Don’t you love the magic and romance of a ship’s cabin? Spaces like this served as the inspiration for my most recent renovation.
Although I am two screws and a contractor short to have my gorgeous new custom stainless steel art rail from www.stylegarage.com installed on the main floor, my home loft home in The Movie House is pretty much complete and I’m delighted!
Sure, there was a moment when I almost bolted onto a new renovation project before the paint was even dry, but I stopped myself….well…it was more a case that the $830,000 crapbox of a Victorian I was keen on sold OVER it’s list price by a shocking $200,000 that stopped me weeping in my tracks. Especially as it required an additional $400,000 in renovations to make it into the property I envisioned. Sniff!
Once I reconciled that it may be a tad too soon to find myself in the throes of another renovation (plus I’m really keen to build new!), I ensconced myself in my very chic bachelor pad.
I am absolutely thrilled with my cozy mezzanine loft bedroom suite. What was once an open loft room with drywall railing overlooking the entertainment space below is now a deluxe sanctuary of domestic bliss. The design program was to reference the magical allure of a ‘Ship’s Cabin”…a place that felt like a warm hide-away to escape the trials and tribulations of everyday life.
Here are a few photos of the mezzanine level just as we were starting the renovation. You can see how ‘builder’s grade’ the finishes are, including an abundance of drywall kneewalls!
And here it is now:
New crown mouldings, a silver leaf ceiling, plush wool broadloom and two walls of custom stained-oak built-ins create a romantic nod to a vintage ship’s cabin. By cantilevering two custom wardrobes over the mezzanine precious floor space was retained. A clear glass railing between the wardrobes allows just enough natural light to spill into the space, while creating a romantic promenade overlooking the entertainment space below. It also provides a floor-to-ceiling sightline to admire the massive vintage arched window. A second glass railing complements the opposite side of the room where the master ensuite and stair landing are located (creating a great place for art!)
Opposite the bed, a floor-to-ceiling custom wood credenza offers clothes storage plus room for media equipment. A pair of bevelled mirrors flank this unit for dressing, while visually expanding the space and reflecting light. The stain on the cabinets is a combination of brown, silver grey and blue, applied onto quarter-sawn oak. I wanted the effect to be a contemporary clean-lined interpretation of old weathered ship’s board.
In a previous post I whined about whether or not to lose the ‘Indian slate’ tiles in the ensuite washroom. What was I thinking? Here’s a link to that post, plus a photo of the much more charming new washroom:
One of the gifts I’ve learned living here is that I don’t really need a lot of square footage to be happy. In fact, having just the right amount of perfectly scaled and well-proportioned space that accommodates all one’s “Stuff” (while staying ‘pared down’…after all, “How much stuff do we really need?”) is the right way to make a place one’s Home!
How lucky am I? Stay tuned for more reveal of The Movie House Loft!
~ Steven
Steven Fudge and the Urbaneer Team
Bosley Real Estate Ltd., Brokerage • (416) 322-8000
http://www.urbaneer.com • info@urbaneer.com
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Renovating The Movie House Loft
