SOMA Loft Residence is 2017 IIDA Global Excellence Award Finalist
Offering spectacular Bay Bridge views, this two-level loft was an uninspired white box chopped up into many small rooms. Having worked with the owners on another home in the Carmel Valley, the designers wanted to bring a similar warm, modern and spacious character to this loft that celebrates the view while offering two-bedroom suites for overnight guests.
![https://archello.com/story/100922/attachments/photos-videos/3 photo_credit Bruce Damonte](https://archello.com/thumbs/images/2021/09/16/studio-vara-soma-loft-residence-private-houses-archello.1631769932.5739.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress)
To accomplish these goals, walls & soffits were first removed to expose concrete. Now pared down to the essentials, the space was reimagined as a composition of planes and volumes in warm materials: concrete, wire-brushed and waxed European white oak, gunmetal gray panels & gallery white walls.
![https://archello.com/story/100922/attachments/photos-videos/5 photo_credit Bruce Damonte](https://archello.com/thumbs/images/2021/09/16/studio-vara-soma-loft-residence-private-houses-archello.1631769933.9122.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress)
The kitchen, a compact composition of white lacquer casework opens to harbor views over an oversized island. A slender blackened steel stair of white oak treads and a frameless glass guardrail replaces the heavy original, and serves as a focal point for the room. The adjacent guest bedroom features a moveable wall of hanging panels that can be hidden away, allowing the living room to seamlessly double in size.
![https://archello.com/story/100922/attachments/photos-videos/6 photo_credit Bruce Damonte](https://archello.com/thumbs/images/2021/09/16/studio-vara-soma-loft-residence-private-houses-archello.1631769934.3284.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress)
The master bathroom features backlit steel mirrors, travertine slab floors & shower walls and vanities made from wire-brushed, waxed oak. Overlooking the living room, a loft features casework that separates a large dressing area from the media room.
![https://archello.com/story/100922/attachments/photos-videos/4 photo_credit Bruce Damonte](https://archello.com/thumbs/images/2021/09/16/studio-vara-soma-loft-residence-private-houses-archello.1631769933.4852.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress)
Using a vibrant Stark carpet purchased by the owners before construction started, furniture and art were selected to complement the natural material palette. Unique pieces include a custom steel and oak dining table and an upholstered bench.
![https://archello.com/story/100922/attachments/photos-videos/7 photo_credit Bruce Damonte](https://archello.com/thumbs/images/2021/09/16/studio-vara-soma-loft-residence-private-houses-archello.1631769934.6907.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress)
![https://archello.com/story/100922/attachments/photos-videos/8 photo_credit Bruce Damonte](https://archello.com/thumbs/images/2021/09/16/studio-vara-soma-loft-residence-private-houses-archello.1631769935.1341.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress)
![https://archello.com/story/100922/attachments/photos-videos/10 photo_credit Bruce Damonte](https://archello.com/thumbs/images/2021/09/16/studio-vara-soma-loft-residence-private-houses-archello.1631769935.8784.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress)
![https://archello.com/story/100922/attachments/photos-videos/13 photo_credit Bruce Damonte](https://archello.com/thumbs/images/2021/09/16/studio-vara-soma-loft-residence-private-houses-archello.1631769937.5521.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress)
Material Used:
1. Custom Metalwork Fabricators: Sohler Iron
2. Interior Material Products: Gessi & Dornbracht plumbing, Sub-Zero, Wolf and Asko appliances, European white oak flooring, travertine from DaVinci, Benjamin Moore paint, custom white oak walls & ceiling, Waterworks marble wall tile, Pental quartz kitchen countertops
3. Artwork: Tony Ambus, Design Details
4. Decorative Lighting: Helium, Whitegoods, KKDC, Lucifer, Boyd Lighting, Tech Lighting, Vibia
5. Interior Furnishings: Tony Ambus, Design Details