2020 Home of the Month Look Book

Warehouse Loft
Remodeling
Project type: Remodel
Albertsson Hansen Architecture, Ltd.
www.aharchitecture.com • (612) 823-0233
Design team: Todd Hansen, AIA; Jenny Seim, Assoc. AIA; Katie Loecken, AIA
A young couple with a loft in the heart of the city wanted to turn their amorphous space into
a more purposeful home. While they loved the location, tall ceilings, exposed metal stairs,
and concrete walls, the open space plan was inefficient and the single loft-style bedroom
would not suffice for a new baby on the way. The loft’s entry had no definition and the adjacent
open space had low 6’-4” ceilings that would not meet the needs for a second bedroom.
The small kitchen lacked storage and counter space necessary for their love of cooking.
Furthermore, the master closet was undefined, exposed, and removed from the bedroom.
To improve the usable space, the floor
heights and interior walls needed to be
reworked. The current master closet
above the low height space was mostly
removed, creating an enclosed nursery
on the first floor with beautiful tall ceilings
and its own storage mezzanine. The
entry hall, now separated, was redefined
with plywood birch paneling that wrapped
around the service hall and new drop
zone, meeting up with the kitchen. The
first level bathroom finishes were upgraded, and the laundry room was relocated and enlarged.
In the kitchen, the island was reoriented and the previously undefined space under the open stairs
was used for expansion with custom cabinetry for the refrigerator, wine storage, pantry pullouts
and a built-in dog kennel. The open shelving over the tile walls emphasize the higher ceilings.
On the second level, the master floor structure was extended and a dividing wall was added to create a single level
en-suite master closet. Built-in low cabinetry was designed to maximize the storage space under the beam line.
A mixture of custom cabinetry and IKEA cabinetry was used throughout the project, and was enriched with
metal accents and warm marble countertops.
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