vintage black & white loft makeover ft. Allegra Shaw - Style Selected!

We got a call from our good friend Allegra Shaw recently, who asked us if we would come makeover her sustainable fashion brand Uncle Studios’ office loft space, and of course we said hell yes! She needed help bringing her vintage Parisian monochromatic style to the office/kitchen and bathroom areas of the loft. Take a look at the office before:

becky’s design

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My plan for the kitchen/office is to keep it black and white minimal, but bring in some cream colour to make it feel much warmer. Behind the table I want to install three large bookshelves to house office supplies for some much-needed storage. On the ends of the table I want to give them thrifted faux leather accent chairs to amp up the style, and then swap out the jute rug for something less beige and more monochromatic. I want to keep their cork board since they get a lot of use out of it, but paint it white to match the walls and then add a clear board on the wall beside it for more brainstorming space. And the fluorescent tube light has GOT to go so I would switch it with a simple black globe chandelier. In the kitchen I’m swapping out the cool-toned white hardware for matte black cabinet pulls and then installing an IKEA hack shelving unit that will perfectly fit the space under the stairs. And finally, I would add some major floor-to-ceiling curtains that separate the main space from the office so that Allegra can have photo shoots but her team can keep working in peace.

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The first thing I would tackle in the bathroom are the cold white walls which I want to paint a muted peach colour to compliment the tub which I would paint a darker rust colour. She didn’t want any colour but I think if I sneak this in here she will really appreciate it in the end, especially since it’s not too bright. I want to replace the mirror with a round vintage gold mirror, and then swap the existing shelves for some smaller sleeker white shelves. To finish it off I would switch out her light for a gold vanity light that is modern but so classic.

kelsey’s design

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For my kitchen/office design, I want to work with a lot of the pieces Allegra already has in her space like the kitchen table, chairs and rug but I want to add a large clear board on the back wall where the team can brainstorm new product ideas. On the adjacent wall I want to add a bar cart that will function as a printer table with some plants and office supplies, and switch out the tube light for a more modern gold one. Moving to the kitchen, I would love to add gold accents by swapping out the existing cabinet hardware. And finally under the stairs I want to install shelves that follow the pattern of the stairs, and then decorate everything with vintage touches, including a runner along the kitchen floor.

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In the bathroom, I know she said that she didn’t want colour but I think this space needs something to spruce it up so I want to paint the tub a teal colour and also paint the platform that the tub is standing on. To really make this a ~moment~ I want to do a dried flower art installation in the tub, since no one will actually be bathing here, and then use peach accents sparingly throughout the room. To make it more modern, I’ll switch out her mirror and light fixture for something minimal to tie everything together.

Allegra had a tough time choosing her fav, but those curtains and that peach colour were something she couldn’t resist so she went with Becky’s design. With that decision made, it was time to get started!

diy ikea hack

The IKEA KALLAX unit is a really popular piece but this hack we tried made it feel so custom. We traced the angle of the stairs on the shelves and then using a hand saw, we cut along that line so that it would fit under the stairs. Once cut, we slid it in place and styled it with some of our fav decor. Such an easy fix for an awkward space!

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diy floor to ceiling curtains

Since Allegra’s space was so tall, we had to make these curtains ourselves with this white gauzy fabric we got at our local fabric store. By folding over the top and using curtain ring clips, we made simple fabric look so chic. And since we couldn’t drill into the ceiling of this loft since it was a tin roof, we use chain from the hardware store to secure the curtain rods to the metal joists which was such a great hack.

add in some thrifted touches

It’s not a Sorry Girls makeover without a thrifted moment and we found this classic vintage light fixture to install over the stove in the kitchen. We removed the fringe so that it looked less boho and we think it really pulled this space together.

tackling the bathroom

In this space we got to painting the walls and the tub, and once it dried we installed the new light fixture, shelving and mirror. We’re nervous about Allegra seeing all this colour but ultimately think that this was the right move!