Private Quarters: Loft living in Midtown

Home and Garden

Private Quarters: Loft living in Midtown

Homeowners didn’t want to sacrifice walkability when they reached the empty nest stage and downsized from Decatur. They found Factory Lofts, which dead-ends at the Atlanta’s BeltLine.

Stainless steel countertops, a Maytag refrigerator and GE Monogram hood in the open kitchen on the loft's middle floor matches the unit's industrial look. The island and wall of cabinets already were in the loft - a former model home - when Thomas and Betsy Walsh purchased it in 2012. -- Text by Lori Johnston

A Pegasus faucet - from The Home Depot - add a sleek touch to the sink in the island. The faucet and other kitchen items were already installed when Thomas and Betsy Walsh purchased their unit in Atlanta's Factory Lofts in 2012.

A stainless steel GE Monogram hood above the island in Thomas and Betsy Walsh's kitchen adds another architectural feature to their Atlanta loft, which has a metal ceiling and exposed pipes. An expansive wall cabinet holds dinnerware, food and other items for preparing meals.

Downsizing couple Thomas and Betsy Walsh liked the industrial look and openness of their unit in Atlanta's Factory Lofts. Metal and stainless steel are key elements in their urban loft, along with stained concrete floors. Benjamin Moore's Honeymoon is used throughout the loft.

Thomas and Betsy Walsh bought the model home in Atlanta's Factory Lofts, so items such as the sink and lighting were already installed in areas such as the half bath off the kitchen.

Thomas and Betsy Walsh enjoy having their coffee in the morning at the small kitchen table, which has a collection of teapots and vases and a watercolor sketch by Atlanta artist Addison Young. Next to the table, a painting of a cardinal by Janie Wright, another local artist, is a favorite piece in the home. The white dresser was another Craigslist find by Betsy Walsh.

Recycled glass is used for the new chandelier that fills the stairwell of Thomas and Betsy Walsh's unit in Atlanta's Factory Lofts. Kathleen Plate of Smart Glass, also known for her recycled glass jewelry, created the chandelier, which Betsy Walsh describes as a piece of art that happens to be a light fixture.

A new addition to the Atlanta loft that Thomas and Betsy Walsh purchased in 2012 is the recycled glass chandelier by Kathleen Plate of Smart Glass. They purchased the fixture in March at the American Craft Council Show in Atlanta as an anniversary present. The chandelier emphasizes the tall ceilings and open, airy feeling of the loft, which are the couple's favorite features of their new home.

A skylight and soaring ceilings, plus a new recycled glass chandelier by Kathleen Plate and large windows, create an airy feeling that immediately attracted Thomas and Betsy Walsh to their unit in Atlanta's Factory Lofts.

Angel prints were a yard sale purchase that Betsy Walsh said seemed to fit next to the glow of the candles in the stairway of the three-story Atlanta loft.

A support post holds a collection of candles that have been lit over the years for a unique focal point in the stairwell of Thomas and Betsy Walsh's Atlanta loft. The wax has dripped down the post, creating a unique feature that the couple continues to use.

Just because Thomas and Betsy Walsh's loft has a modern look, it doesn't mean their furniture has to be contemporary. A china cabinet underneath the metal stairs adds warm wooden elements to the industrial loft; they purchased the cabinet from a friend who is an interior designer.

A variety of artwork vignettes are placed throughout the home, including Salvador Dali woodblock prints and "found treasures" picked up by homeowner Betsy Walsh at yard sales and thrift stores.

Storage was lacking, so Greg Michael of Mi-Kin Creations in Kennesaw built custom storage units for Thomas and Betsy Walsh on two floors of their Atlanta loft, which has original exposed beams. Artwork flanks a storage unit near the front door, including a framed sketch made when Betsy's daughter was in elementary school (to the left of the unit).

The exposed metal ceiling adds to the character of Thomas and Betsy Walsh's Atlanta loft, which has a metal staircase leading up to their bedroom, dining area and deck. Greg Michael of Mi-Kin Creations in Kennesaw built the storage cabinet at the bottom of the stairs.

On both sides of a Lignet Roset table - purchased from an interior designer friend - old meets new as Betsy Walsh paired a church pew with acrylic chairs from IKEA. A painting on wood boards by the late Georgia folk artist Jon Whiddon hangs above the dining table.

A bureau and mirror that belonged to Betsy Walsh's great-grandmother are among her favorite pieces of furniture in the home. On the bureau is a bust made by Thomas' grandfather, Taylor Greenfield, and a painting that his grandparents brought in Asia.

A sweetheart chair has been passed down from loft owner Betsy Walsh's mother, whose parents gave it to her when she was 16, to Betsy's daughter. The chair is paired with other treasures, including a wooden table made by another family member and a photo of Thomas' grandparents.

A Craigslist find was this peacock painting, which centers the bed on a wall in Thomas and Betsy Walsh's Atlanta loft. Target bedding is used for their bedroom, on the top floor of their three-story loft.

Small sculptures representing the seven deadly sins - found at a yard sale - cast a foreboding presence above the entrance to the renovated bathroom. Loft owners Thomas and Betsy Walsh removed a tub and replaced it with a walk-in shower with glass doors from Drexler Shower Door & Custom Glass.

A white curtain, which was strung using a system from IKEA, makes the bedroom a little more private in Thomas and Betsy Walsh's doorless loft. Guests pass the third-floor space when they head up to the deck to see the Atlanta views, and the Betsy Walsh grouped some landscapes and a map at the top of the stairs.

Thomas and Betsy Walsh don't only live in an older property, with Atlanta's Factory Lofts dating to the early 1900s, but they have brought in family items, such as this striped chair previously belonging to Thomas' grandparents. They purchased the glasstop table at a High Museum auction.

A Murphy bed from More Space Place in Buckhead is a comfortable wall bed and a fantastic decision, said Thomas and Betsy Walsh, who downsized into Atlanta's Factory Lofts.

To maximize space in their Atlanta loft, Thomas and Betsy Walsh purchased a Murphy bed from More Space Place in Buckhead. Betsy's college-age daughter can use it when she visits, as well as guests.

Thomas Walsh, founding partner of TSW - Tunnell-Spangler-Walsh, and his wife, Betsy, downsized from Decatur into another walkable area. They wanted to leave their car behind, purchasing a two-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath unit in Atlanta's Factory Lofts that is near the Beltline and new developments such as Ponce City Market.

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Stainless steel countertops, a Maytag refrigerator and GE Monogram hood in the open kitchen on the loft's middle floor matches the unit's industrial look. The island and wall of cabinets already were in the loft - a former model home - when Thomas and Betsy Walsh purchased it in 2012. -- Text by Lori Johnston

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