Monday, January 3, 2011

loft living

many moons ago, i promised to show you all my house. well, today is the day. there's a combo of really good photos in here and some that i took. i'm sure you'll be able to tell the difference :)
anywho, we live above a flower shop in historic downtown siloam springs. the building is over 100 years old and when we began the renovation, it was totally vacant. no walls, no electricity, no plumbing...nothing.
here's what our building looked like in 1910.
loft
these are the before pics. we had just talked with the contractor and decided to go forward with the reno. i planned and dreamed of this place for so long!
loft
loft
this is the kitchen area of the loft. i bought pretty much everything off of ebay-the sink, faucet, stainless steel work table, and range. all of the shelves are from an old bookcase that we took apart then screwed brackets on to hang on the wall. the table is one that i designed and my dad built for me. it's one of the most special things in the house.
loft
loft
my fridge is a hand-me-down from my parents. it was pretty lame looking so we chalkboard panted it (which now shows the nfl playoff schedule) and switched out the handles. matt uses the top of it to display all of his single malt scotch bottles. and the pantry is an old cabinet i got from my grandma.
loft
loft
and here's the living room! we wanted to fill the wall around the tv with all sorts of posters and random stuff. that way, it wouldn't seem like the television was the focus of the whole place.
loft
loft
loft
the hammock is from bolivia where matt grew up. we love having it up in the house and isaiah uses it like a playground swing.
loft
isaiah's room. his hammock swing is from guatemala.
loft
the master bathroom. the tub is probably my favorite part of the house. i use it every single day. we got it for free then found a company to resurface it for us. i love it!!!! and the large photo above the tub is by a photographer friend of ours. it's of a surf shack in st. barts.
loft
and the bedroom! this is such a haven for me :) the words painted on the wall are the lyrics to the song matt wrote me and sang in our wedding. the heart is made up of photos of the two of us from when we were dating to now.
loft
this is another very special thing in our house. it's the chandelier that my grandpa bought my grandma back in the early sixties. there's a smaller version of it in the bathroom above the tub. these two light fixtures and the table are the things that, in case of a fire, i would have to find some way of unwiring and taking apart to get them down the stairs before being consumed by the flames.
loft
so that's the tour! i tried to just hit the high points. we've only been here for two years but are wanting to sell. this place is way too big for our little family. i'm not much of a housekeeper and the extra square footage is not worth it. i loved getting to design the layout and realize a dream. it's been so fun to be here in the middle of town and be so close to my shop and see the pretty lights at christmas and watch parades from my window. but, it's time. we're ready. so if you know of anyone who's interested...........

29 comments:

merl said...

omg. you need to send these shots into apartment therapy IMMEDIATELY. and if you are gonna dawdle, I'll do it myself. Seriously your loft is B-E-A-UTIFUL and I love all the personal and refurbished touches. It's so individualistic and YOU. As if I couldn't fall in love with you any further... ugh. Lady, I'm officially obsessed.

veronika, tick tock vintage. said...

absolutely gorgeous! your home is beautiful.

Meggstatus said...

Holy Crap, this entire post in so freaking cool! From the hammock to the antique furniture, to the bathtub, to the song lyrics... man I could go on and on... oh and how cool is it that you have a picture of your loft from way back when??? You did such a fabulous job with the place, I'm sure you will find someone that will appreciate it as much as you did!!

XO
Megg

Courtnee said...

You place is a-mazing! I especially love the kitchen and the claw foot tub! You guys did a terrific job on the renovation. If we lived anywhere near there or were looking to move from dreary Ohio I would want to buy in a heartbeat!!

Eleanor said...

I am speechless.
Completely speechless.

Insanely beautiful...insanely cool...you are living my loft dream from my youth.

So, where is it and how much????
This family may be relocatin'!
:)

calivintage said...

all i can say is WOW. you've awakened some new dream inside of me because now all i want is the perfect loft space. amazing!

tess said...

You guys needs to be photographed for the Selby this loft is amazing!

archives vintage said...

holy shizzz, amanda!!! LOVE it! THIS however is AMAZING!!! love how you put it together!!! DYING over that clawfoot tub!

im not much of a housekeeper either, but our house is so SMALL that it always feels cramped and claustrophobic when its untidy. we need a bigger place, stat! i am mighty jealous of your open, airy place. i want your loft and your shop!!! want to come to chicago? you can have our condo and a job as an assistant to a museum executive! ;)

Anonymous said...

Such wonderful and meaningful details throughout. What is on the ground floor? A business?

lisa zain @etsy said...

this living space is truly incredible. as much as it isn't "right" for you anymore i am sure you will attract an interested buyer very soon! (especially with these lovely photos.) the exposed brick, amazing kitchen and statement wall hangings are all just so good. <3 amazing job at realizing a dream, and there's nothing wrong with growing out of it!

Robyn said...

OMG I have never known anyone who lived in a place this cool.

Ana said...

ok your place is AMAZING. I'm in awe!

heidiluxe said...

if i could move to siloam springs i would take that off your hands in a heartbeat. i hope that my house someday has a least a smidge of this personality.

The Semi Sweet said...

If I could afford it, I'd buy it in a heart beat. How much time went into fixing it? It looks like years! And you decorated it beautifully. So amazing!

The Semi Sweet said...

If I could afford it, I'd buy it in a heart beat. How much time went into fixing it? It looks like years! And you decorated it beautifully. So amazing!

Shea Lennon said...

Amanda, your home is beautiful! To a new home owner who happens to be decorating-challenged, these pictures are such an inspiration. I especially love your hammocks!

Nicole Martin said...

OMG! You did all this in just 2 years?!? And with a child, no less! Holy crow, you and your hubby must be super handy. I just showed this post to my husband, and he and I are officially jealous. But perhaps we'll just aspire to create our own beautiful home from scratch like you :)

~Nicole
http://employedpanache.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

this is so incredible! I hope to someday live in a space half as unique and beautiful as yours. Wow, I am speechless!

tm said...

amazing! i live in a loft as well, but it's nowhere near as nice as this! we don't own, so we are never sure how far we should go with renovations, ya know?

See said...

Wow! I'm in love with your place. I have always wanted to live in a loft. Good luck with selling it, I'm sure whoever gets it will love the place.

caitlin said...

oh my gosh, i can't believe you live in such an amazing space!!! i want to move in.

Jessica said...

Oh my goooooosh. Your place is BEYOND amazing. So unique, fun, quirky and inspiring. I love love love what you've done with it - so personal and creative. I wish I could buy it! I would absolutely die...love love love.

Morgan and Lua said...

Wow. House swap? My apartment is teeny tiny.
It's gorgeous!! You two did such an amazing job of turning an empty space into somewhere that really feels like a home. You're lucky with all the light that comes in from the windows too. Thats such a huge thing for me. It gets so claustrophobic in places with low light or no windows.
Gorgeous Amanda! I'm excited for you to move so you can fix up somewhere else just as beautifully.

www.morganandlua.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

WOW. This looks amazing... I even had to force my coworker to look and she was impressed. LOVE the tub. and the photo above it. and and and. ok I love it all, who am i kidding??
This makes my appartment look like a pile of turds. It's beautiful, good job.
Emily

Anonymous said...

Holy crapola this space is GREAT! I am beyond impressed that you guys did this yourself, I never actually believe that 'real people' have houses like this :) do you have plans to have a unique house for your new home?

Open Door Studio said...

What an amazing loft, every detail that you put into it is so personal. I get that your ready to move, but what a great couple of years to look back at!!

Victoria / Justice Pirate said...

Oh my gosh. come decorate my place. I have NOTHING here pretty much. I love this whole set up and everything. I want a chalkboard fridge! where did you get the stuff to put it on the fridge?? that's awesome. You put a lot of hard work and love into this home for certain.

Unknown said...

OMG!!! This is your appartment! It looks like a spread from a magazine! I love how every little details represent you and your family and have a meaning.
- Marie

Bryce said...

You pretty much live in my dream home! Your house is amazing! I wished i lived in your area so I could buy it from you!