An Inviting Industrial Escape

Granger Hughes

Entering through the home’s archtop doorway, visitors can see the streamlined aesthetic Hughes was trying to accomplish. To the right of the home’s foyer is the formal dining room. A blueish-gray tone, similar to the color found on the exterior, cloaks the room and is complemented by a high-pile rug.

“The biggest part of designing this home for me was picking out the color schemes,” says Hughes. “I wanted consistency from room to room, so I have tried to carry these colors throughout the home. I like the blueish-gray colors. I just find them pleasing to the eye.”

Custom wall paneling wraps the room and provides a touch of character, while a sturdy wooden farmhouse table complete with a bottom beam sits in the middle of the room. Four tufted French dining chairs round out the place settings and provide space for Hughes to share a meal with guests.

“I wanted this room to have an ‘old gentlemen’ type feel … sort of like you were stepping into a Ralph Lauren setting,” says Hughes.

A metal candle-style chandelier with rope accents hangs above the dining room table and provides warm light. Two metal grated wall sconces provide additional light and sit on either side of a set of French doors that lead to the home’s front porch.

Carrying on toward the kitchen, visitors first pass through a short hallway. Bottom drawers provide storage space, while glass-front upper cabinets house some of Hughes’ glassware before the hallway opens up into a bright and airy kitchen.

White soft-close cabinets with recessed doors are outfitted with stainless-steel hardware, tying the appliances into the rest of the room. The backsplash is comprised of white subway tile, adding to the kitchen’s streamlined feel.

“I really like the white,” states Hughes. “I just feel that it makes a kitchen look so clean.”

Two dark metal candle-style pendant lights hang above an island and work to bring rustic elements from the dining room into the sleek kitchen. White marble countertops run throughout the kitchen enhancing the delicate color scheme.

“The countertops have a bit of gray veining, which I really like,” says Hughes. “It’s not too much, not too little.”

While Hughes admits the countertops can be a bit of a headache to maintain, the polished marble goes a long way in fitting into the scaled-down aesthetic he so very much enjoys.

“I’m partial to solid pieces of furniture. I mean, you could go back to the 1965 lodge days and still see a Chesterfield sitting there. I feel like these types of couches are statement pieces, and they don’t ever go out of style.” – Granger Hughes

From the kitchen, it is an effortless transition to the home’s living room, where Hughes’ industrial style comes out to play. Another blue-gray rug grounds the space, and velvet drapes carry the color toward the front of the room.

“The velvet drapes kind of give a warming feel to the room,” explains Hughes. “I don’t generally think of velvet as very masculine, but in this situation, I felt that it was.”

The drapes hang on either side of a white brick fireplace, which features a thick wooden floating mantel. Two tufted armchairs sit diagonally from each other, playing off the dining room chairs, and a Chesterfield sofa provides the perfect spot to sit and relax.

“I’m partial to solid pieces of furniture,” elaborates Hughes. “I mean, you could go back to the 1965 lodge days and still see a Chesterfield sitting there.
I feel like these types of couches are statement pieces, and they don’t ever go out of style.”

A large trunk coffee table serves as a nod to the past, while one of Hughes’ favorite pieces hangs overhead from the room’s simple coffered ceiling. The round, dark metal chandelier gives off warm light from a row of Edison bulbs and perfectly encapsulates the revered industrial look Hughes was after.

“I love this look, and I feel like it ties everything together,” states Hughes. “It feels like it’s its own piece of architecture in a way. You don’t really have to go out and try to find different décor to match it. You don’t have to overstate it.”

“I obviously don’t live in a downtown loft, but I still wanted to convey a little bit of that style.” – Granger Hughes

Around the corner from the living room is the home’s master suite. Upon entering the space, visitors are greeted with the same colors and materials they first saw upon entering the home. The same velvet drapes displayed in the living room are present in this space and can be drawn over three large windows with plantation shutters.

A queen-size bed rests on a wooden platform in the middle of the room, and gray linens play off of the colors found in the drapes. Two wooden side tables with metal frames bring in the masculine, industrial elements, and a white The Cloud armchair sits in the corner. This washed Belgian linen chair is made with 100% feathers, and Hughes insists it’s the most comfortable seat in the house.

The continuities continue with a white brick accent wall that matches the fireplace in the living room. “The brick was a big thing for me, and it was important for me to add those intimate touches,” says Hughes. “At the same time though, I wanted to be balanced and not go overboard. I obviously don’t live in a downtown loft, but I still wanted to convey a little bit of that style.”

By walking back toward the foyer and up a flight of stairs, visitors can gain access to the home’s loft – one of the most used spaces in the house. A large The Cloud chaise sofa – this one a combination of feathers and memory foam – provides plenty of space to relax.

“I watch a lot of sports, so I will come up here a fair amount to catch a game. It also gives me a place to unwind after a hard day at work,” says Hughes. “I wanted something in this space that was both aesthetically pleasing but also comfortable, and this piece does it for me.”

The dark gray couch ties into a rustic wall clock and brings the same color palette to the home’s second story. A commissioned console table ties in the dark metals and woods found throughout the house, and a trunk tucked neatly onto the bottom shelf plays off of Hughes’ living room coffee table.

A leather armchair sits in the corner and provides a glimpse out of the room’s cantilever window, which brings in ample natural light.

At the end of the day, Hughes managed to create a home that is as industrial as it is inviting. By utilizing statement pieces that mimic relics from a decade long gone, the home delivers a uniquely masculine feel while simultaneously keeping spaces clean and streamlined. CS