Lofty lifestyle

Three years ago, Brad Waterbury – answering a two-line ad in the newspaper about downtown lofts – stood in an empty 100-year-old building off an alley in downtown Spokane. He looked at the rough brick walls, the large windows overlooking the train tracks dissecting the city and the view of the South Hill beyond. As the developer pointed out interesting features in the architecture of the building, Waterbury contemplated the benefits of making a home downtown, imagined the kind of living space that could be carved from the cavernous building and made a decision. He wanted in.

“I was the first one on board,” he said. And he doesn’t regret it for a minute.

Waterbury, a Human Resource specialist at a Liberty Lake software company, has owned houses and rented apartments in the past, but he says nothing compares to loft living.

“I don’t think I’ll ever change,” he said.

Waterbury’s 1,400 square foot unit in the Blue Chip Lofts, on Railroad Avenue just off Jefferson Street downtown, sits at the upper rear corner of the building. Waterbury chose to purchase two small units, one upper and one lower, and combined them to create a two-level living space. “When I hear someone say ‘loft’ I think of an actual loft area upstairs,” he said. “And that’s what I wanted.”

He fashioned a bedroom, sitting area and combination closet/laundry area out of the upstairs loft which is open to the main level and is accessed by a circular iron staircase. The interior wall is a gallery of black-and-white photos of sailboats, one of Waterbury’s hobbies.

A spacious bath, which features a glass-block wall to bring in light from the south-facing windows of the bedroom, completes what Waterbury refers to as his “space.”

“I live up here, chill-out up here, whenever I can.”

Waterbury’s 25-year-old and 22-year-old daughters are frequent visitors and their needs were factored into his design decisions.

“I took some space from the main room downstairs and put a full bath on the main level for them, but naturally they like the one upstairs better,” he said. “So, when they’re here, guess who gets the downstairs bathroom?”

Waterbury purchased new furniture for his loft condominium. In the year between selecting the unit and its completion, Waterbury opted to start fresh. He selected new pieces one at a time.

A farm table and a china hutch, both stained with a rich ebony finish, delineate the dining area. The kitchen features cabinets finished with a deep cherry-wood stain, stainless steel appliances and dark laminate on the countertops.

Accessories are minimal, with Asian inspired prints and fabrics as art.

“I bought the dining table first and I liked the way it looked in the setting,” he said. “So I worked off that.”

The industrial feel of the polished concrete floors, warmed by rough brick walls and wide wood beams, is complemented by the use of stainless steel fixtures.

Bare-bones lighting, with high-tech halogen spotlights and pendants, play up the interesting features of the space.

A small gas free-standing fireplace, surrounded by a pair of club chairs upholstered in fabric reminiscent of woven rugs, is tucked into a corner. A plush, roomy, sectional sofa faces the low-profile plasma television which is mounted on the wall.

A narrow balcony, reached through one of the tall windows, overlooks a courtyard and garden area. Trains rumble past the building moving toward or departing from the Spokane terminal which is only blocks away.

Waterbury considers the trains an integral part of the ambiance. Now. But living within yards of well-traveled tracks took a little adjusting. “I didn’t sleep the first week I was here,” he said.

Weekdays, Waterbury makes the 20-minute commute to Liberty Lake, but on weekends he is on foot. “Driving to work is not bad, I’m going against traffic both ways,” he said. “But Friday night I park and the car stays here.”

Waterbury likes the proximity of his condominium to the things about life in Spokane he finds most appealing. “I walk to the Symphony, to River Park Square for shopping and to the Davenport District for great places to eat,” he said. “Everything I like the best is a few steps away.”

Although the east-facing windows on the upper level are smaller than the large windows on the main level, they offer the view that is Waterbury’s favorite. The window beside his bed frames a panorama that has changed very little since the building was new.

“I moved in at Christmas time,” he said. “That first night, looking out this window, at the snow and the railroad tracks, and the lights shining from the steam plant stacks, I thought ‘That’s it. That’s why I’m here.”