Concrete Finishes For Loft Living

Loft living in Portland has been on the rise since the late 90s. One of the hip areas to live is an area coined The Pearl District formerly full of old warehouses, industrial buildings and railroad yards, and now is said to be an award-winning, internationally recognized leader in urban renewal. Many that live in the area consider it a great mix of live, work, play. You'll find many new condo/loft buildings, expensive restaurants, art galleries, spas, shopping (including Powell's Books -the greatest bookstore), mass transit, and a few sculpture parks.

Is part of the draw of loft living the concrete posts that exist in so many? I guess it is for some.

Our latest client came to us wanting one bedroom wall to be transformed to match an existing concrete pilaster that was in the middle of the wall. Not only is it in the middle of the wall, but it is off-center - therefore, throwing off the symmetry of the bed.

We did not use concrete, but used a mix of plaster and glazes to mimic the look of the concrete.

In the main living space there are three existing concrete pilasters, so they requested that two walls of drywall be finished in the concrete technique to match.

The design of the loft is not yet complete. The bedroom is transitioning and the palette has yet to be selected. The client is in the decision making process and wants to remove a lot of the mono-toned browns and brighten up the space.

The bed is staying, and obviously the concrete finish on the wall. What colors would you choose to brighten up this space? Turquoise? Orange? Please share! I'm curious.

Bedroom before

Bedroom after

Living space before

Living space after

Living room after (closer look)

Living space after (up-close study)

Real concrete pilaster (our muse)