Bricks and a Ballroom to Boot

Two words are making me lose my mind these days…industrial and farmhouse. 

 

 

 

Where has this decorating style been all my life? 


A juxtaposition of the warm and cozy feel of an old farmhouse and the cold and steely lines of a warehouse, Industrial Farmhouse is made up of two very different styles that somehow complement each other beautifully.

 

 

 

 

I could have used Industrial Farmhouse many years ago


… particularly when I was dating a very clever blue-eyed young man who was living in a downtown loft apartment in an old building, The Oliver House.

 

 

The beautiful brick Oliver House was opened in 1859 as the area’s first luxury hotel with running water, a fireplace and gas lighting in each guest room.  


It remained a gem in our region for many years. 

 

 

 

 

As industry moved into the area and competition grew from newer hotels, the Oliver House was sold and converted into a manufacturing plant by a company that made light fixtures. 


Through the transition, the building was stripped of most of its opulent details.
 
 

Although the blue-eyed young man’s loft apartment  was rustic and mostly bare, it was full of unbelievable charm... 

with floor to ceiling windows,

wood floors with grooves created from years of footsteps,  

a huge metal sliding door framing the entrance,

open ductwork on the ceiling,

and exposed brick on not just one wall but all of the walls. 


The apartment was so big that we referred to one part of it as the ballroom, complete with a rounded wall of windows.
 

Where were you when I needed you, Industrial Farmhouse?


Back then I could have floated an enormous bed in front of those windows…

or hung metal farm-style signs against those brick walls….

or brought in shiny stainless steel appliances to rest on those well-worn wooden floors. 

If only we could go back in time. 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m not sure if the blue-eyed young man would have appreciated me decorating his bachelor pad in Industrial Farmhouse style back then. 

But today as my husband, I know he would be ever so happy to assist his Cowgirl in the process.   

 

 

Have a great day!

 

*Editor's note - the farmhouse kitchen photo is from HGTV's Fixer Upper http://www.hgtv.com/shows/fixer-upper/get-to-know-fixer-upper-hosts-chip-and-joanna-gaines-pictures?soc=pinterest&crlt.pid=camp.gcvWJx2uk5sB.  The chairs and lamp photos are from http://www.ballarddesigns.com/