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Houzz Tour: Designer Divides and Conquers a Big, Open Loft

Clever design and a creative use of space turn a loft in a historic building into a cozy, light-filled haven

Kathleen McCleary November 30, 2016

Houzz Contributor. I'm a journalist, author, editor, and teacher who loves houses so much that I wrote my first novel about a woman's obsession with her house. In addition to my three novels, my work has appeared in Parade, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and other publications. I wrote a biweekly column about interior design for HGTV.com for several years; one of those columns (about my 1950's chartreuse-tiled bathroom) inspired the series "Bad, bad baths." I live in northern Virginia with my husband and try to entice my college-age daughters home as often as possible.

Houzz Contributor. I'm a journalist, author, editor, and teacher who loves houses... More

Comment17

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Take a big, open space with brick walls, lots of light and large views. Then try to figure out how to encompass a living area, desk area, sitting area and dining area in that space, with “feminine touches, but nothing over the top.” Designer Tiffany Hanken did just that, with creative solutions including hiding electrical wiring inside a large central column, covering the back of the television with wallpaper, and using a countertop-high dining table to maximize diners’ views of the mighty Mississippi River.

Tiffany Hanken Design

Photos by Space Crafting

Houzz at a Glance
Location: Minneapolis
Size: 1,600 square feet (149 square meters)
Designer: Tiffany Hanken of Tiffany Hanken Design

The condo is one of 32 units created in a 2007 renovation of one of Minneapolis’ oldest buildings, the former Standard Mill, built in 1879.

Designing a media area was one of the biggest challenges Hanken faced because the condo’s open-wall concept meant that there were no interior walls on which to put a TV. A lot of brainstorming and several ideas later, Hanken solved the problem with some rewiring, adding electrical outlets to one of the room’s central columns. “That was our starting point, and we built everything around that,” she says.

Tiffany Hanken Design

Hanken asked the client to send her favorite photographs. “She sent us all the digital images she liked, and we printed the ones we thought would go together the best,” Hanken says. She then framed the prints and arranged them over a sectional.

An Insider’s Guide to Creating the Perfect Gallery Wall

Tiffany Hanken Design

The happy circumstance of fitting Milo’s bed inside the Plexiglas end table was “an organic thing that happened during the installation,” Hanken says.

Wall paint: Quietude, Sherwin-Williams

Tiffany Hanken Design

Hanken covered the back of the television with custom wallpaper to set apart the living and media space from the office area. The seated Buddha is from the client’s private collection.

Tiffany Hanken Design

Hanken chose a dining table to match the height of the kitchen countertop. The taller dining table and chairs provide a better view of the Mississippi River, visible through the large windows beyond the outdoor patio. The table-and-chairs combo fits neatly atop a rug, and it separates the dining area from the rest of the room.

Rug: Flor; stools: CB2

Tiffany Hanken Design

The flat-panel kitchen cabinets have an espresso finish, and the countertops are opalescence granite. A mirrored backsplash reflects even more light and brightens the kitchen, which sits farther from the windows.

Tiffany Hanken Design

A mirrored desk echoes the kitchen backsplash and beautifully reflects the light from the large window. In the highly functional office area, the desk serves as a feature piece that provides “style and a hint of the feminine” touch the client wanted, Hanken says.

Tiffany Hanken Design

Hanken found both the desk and chair online. The mirrored desk reflects so much light that it doesn’t appear to block the window at all, even though it’s directly in front of it.

Tiffany Hanken Design

The sitting area offers an inviting spot to “sit down and have a cup of tea,” Hanken says. Serena & Lily throw pillows add a splash of color and pattern.

Tiffany Hanken Design

A softer palette of pale gray and purple calms the bedroom. The bed with upholstered headboard and the chandelier provided the inspiration for the room. A mix of metals — the chandelier is antique gold, the lamps are antique silver, the bed has some chrome accents — provides shimmer and creates even more visual interest.

Wall paint: Veiled Violet, Sherwin-Williams; headboard: Magnussen Home Furnishings; chandelier: Crystorama

Tiffany Hanken Design

The designer recarpeted the walk-in closet and added a chandelier inside it (not shown).

Tiffany Hanken Design

Travertine tile covers the floors and walls in the master bathroom. “I liked the consistency of using all the same material,” Hanken says. The material provides a warmer tone than some of the cooler grays and greens elsewhere in the home.

Tiffany Hanken Design

Comment17

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Comments (17)

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nwgirl66

Bravo! Love the space and how you designed the layout to feel cohesive while still having defined areas. Where are the cream colored chairs in the sitting area from? Love those!

Like December 7, 2016 at 2:57PM

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lavenderanhinga

WOW!!! I love this space. It's dramatic but cozy. Love the color of the brick and the steel doorways combined with softening furniture.

Like March 29, 2017 at 12:56AM

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I hope there is some sort of door - pocket door or whatever - between the bedroom and the bathroom. It's a big, wonderful looking bathroom but I would have switched its place with the walk-in closet as I don't really care for the toilet to be in my eye line from the bed.

Like October 26, 2017 at 2:26PM