Where enthusiast to live compared in a former auto garage? For bike lover and communications pupil Spencer Steed and his fiancée, Alex Tovey, a college admissions counselor, residing in this place was an opportunity neither could pass up. Nevertheless, the first-time homeowners, set to marry in fall 2013, wanted to make the gritty-cool space in downtown Salt Lake City much more comfortable.
Maintaining with the existing raw kind of the room, the couple added mechanic-shop-inspired decor, rustic salvaged pieces and unfinished surfaces to create a location with a industrial vibe that feels just like home.
in a Glance
Who lives here: Spencer Steed, Alex Tovey and their French bulldog, Simon
Location: Downtown Salt Lake City
Size: 2,000 square feet; 1 bedroom, 1 bath
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Tovey (at left) and Steed (at right) did their best to incorporate homey components while maintaining and celebrating — the industrial edginess of their space, as noticed in their garage-meets-dining-room here.
“The appeal of living in a classic auto garage and designing with that aesthetic in your mind was fun and different,” Steed says. “We likely won’t ever live someplace quite enjoy this space. It’s our very first location living together, which we’ll always remember.”
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The bedroom keeps a gritty appeal, with gray cinderblock walls, concrete floors and exposed fixtures. The American Oil hint was left outside the flat when the couple proceeded in.
Corrugated fiberglass panels attached to plywood on steel framing constitute the bedroom walls. The cupboard door is stainless steel and slides on a track connected to the ceiling.
“Our favorite spot is your bedroom,” Tovey states. “It is the most comfortable space in our home, and it’s where we unwind”
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The couple sanded old army boxes found in Smith and Edwards, coated them with polyurethane, piled them up and added easy baskets to create a dresser.
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Unfinished surfaces and raw define the style of the apartment. The couple primed and patched the walls left them.
Steed purchased the ram head from a local taxidermy shop.
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A steel surgical spout would be the main focal point in the bathroom. To contrast the steel fixtures, Steed and Tovey brought in various wood components, like another military box in Smith and Edwards.
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Scoops of crimson in the entrance comparison the muted tones of the cement flooring and steel doorway. The reddish “BE” letters against the right wall were a gift from a friend.
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Steed welded two schoolbus chairs from his grandfather to form a seat from the mudroom. The shoe rack is a repurposed set of utility shelves that the former owner left behind. Steed and Tovey provide the owner credit for a huge part of the space’s design aesthetic.
Rug: Tandy Leather
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A huge dining table supplied to the couple overlooks the former dining area. Slide-up doors open to a patio.
Steed also uses this space to work on his bikes. “It is the perfect distraction from homework,” he states.
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Steed and Tovey salvaged, refinished and repurposed the majority of the design components and furnishings from army surplus stores and scrap yards.
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Steed made the coffee table out of reclaimed timber, which he painted.
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A huge rug defines the main living room area in the open floor plan. A custom furniture builder in Project Sunday who is a pal of the couple gave them the side table.
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This alloy Tanker desk came via an internet regional classifieds site for $17.
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The plywood bedroom walls form a wall at the simple kitchen. A massive mirror and classic sign add color. The industrial sink and prep counter came out of a restaurant supply store next door.
Lucy Call
The previous owner set up the dentist’s lighting over the kitchen island.
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