Ganzoni from Swiss Woodworking, Stewart’s team outfitted the kitchen, which included a severely raked west-facing wall, with custom maple cabinets to work in concert with the flooring and address the structural anomaly. In addition, Stewart designed a low cabinet on wheels for the kitchen, "because in a loft, it’s all about modular thinking. You want things to be components so you are not stuck with everything being one way," she explains.

As is often the case with her single male clients, Stewart also purchased all the housewares, including the dishes and linens. She went with sturdy and stylish, making certain not to overdecorate. "This particular client is a very busy physician and doesn’t entertain often," Stewart notes. "But we made sure that when he does, he has great things to use."

The kitchen leads directly to a small eating area that Stewart says was one the design’s most important elements. "The challenge was getting electricity into the large air-conditioning unit, or ‘the cage’ as I call it, so that we could hang lighting below, which happens to be above the dining room table," she says. In keeping with the loft’s industrial look, Stewart allowed some of the electrical components to show, but there were still too many angles and not enough curves, so she added a circular lighting fixture made from brown linen to soften the area’s hard edges. To continue this concept, Stewart also used a round table slightly larger than the oversize lighting fixture. Together, the look defines the area as a focal point and marks a separation between the living and dining areas.A structural beam that crosses the living area’s plate-glass window is, with its bright red color, conspicuous by design. Other small touches of the accent color are evidenced in decorative vases, throw pillows and other textiles. Wenge wood finishes throughout provide an element of the natural world.

The second level is devoted entirely to a master bedroom furnished in brown leather, including the bed frame. At the client’s request, the open bathroom was redesigned to ensure that the shower and bath remain out of view from the bed. A large leather closet, which is entirely portable, was brought in to solve storage issues.

"My favorite space," reveals Stewart, "is the small office above the master bedroom." Originally a simple landing, Stewart and her team envisioned an office. The space wasn’t usable until she cantilevered the desk over the stairwell; now it provides more desk space. "I love this area because it was so creative to make an entire functioning office from nothing," she says. "I loved the challenge."

Montana Avenue Interiors, 310.260.1960, www.montanaaveinteriors.com
Contempo Floor Coverings, 800.222.9194, www.contempofloorcoverings.com
Swiss Woodworking, 310.771.0622, www.swisswoodworking.com