We were honored to be part of Aspire Magazine in an article called “Feng Shui Goes Rustic.” You can see several nice images of a Brooklyn Loft we designed, along with my list of common Feng Shui mistakes that are easy to fix.

Or you can get the entire Aspire Digital Magazine HERE.

(FYI, this is an older article that I realized I never posted!)

The loft After - like the design gods intended!

Our client had a simple request: make her loft feel like a loft again.

As so often happens in Brooklyn, a beautiful old warehouse had been poorly chopped up into a bunch of “spec” lofts. The developer had covered old brick walls and gorgeous beamed ceilings with sheet rock, removing all of the character and history.

The loft before - hiding its greatness

Our client was longing to have an authentic loft lifestyle, and wanted to incorporate good Feng Shui energy into the renovation of her home. She was an amazing collaborator with a wonderful sense of style, and is a big reason why this loft turned out so beautifully!

 One of the key things we did was take down a wall between the living room and the master bedroom to create one open space.

Before - The wall on the left made the space narrow and dark.

After - Removing the wall made this space feel huge.

We also removed the dropped ceilings, exposed and refinished the original beams, and installed recessed lighting to bring light throughout the space while keeping a warm, rustic feeling. As an added effect, I found two pairs of 19th century French doors that we used to line the closets  (shown on the left side of the photo).

The daughters’ room, located behind the kitchen, had been a windowless space…

Before - the girls' bedroom longed for sunlight.

By installing high transom windows around the perimeter of the room, we brought in light and increased the air circulation.

After - the cheerful girls room has windows along two sides for sunlight and air flow. (Yes - that is the same corner of the room!)

 To keep within the client’s budget, we made minimal changes to the kitchen and bathrooms – with one key exception:

Before - the original kitchen went from blah to wow, with one key change...

The important addition of a custom concrete island brought great “bang for the buck.” With it as the centerpiece of the kitchen, the original cabinets and appliances instantly looked as good as new.

After - the custom concrete kitchen counter transformed the original kitchen.

Check back soon for Part 2: Design Details and Feng Shui tips for your home!