Tour an Atlanta Stylist's Light-Filled Loft

Designer and stylist Giana Shorthouse created an understated, modern home for herself in a historic building, carving a multi-functional work-from-home and living space out of a space with a small footprint.

March 31, 2021

By: Brian Patrick Flynn

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Photo By: Robert Peterson/Flynnside Out

An Eye for Design

Giana Shorthouse is an interior designer, decorator and interior stylist based in Atlanta. Her neutral palette and use of natural materials are two design elements that define her unique style.

White-on-White

Once you step inside Giana's loft, you're greeted with an abundance of bright light thanks to her white-on-white color scheme.

Using Every Square Inch

When space is at a premium, it's wise to put every square inch to good use. In the entry, Giana used a wall niche to house her favorite keepsakes and framed photos.

Space Planning

Giana's space plan is smart and simple. Her sofa works as a room divider between the work-from-home area and the living room. This results in a balanced, clean and crisp vibe with plenty of cozy seating for herself and guests.

Space-Saving Tricks

An excellent trick when designing small spaces is to use tables with round tops. The lack of corners allows for more seating, and a pedestal base takes up less visual space than tables with legs.

Chic Gray Kitchen

Considered an understated minimalist, Giana's kitchen reflects both her style and her way of living. The sleek gray cabinets offer just a slight contrast against the white walls, and the open shelving above offers plenty of display space for her favorite kitchen necessities and plants.

Open Concept

The open concept layout of Giana's historic Atlanta industrial loft allows for excellent flow and conversation between the kitchen, living room and work spaces. Focusing on shades of white and gray helps brighten the entire loft and keeps things classic and timeless.

Factory Windows

Previously occupied by Sears, Roebuck and Co. from 1926–1987, Giana's loft is located in Atlanta's Ponce City Market, a mixed-use development with shops, offices, restaurants and homes. The factory windows of Giana's loft are original to the building's industrial and retail history.

Touches of Life

With so much natural light flooding the loft through the factory windows, it's easy for Giana to keep her plants thriving. To utilize all of the square footage, the plants sit up on the window sill in a charming arrangement.

Work From Home

Situated just off the kitchen, Giana's home studio is tidy and efficient. The desk is steel and sits on casters for mobility and durability.

Structured Living Space

The living room area of the loft is the most structured space with tall 5-foot-tall shelves flanking concealed lower storage to hide clutter.

Pretty Functionality

Giana's loft has a great mix of concealed and open storage solutions. To keep her favorite objects and plants on display, a shelving system in the living room simply attaches to the wall with two screws, offering up ample surface space with very easy installation.

Reflecting Light

With natural light at the top of Giana's interior design must-haves, creating a reflection to bounce natural sunlight around the space was important. A simple round mirror centered above the living room's storage system doubles as wall sculpture.

Mix of Materials

The focus of Giana's home design is a mix of natural and industrial materials. In her bathroom, you'll find solid painted wood doors, wire signage, a raw steel towel rack and wooden hangers which showcase this curated approach.

Let the Sunshine In

One of the smartest lighting tricks in Giana's loft is the transom window. Sitting high up on the bedroom wall which backs up to the great room, the transom allows most of the light from the factory windows to spill into her bedroom.

Small Change, Huge Impact

To add dimension to the bare white walls of Giana's bedroom, she simply added an inexpensive strip of 1-inch by 2-inch primed MDF, then painted both the MDF and the drywall below it the same shade of cream for a layered, tone-on-tone effect.

Negative Space

To achieve a less-is-more look, Giana makes an effort to let her spaces breathe. One of the easiest ways to do this is by leaving a good amount of negative space in a room, then placing low slung furniture against its bare walls. The simplicity also adds a tranquil and calming vibe.

Historic Preservation

Drawn to the history of the 2 million square feet of space at Ponce City Market, Giana appreciates the space for its original charm, plethora of outdoor gathering areas and city views.

Wide Open Spaces

With the loft maxing out at 700-square-feet, Giana takes advantage of Ponce City Market's outdoor gathering spaces. Friends can hang out just about three minutes from her loft in the wide open green space to enjoy the fresh air right smack in the middle of the city.