Brilliant overhaul to an old industrial loft in Dallas

Charles Taylor, an interior/furniture designer in Dallas, Texas sent along some photos of a project, ‘Alcala Loft’, his firm just completed. It is a complete overhaul of an exceptional 2,700 square foot, old industrial loft space near downtown Dallas, Texas. The firm Breckenridge Taylor also creates custom designed furniture, with private label lines for Mecox Gardens, as well as numerous other retailers. Be sure to take a look below at before pictures to get an idea of the incredible transformation of this exceptional loft space.

Here is a description of the project from the designer, “This was a complete makeover. The owner was going through a change in life type situation and wanted his living space to reflect that change. Kind of a “starting over” for him. He hadn’t done anything with his home in a long time and it reflected a look that you could say was trapped in the eighties. I don’t think it captured who he was now…the place just didn’t fit his personality and lifestyle.

He is an art lover, but really hadn’t bought any new artwork in a very long time. So, we started by selecting a color palette that would work as a backdrop for updating his art collection. Nice neutrals were selected throughout the house to give it some flow. We also updated his kitchen by painting the cabinetry and custom building new, flat walnut door fronts. The place is a very cool, old industrial loft near downtown Dallas (the Magnolia Lofts). It is roughly 2,700 square feet. So we tightened up the colors and cabinetry to better suit that style.

We then set out to find furniture and fixtures at the better century modern stores around Dallas, as well as, 1st Dibs. We really wanted to make each purchase count and get him things that he would love. We wanted the place to look like a collected grouping of furniture set against a NYC-style loft.

We then set out to revamp his art collection. We went right down to my favorite gallery in Dallas, Craighead-Green Gallery. They have the best collection of artists and represent/support local artists too. We bought some pieces in different mediums…from sculpture to paintings that worked well with his style and taste.

He was a great client to work for and was ready for change…a good combo. He was said everyone who saw the finished project was so impressed, that he decided to show it to a real estate agent to see what they would price it at. He liked what he heard, and then put it on the market and sold it for a great return. One of the possible buyers wanted to buy it with all of the furniture…but he just couldn’t part with it. That made our day…”

Pictures from before the remodel

Photos: Courtesy of Charles Taylor

Unbelievable dream house of an art collector

Vast art collector Howard Rachofsky contracted his home to be built by the renowned architect Richard Meier, in Dallas, Texas. This 11,000 square foot, three-storey, one bedroom bachelor pad/art gallery has been designed as a clean geometric volume to be integrated perfectly into the environment. Mr. Rachofsky no longer lives in the home since getting married and having a family, yet has allowed it to be open to the public to tour through the spacious residence and admire the beautiful artwork that adorns the spaces.

The fully glazed house is centrally located on 3.2 acres of land, enabling for a grand approach up the driveway to the elevated podium on which the house rests, in addition to a rich backyard containing a pool, private garden and various site-specific sculptures to discover beyond. The extraordinary art collection of Mr. Rachofsky has upwards of 700 pieces of contemporary art displayed at any given time. The pieces start with American modernism of the 1930’s, kept in a constant visual dialogue with the architecture of the house.

“The front and back entries are on axis with interior/exterior circulation, while the different stair sets are on axis with vertical, interior circulation. Furthermore, the column rows divide the house functions and delineate between more public circulation and private spaces. The southern end of the home utilizes a private spiral stair case that allows direct access to the master suite. Along with the bedroom and enormous his-and-hers master bathroom, the third floor also hosts a gym, two balconies, and an office that “floats” above the living room like a box within a box.” The art gallery, garage, kitchen and the dining room are situated downstairs. The latter has a retractable screen of translucent glass, which when the occasion requires it and allows you to use it also for receptions. The first floor hosts a double height living area and the library.

Visit the website of the Rachofsky House here.

Beautiful sustainable home within an urban reserve

Selected for the 2008 Dallas AIA Homes Tour, the UR22 Residence is a 4,000 square foot single family home within the Urban Reserve; a master planned sustainable development in Dallas, Texas. UR22 was designed by Vincent Snyder Architects for “empty nesters” that desire a high degree of internal and external connectivity while providing a sense of privacy for family and overnight guests. Due to their frequent entertaining, the clients also required a flexible space able to accommodate both small gatherings and large parties. The stringent development code for the Urban Reserve included compact 50’ wide lots with a mandatory zero-lot line / restricted view to the north side of the lot.

With relatively opaque walls on the north, east and west, the UR22 Residence is elongated along the east-west axis to maximize buildable area within the narrow site. A large expanse of high efficiency glazing on the south wall enhances the sense of interpenetration between interior gathering space and exterior garden, allowing an easy flow across boundaries. UR22’s protective slate envelope is precisely configured to control the intense Texas sun while channeling cooling breezes to protected exterior spaces on the second floor. Repetitive glue laminated timber frames establish a consistent reference for spatial organization while expressing the dynamics of lateral and gravity forces. The serial disposition of the frames introduces an element of material warmth and structural decoration throughout the flexible open plan.

One of the first homes built in the development; this project demonstrates the developer’s intention to create a high-density suburban environment with a sense of community and sustainability at the scale of both development and home. Location within a Smart Growth Planning Zone, passive solar design and day lighting, low impact and renewable materials, advanced framing techniques with digital modeling, rainwater harvesting, and ground source heat pumps all combine to give the UR22 Residence LEED Gold Certification and a Home Energy Rating of 50, using approximately 1/2 the energy per square foot of a typical home. Via

Visit the website of Vincent Snyder Architects here.

Photos: Chuck Smith Photography