For interior designers, when a potential client informs them just how much they like their style, and that they would like to incorporate it into their own home, it's like winning the interior design lottery. This dream situation happened to me, an Atlanta-based interior designer; in January 2009 a young couple answered an ad I placed on their building's hallway message board in regard to vintage furniture I was selling. The couple, Jeremy and Amanda, own and operate a hauling company located about 90 minutes outside of Atlanta. Due to their hectic, loud and physically exhausting work weeks, they decided to turn two small lofts in an ultra-modern, glass-and-concrete high-rise into one large, open and airy two-story loft where they could escape on weekends. In addition to their own rest and relaxation needs, the loft, located in an urban area known as Midtown, was also intended as event space, whether for TV and/or music video shoots, or for parties and celebrations in need of an urban, contemporary setting with a penthouse-like feel.

After meeting the couple for the first time in my previous loft, as I was selling furniture to make room for new pieces in my recently purchased house, we instantly hit it off. As Jeremy looked around, he quickly inquired as to what things in the loft were available for purchase, from sofas and coffee tables to area rugs and art. Eager to pare back my overabundance of sleek, modern, chrome pieces to make room for more Danish modern decor in my new house, I quickly made a list of everything Jeremy and Amanda wanted, then got to pricing it all out. Before I could even come to a number, the couple asked me to also bid on designing their newly renovated loft, not only with items from my old loft, but with new, custom pieces as well.

With all three of us agreeing to a three-week timeline and a reasonable decorating budget, the 3,000-square-foot loft design project was under way. First up on the list of things to do was creating a color scheme that wouldn't compete with the urban architectural elements of the space, which included: cool, gray concrete columns, a steel staircase and rails, reddish-brown ipe hardwood floors, floor-to-ceiling glass windows that overlook downtown Atlanta and a state-of-the-art gourmet kitchen. Since the space was meant to remain open and airy, the majority of the walls were kept white, with a few accent walls designated for accent colors.