Home Tour: Manhattan Loft

A designing couple turn an industrial loft into a family home with gallons of white paint and yards of bold prints.

Deputy Decorating Editor Rebecca Robertson, her husband, Marco Pasanella, and their 3-year-old son, Luca, in their New York City loft, a former shipbuilders' warehouse, built in 1839.

A rolling ladder, which slides between the open kitchen and the living area, allows access to shelves holding serving pieces and books.

A vintage stove in the kitchen area.

A pair of reproduction New York Botanical Garden prints frame the open dining area.

The pine floors and brick walls were coated with white paint to brighten a space dominated by wooden columns and beams that are original to the structure.

A graphic damask fabric was used for the floor-to-ceiling curtains in the living area. The rug is by British designer Neisha Crosland, and the slipper chairs are antiques.

Robertson, with Guendolina, the family's wirehaired dachshund, in front of the fireplace, which is clad with a few delft tiles amid plain ones.

Industrial metal shelves keep the couple's working materials organized.

The winch at the front of the loft, which once delivered sailcloth and other supplies to shipbuilders, is a striking design element in Luca's play area.

A colorful Dutch woolen blanket hangs above a bed Pasanella designed for the master bedroom. Family photos are displayed in plastic holders attached to the wall with map tacks, making it easy to change and update the array.

A solar shade with a Moorish design in the master bedroom.

Long curtains surrounding the tub add drama to the bathroom.

Vibrant patterns enliven Luca's room; numerous shelves keep the space free of clutter, and a clothesline serves as a gallery for his artwork.