A Tremont Warehouse's Spacious New Life

Driving by, you might assume the graffiti-tagged, brick building in Tremont is just another relic of Cleveland’s Rust Belt legacy. But inside you’ll find a cozy, modern home that incorporates plenty of nods to the former warehouse’s industrial past. 

The homeowner, who also owns a local clothing boutique, had a distinct vision when she came to the project’s lead interior designer, Tracy van der Kuil of Modern Smart Homes in Lakewood, to begin planning the design for the home. The homeowner wanted the live-work space to feel like a spacious urban loft, perfect for hosting fashion shows and with room for her illustrator husband to have his own office. But she didn’t want to lose the reminders of the building’s former life.

“You can see actual tracks from the equipment that would drive on the floor,” says van der Kuil. “She wanted that story and that history in this space.”

Light spills in from garage doors (trucks used to park where the dining area is now), original brick-walls were sealed with a clear coat, an old plywood floor beneath the sitting area was refinished, and electrical conduits, pipes and ductwork were left exposed. 

Cracks in a concrete floor below the dining area and kitchen were filled with silver paint and epoxy, then a top coat  that added a hint of shimmer to offset the oil stains that remained.

“It was her preferred aesthetic to be kind of honest and open and to not really hide the imperfections, but to embrace them,” says van der Kuil. 

A mezzanine level housing a master suite, guest bedroom and bath was added, accessed by a floating staircase. Black accent walls painted in Sherwin-Williams’ Caviar add to the moody aesthetic. Kitchen cabinets, paneling and doors were custom made by Amish craftsmen, seamlessly integrating with the original elements. A black metal fireplace in the living area and a matching kitchen island studded with rivets were constructed by Hans Noble Design Co. in Berea to carry the industrial vibe into the new additions. 

Hans Noble also created a towering bookshelf with an attached rolling ladder, and a room divider with circular cutouts. The steel divider forms the edge of the husband’s home office and creates round shadows that mirror the shape of overhead globe lights by Moy
Lighting. 

The airy woven texture of the lights, along with faux sheepskin-upholstered chairs by Arhaus and an overstuffed gray sectional from Montauk Sofa, add a touch of softness to the harder industrial edges. 

“There’s a femininity to it that’s layered into the hard materials,” says van der Kuil. Similarly, artwork by the homeowner’s father-in-law and hundreds of books lining the shelves of the Hans Noble bookcase provide personal touches that balance the warehouse aspects. 

Despite the urban setting, a second floor patio overlooks an unexpectedly tree-filled landscape. The black metal from the interior carries out into accents on the patio. Natural accents enliven the kitchen: brown leather barstools by CB2 and a black walnut live-edge countertop sourced from Etsy.

The result is a home that layers design elements in a way that perfectly reflects the homeowner and her profession. 

“The imperfections of all the pieces that kind of played off of each other and layered, plus the live-edge and cuts in the wood with their artisan feel, goes back to thinking of clothing and weaving and textures and patterns,” says van der Kuil.

Read More: Find inspiration for your next project with our 2020 Home Issue.