9/17/08

Starting this upcoming fall on September 18 and running for a full year, Artefacto in Atlanta, will be hosting “The Artefacto Style House by 11 Designing Minds.” A new shopping destination for fresh, modern design and international home furnishings, Artefacto (a Brazilian company) will be showcasing their Fall/Winter custom creations on their first floor in conjunction with the exhibition that spans their entire second floor. The “eleven minds” include Atlanta’s most dynamic interior designers and architects (Bo Waddell of Bo Unlimited; Wendy Blout of Blout Architecture and Interiors; Joel Kelly of Joel Kelly Designs; internationally acclaimed architect, Haitham Haddad are just a few to name), who were asked to create innovative ways to approach the home, condo, and (our favorite) loft living.

We were most interested in architect, designer, and host of HGTV’s “Designed to Sell,” John Gidding (not just because he’s got a famous face). His one-of-a-kind design approach transforms a loft into something extraordinary. We admire and love how he changed simple linear loftwalls, made with unlikely materials, into moveable borders.

Two of his loft walls simply blew us away. Gidding took one straight wall and turned it into a curvature that leads you into the bedroom, bathroom, and a dressing area; his interpretation contrasts texture (Argentinian leather with hide) and color (from light to dark). The most appealing aspect of this application is simple enough to cover brick and other industrial wall materials. As for the other wall, Gidding managed to envision and make a custom architectural wave wall, composed of stacked, marine-grade plywood sheets that undulate from the shower to the bedroom. These sheets also function organically as shelves and have the ability to wrap around fixtures.

Gidding’s primary concern “is always a person’s lifestyle.” “Because the loft architectonic is more industrial,” says Gidding, “the light factors and the reflection of the space needs to be clearly defined and purposeful. That’s why I selected lux fabrics in monochromatic tones and juxtaposed them with a vibrant paprika–which is a powerful anchoring color that unifies the space with its judicious use in accents.”

We say, “hear, hear” and share his ‘primary concern’ here at LoftLife. Artefacto is open seven days a week, which gives you ample time to visit the entire exhibition, explore Gidding’s loft design, and shop the store’s new seasonal collection.

Photos by J.Thomas

Posted by Kyra Shapurji