The Urban Loft: Creating a Dream Space in the City

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

The title of this book could be misunderstood. It is not about urban
lofts in general but rather about the author’s experiences in finding,
buying, designing, gutting, renovating, and decorating part of an old
church for a loft-like living space.

A loft is usually a home in a building not originally intended as a
residence. Think renovated factory. It’s usually open concept with
very high ceilings. Myers’s church building met all those
criteria—“a place with space and grace.”

The book includes a brief description of the places he lived before
purchasing half of the old church and the two-year-long process of
bringing it to a habitable state. He covers the frustrations of
obtaining building permits, trials and triumphs of finding trades
people, design objectives, architectural features, and the downtown
Toronto neighbourhood where the former church is located.

For interior decorating, Myers chose a minimalist look, with lots of
metal, exposed concrete, and ductwork, giving it an “industrial
context.” Neutral colours are offset with a few bright accents, mainly
painted doors. Some natural-finished maple contrasts with the plastic
furniture and industrial look.

The account of the transformation from half a church to a home is
interesting and will appeal to anyone undertaking a major renovation
project, loft or not. The main appeal of the book, though, is Myers’s
writing style. His love of language shines through everything he writes.
It is not a pretentious “see how clever I am” tone, just the right
words that convey his message precisely yet reflect a sense of fun.

Snapshots and architectural sketches are used generously throughout to
illustrate the project at various stages of completion.