Open House: Andrew’s West Town Loft

07. Aug, 2008 6 Comments

When he began searching for a new home two years ago, furniture and lighting designer, Andrew Stansell, faced a difficult task. The independent designer, who is known for his metal Mission-style furniture, needed a home with distinct living and work spaces, and unlike many who can put together a makeshift office with a laptop, a comfortable chair and a cell phone, Andrew required a space large enough for his studio and tools.

The space also needed to be soundproofed sufficiently to keep the neighbors happy (cutting through metal makes more noise than sparks.) So when a ground floor loft with a full basement became available, Andrew jumped at the opportunity.

The space, which was in need of a little TLC, has been given a facelift with bold colors and defined areas for hanging out, working and eating. Past inhabitants added touches that remain, including a Frank Gehry-inspired metallic soffit and a chalk board kitchen back splash. Andrew’s loft is a fitting home for his collection of found objects and industrial artifacts, much of which qualifies as Decoratus Absurdum.

Continued . . .

Andrew attributes his eclectic taste to the childhood trips he took with his father, an architect who relished exploring junk shops. The senior Stansell also imparted on Andrew an appreciation for how things are put together, although he may have questioned this transfer of knowledge when the young future designer took apart the family lawn mower just to satisfy his curiosity and see how it all worked (Your Honor, I present Exhibit A).

Despite a pile of evidence that young Andrew was destined to use his creativity and work with his hands, he didn’t immediately follow his bliss, electing to attend law school and ultimately embarking on a career as an attorney (Order in the court). Despite his promising career, Andrew was increasingly dissatisfied and chucked it all to follow his bliss; I guess there’s nothing like a stint as a lawyer to make things clear. (Case dismissed).

Click here for a look at Andrew’s work and basement studio. For more Open House tours, click here. And if you know of a great space (or have a great space), email me (strangeclosets@yahoo.com).

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Home Tours, Lincoln Park / Lakeview, Lofts, West Side
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6 Responses to “Open House: Andrew’s West Town Loft”

  1. Anonymous 07. Aug, 2008 at 5:38 pm

    Wow! What a neat collection of stuff.

  2. Jake 07. Aug, 2008 at 6:18 pm

    I really like it. It’s very ecletic and fun but also its grown up. He makes nice stuff.

  3. janis 08. Aug, 2008 at 8:19 am

    It’s not just the stuff, it’s the artful way he has arranged everything.

  4. Beth 08. Aug, 2008 at 9:37 am

    The tool wall is gorgeous! I love how the items are framed by a background color.

    Eclectic oasis. So lovely.

  5. RP30 13. Aug, 2008 at 11:54 am

    I love the mix of furniture. He had guts and it worked out perfect!

  6. Beth Keen 03. Apr, 2009 at 6:55 pm

    Hi Andy,

    I was bragging about you to my architect friends. They really like your furniture and the Barbadian liked the ckicket ball a whole bunch, too!

    I saw a bunch of things you added to your place here–they look great!

    Love,
    Beth