A Live/Work Former Cement Factory

I have a thing for converted spaces. You’ve probably noticed by now.

This amazing thing is a former cement factory in Spain that architect Ricardo Bofill bought in the early 70s and began transforming into his company’s offices and his own home.

Sophisticated, serene, and sexy, I’m digging the monochromatic palette and the combination of crazy lengths of linen, sleek furniture, soft white poufs, raw wood, and concrete.

For a thorough article on the project, check out this awesome piece on Yatzer.

Industrial in Atlanta

Being from Atlanta, I was super excited when I came across this loft apartment in the King Plow Art Center on Design*Sponge! King Plow Arts is a former plow and agricultural equipment factory and warehouse that is now home to the Atlanta Actors Express theater, an event space, and other artsy companies. It’s located in the super hip East Side neighborhood, and I’ve been intrigued by the space ever since I went to a Bat Mitzvah there when I was twelve!

But I had no idea you could live there! The industrial heritage-meets-residential is so up my alley, and though I am absolutely in love with San Francisco, I found myself immediately checking if lofts* were available and how much they cost. I think there’s a possibility that I will live in about twenty different houses/apartments in my life because I can see myself in anything from an industrial loft to traditional Tudor style. But I digress.

Here, I present to you, the home of photographer Rob Brinson and his wife Jill Brinson, who is creative director for Ballard Home.  You can read more about them and their home in the interview at D*S. Also, I fell in love with their pug, Ricky Bobby, who has his own website. He doesn’t have use of his back legs due to a spinal injury, and he has his own foundation to give wheels to disabled dogs!  The website is hilarious/awesome.

*In case you were wondering, you can get 2,300 square feet at King Plow for $475k.

P. D. Silver

Collections

Traditional meets Industrial/Modern in Spain

I think you could combine most style descriptors with “industrial” and I would like it.  I don’t enjoy full-on industrial, it’s too cold, but mix in a little industrial with the traditional, the retro, the apothecary-chic, and I like it.

This space, with it’s clean modern lines, exposed industrial exposed pipes, concrete floor, and raw kitchen mixed with traditional furniture, like the English Chesterfield sofa, big Spanish wooden armoire, Oriental rugs, and rustic touches like the log stacks and simple linen table cloths, really has a wonderful balance.

The home belongs to Tony Espuch, owner of Azul Tierra, shot by Amador Toril for Habitania.

via French by Design

Gjelina

I’ve started to see this look a lot, but I still love it.  It’s a sort of an industrial meets apothecary-chic look, with chairs with wood seats and metal bases, Edison bulbs, grain sack cloth, raw wood planking, etc. The most recent example of it here….

Today, a friend in LA took me to this super cool restaurant Gjelina in Abbot Kinney in LA.  Gjelina aside for a minute, Abbot Kinney is such a cool neighborhood!!  I seriously loved it.  As soon as we entered the neighborhood, I saw a Steven Alan store, and I knew I was home.

Ok, back to Gjelina.  LOVED: the wood planking on the ceiling, the brick floor inside, the big light fixture with all different shapes and sizes of Edison bulbs, the paint color (dark grey but with brown in it, and very matte, like a chalkbooard), the light mint green industrial stools, and the different sized glass-front cabinets that make up the bar-back.

This isn’t visible at all in the photos, but possibly my favorite detail was about an 18″ tall border around the top of the wall of antique mirror set on top of a cornice that wrapped all the way around the room.  It totally kept the very tall walls from becoming vast and boring, because your eye was drawn straight up to it, and then to the pretty ceiling.

Also you can’t see this in the photo either, but the big high tables have handles (like cabinet hardware handles) on the ends, and for some reason that detail totally delighted me.

And, as if the decor weren’t pleasing enough, the food was soo good.. not any one particular style of cuisine, just good ingredients turned into wonderful things.  We had roasted beets with burrata that tasted like ice cream, roasted sunchokes with parsely pesto, and a gruyere, caramelized onion, and arugula pizza.

I hiighly recommend it!!!
Restaurant website here.