Loft living...in the shadow of the Bat Building!

It will be four years ago in April that my husband and I purchased a 600 sq ft loft in downtown Nashville.  Although not quite in the "shadow of the Bat Building"... we are only a few short blocks from the unique structure that looks like the cowl of ... Batman!! 

Our loft is in the Bennie Dillon Building. Built in 1927, the Bennie is on the National Register of Historic Places.

We originally were planning to purchase a unit on the fifth floor.  However we lucked out and got a unit on the 11th.  From our "dining room" windows we can see The Ryman (Mother Church) and the spires on the Bat.

The building has original Terrazzo floors which are made from ground marble, glass, and stone--pressed into concrete.  Our unit's floors are in good shape, so, we haven't yet replaced them.

Here are pictures of the kitchen as it was being renovated.  The building owners added a black tile backsplash that didn't quite surround the actual kitchen area.  New black granite counters were installed along with  stainless appliances.  Walls were painted a neutral, Shaker beige... yuch!  Here's a picture of the granite counter.

Once we got settled, I got to work on the kitchen.  Here are pictures of the newly updated kitchen area:

Uplights were added for more light.  I tiled the remaining area with the same black porcelain tile so that the wall by the dishwasher was protected from water and any splashes due to loading.

The little wall space that was left was painted with the remaining Ralph Lauren Urban Loft collection, Broadway, from the bathroom.  (Tiling Mania)

I wanted to add a softness to the small kitchen area and also to add a bit more interest.  So, I selected natural stone with accents in gray, taupe, black, and rust.  The stone was used to border the black tile and to finish off the opening of the kitchen bar.

Natural stone and black porcelain tile purchased at the local Home Depot...they know me well!

Since we are only working with 600 sq feet, the kitchen is really part of the living area.  To section off and make a "real kitchen," I purchased a kitchen cart and placed it across from the counter (below).

The cart has a small granite counter, draws, and space for storing dinnerware and cooking items.  Then, we added a wine refrigerator (two-sided--for whites and reds) and placed a slab of black granite on top for extra counter space.

A spine bookshelf from West Elm stores cookbooks!  The cup on the top is from a local SB and has a picture of the N'ville skyline...complete with the Bennie!

And there you have it!  The kitchen is small, but, what character!  My future plans are to tile the floor with black large black granite tiles in the area in front of the appliances and counter to separate the kitchen from the remaining living area.

 Read more about the Bennie Dillon at Bennie Dillon Original Lofts.

With the windows open, I hear the sounds of childhood--sirens, street sweepers, and of course--the N'ville honky tonks!  We are only a few short blocks from Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, The Legend's Corner, and The Stage on Broadway ... awesome!  It remains the only place where I can sleep soundly throughout the night!

The Bennie...more to come....