This Light-Filled, 1800s Industrial Loft Space Is Every Artist's Dream Home
Who: Liz Sparacio
Where: Northern Liberties, Philadelphia
Style: Modern eclectic loft
"The city's once-bleak landscape — vacant historic buildings, sidewalks that emptied after dark — has been transformed so dramatically newcomers can't imagine Philly's past" writes Lauren McCutcheon in a Philadelphia Inquirer profile of the beloved Philadelphia vintage store Jinxed. Indeed, Jinxed, with its four locations across the city, has made its name taking pieces of an older, decaying Philly and reimagining them for a demographic of eclectic, design-minded customers — often younger, often newcomers. And as one of its buyers, Liz Sparacio has had her hand in curating Jinxed's wide-ranging wares.
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An ever-rotating sample of those wares makes it into her half of a 2400-square-foot, light-filled, 1800s-era industrial loft space, which she shares with the artist Jennifer Baker.
"When you walk in, the space really opens up right in front of you," says Sparacio. "The tall ceilings and the incredible natural light beaming through the huge windows was stunning to see for the first time." And she loved how much of the building's original integrity remained intact.
"The open floor plan, with the arched cubed windows, wooden beamed ceiling, exposed cylindrical water tank and brick walls, certainly lends itself toward being an industrial loft, but with my decor choices, I tried to create a warm and layered home, using non-stuffy and inviting items," she explains.
Stefan Suchanec for Rory Creative
The challenge, however, is to find pieces of furniture and decor that do double duty, particularly since there are no closets or real storage. "Form versus function is a constant consideration," says Sparacio. One solution — Sparacio turned the one bedroom in the open space into her walk-in closet, and sleeps upstairs in a dream-like loft, with a skylight that opens to the roof.
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"Even with all of its quirks, this space gives me the opportunity to explore different kinds shapes, layouts, and styles without feeling restricted by four white walls or needing to follow any rules."
"My tastes may change and I shift furniture around frequently, but my plants are constant," says Sparacio.
Stefan Suchanec for Rory Creative
The molded plastic hand chair came from Jinxed, and it sits among vintage, new, and DIY finds, including from Urban Outfitters and IKEA. "The coffee table is actually a polished black-grey concrete top — to look like marble — that sits on top of a shiny chrome Super Drum base," says Sparacio.
Stefan Suchanec for Rory Creative
"My favorite things are what I refer to as my 'human-shaped items,'" says Sparacio. The life-sized female sculpture on the left is by the artist who shares the studio space, Jennifer Baker.
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The vast loft has ample room for Baker's studio.
Stefan Suchanec for Rory Creative
Upstairs, Sparacio's bedroom features one of her newest vintage finds, from Mainstreet Modern in Ohio. "It's a totally wild, creamy white 1980s lacquered coffee table that swivels open into a full circle, but I like it only halfway because it reminds me of Pac-Man," she says. "I'm really into postmodernism, Memphis style, and a lot of the wacky '80s decor shapes right now."
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The bedroom stairs lead up to the roof.
Stefan Suchanec for Rory Creative
The vintage mirror, from Architectural Salvage, reflects the bed.
Stefan Suchanec for Rory Creative
Downstairs, Sparacio turned the bedroom into a vast walk-in closet. "I use rolling racks for my hanging items as well as a Craigslist found vintage glass front barrister bookcase for my denim/pant collection," she says.
Stefan Suchanec for Rory Creative
"Throughout the entire loft, every single thing has its place," says Sparacio.