Call it fate. They were not exactly strangers, but on a relaxed evening of shopping and browsing galleries during Artista Vista, two parties came together and two works of art melded into a most unexpected venture. One party, Gary and Jeanne Pennington, had purchased a unit at The Stadium Village Lofts in late 2010. Gary, owner of Pennington Law Firm, had been looking for an investment property. Gary and Jeanne have graduate degrees from USC, and they had rented a unit at The Lofts during the 2010 USC football season. They knew that if the right opportunity came along The Lofts would be an ideal investment, not only from the corporate standpoint of premier overnight accommodations for clients, but also as the perfect entertainment spot both during football season and the offseason.
While enjoying shopping and dining during Artista Vista, Jeanne and Gary stopped by the shop of their friend Ellen Taylor of Ellen Taylor Designs – party number two. Before opening their design business, Ellen and her husband, Gary, had been builders and had built the Penningtons’ former home. That night, not only did Ellen acquire the design job for the Penningtons’ new loft, but she also sold them two pieces of art which ended up being incorporated into plans for the loft’s renovation.
The Penningtons were comfortable giving Ellen free reign since they knew she was familiar with their likes and dislikes. The only direction Ellen was given was to focus on a modern, minimalist decor. “We wanted a Manhattan style,” says Gary, “and I know that Ellen has a taste for that.”
After the contract was signed on Jan. 2, and other than a PowerPoint presentation that Ellen produced during the renovation process, the Penningtons didn’t see the loft again until April when the project was completed. Jeanne says, “The contractor said it was the first time he had ever completed a project without having met the clients until the end.”
The loft’s primary purpose is corporate entertaining. Located on the front porch of the unit is a spiral staircase that leads to the roof, where an outside entertainment patio, complete with bar and outdoor seating and dining, looks out over the Cockabooses and Williams-Brice Stadium.
A spiral staircase leads to the roof, where an outside entertainment patio, complete with bar and outdoor seating and dining, looks out over the Cockabooses and Williams-Brice Stadium.
Stepping into the unit, one enters the great room, which features a large sitting area, the kitchen and a wet bar. At the back of the unit are a hall bath and two bedrooms, one with its own bath.
Structurally, the unit was in good shape. The only renovation involved tearing out the old kitchen cabinets and installing new ones. The existing cherry floors in the living area and slate tile in the kitchen were all that remained after the cabinets were removed.
Palmetto Wood Design was contracted to fabricate Ellen’s kitchen, which was laid out primarily for entertaining and features a custom bar. The cabinet doors are solid cherry slab style finished in a bold transparent gray stain. Referred to as “the Ellen finish,” it gives a gorgeous soft gray finish to the cherry panel doors while still exposing the wood’s natural grain.
The Penningtons were comfortable giving Ellen free reign since they knew she was familiar with their likes and dislikes. The only direction Ellen was given was to focus on a modern, minimalist decor. “We wanted a Manhattan style,” says Gary, “and I know that Ellen has a taste for that.”
One of the focal points of the great room is Gary’s entertainment system, which includes a 60-inch television with surround sound that allows for an up close and personal game day experience. An original diptych by Debbie Martin livens up the entertainment area.
Another piece of art on display is by Jim Victor, an artist from Manhattan who resides in Mt. Pleasant and won the 2011 Piccolo Spoleto Mayors Award for Best in Show. Ellen’s gallery displays the largest collection of Jim Victor’s paintings, and this was one art piece that set the design inspiration in motion. The heavily textured, contemporary acrylic piece displays strong square designs in deep crimson tones and was Ellen’s inspiration for the entire great room design.
The walls are covered in a subtle gray industrial wallpaper emulating fabric textured with squares. The square black and white marble backsplash tiles in the kitchen, coupled with the square slate floor tiles and custom-made carpet with a square motif, continue the flow. Four barstools at the open kitchen counter, the sofa and a pair of rosewood occasional chairs – all from Bolier Furniture and all of black leather – surround the great room. This sets the tone for a very open and clean space of glass, stainless steel and subtle garnet and black undertones that offers a Gamecock feel without actually having any Gamecock paraphernalia around.
Once Ellen Taylor starting working on their loft, Gary and Jeanne Pennington didn’t see it again until the project was completed. Jeanne says, “The contractor said it was the first time he had ever completed a project without having met the clients until the end.”
Jeanne’s concerns over lighting issues were allayed when Ellen chose an extra large, yet unassuming, overhead drum light fixture for the main sitting area, plus a lot of under cabinet lighting for the kitchen and bar area. “The lighting and wall covering are my favorite features,” Jeanne says. Gary says, “The modern and minimalist decor is what I like best.”
Hanging on the hall wall at the rear of the unit is another piece of art that influenced the unit’s look. A panoramic photograph of the Columbia skyline taken at sunset by photographer Bette Walker rivals any Manhattan skyline shot and incorporates well into the unit’s style.
Because the Penningtons do not plan to use the loft for personal overnight use, one bedroom is all they need. The single bedroom features a black rosewood Bolier bed and end tables, and the wallpaper behind the bed is an amazing metallic cork, continuing the clean, contemporary aura introduced in the great room. It successfully creates the illusion of a high end Manhattan hotel room.
The bedroom across the hall was morphed into “the ladies lounge,” laughs Ellen. “It was designed for an escape for the ladies who were not interested in watching ball games.” This room includes comfortable sectional sofas adorned with oversized pillows and Bellati linens in magnificently rich teal hues – a stark step outside of the rest of the loft’s decor. Lauren Mauer acrylic and watercolor dress paintings hang from the walls. It is a welcome retreat from game day excitement.
“I was not nervous with the unveiling of the renovation,” says Ellen. “Gary had seen a presentation, and I knew he and Jeanne were familiar with my work.” The Penningtons agree. “We were very pleased when we walked in. It was better than we could have imagined.”
