living room of a Brooklyn loft
Under soaring ceilings, the living room includes a custom coffee table by Maxi Woodworks, a Hans Wegner sofa, and a large canvas by New York-based Norwegian artist Bjarne Melgaard.

August 28, 2025

Words: Joann Plockova

Photography: Devon Banks

Step Inside the Perfect Brooklyn Loft for Art Enthusiasts

For two art enthusiasts, an abandoned cast-in-place concrete shell with raw industrial bones felt like a place they could call home. The 2,750-square-foot space was set inside what was the first reinforced steel and concrete building in the U.S. when it was erected as a New York Dock Co. building in 1910. The couple, an art gallerist/artist and steel fabricator, called on architect Mark Gettys to transform the inspiring shell into a highly livable loft that could accommodate their art, not to mention two young children and a dog.

“We were committed to maintaining the raw and industrial feel of the original space,” Gettys says. “The aim was to maintain as much exposed ceiling as possible, with as minimal intervention as possible so it could serve as a whitebox for showcasing their art collection.”

Mark Gettys Transforms This Loft Into an Art Gallery

living room with painting
Under soaring ceilings, the living room includes a custom coffee table by Maxi Woodworks, a Hans Wegner sofa, and a large canvas by New York-based Norwegian artist Bjarne Melgaard.

The custom-tailored space combines art-lit white walls with original concrete columns, soaring ceilings—left intact, minus repair to some cracks and damages that had occurred over time, Gettys explained—and epoxy-sealed, poured concrete floors. “We cast a new polished concrete topping slab for the flooring,” Gettys explains, “so we could integrate the required soundproofing for domestic living.”

The open living room, dining, and kitchen offer expansive westerly views toward Manhattan, and the bedrooms face east toward Brooklyn. Running the width of the building, the sophisticated home seamlessly blends mid-century modern icons with vintage finds and a few funkier pieces, such as Katie Stout’s Stuffed Chair, alongside custom-fabricated pieces by the homeowner. The couple’s eclectic art collection spans works by the likes of Norwegian artist Ida Ekblad, L.A-based artist Jonas Wood, and Syrian-American artist Simone Fattal.

Of the space, Gettys says he most enjoys “the juxtaposition of the original raw industrial space with the crisp, refined artwork display.”

Tour Around This Artistic Industrial Home by Mark Gettys

dining room with lamp
Below a Noguchi lamp, the dining room table—custom designed and built by the homeowner—is accompanied by chairs by Charlotte Perriand and Katie Stout’s Stuffed Chair. The small painting on the back wall is by Etel Adnan.
kitchen between two columns
Set in between two original concrete columns, the streamlined kitchen features navy gray wood cabinetry, jet mist granite countertops, and a Viking Range.
foyer with paintings
The gallery-like foyer, including an assortment of vintage hammers collected on family travels (at right), offers views into the study and the hallway leading to the bedrooms.
entryway with lots of light
Featuring a custom steel hanging rack by the homeowner, the entryway looks into a powder room furnished with a vintage French mirror and two portrait drawings by Jim Nutt.

Go on an Artistic Adventure Through This Utilitarian Hub

bookshelf in study
The study includes a custom steel bookshelf by the homeowner.
bedroom with white drapes
Along with upper-level storage space for art, the primary bedroom includes a chair by Hans Wegner, art by Lois Dodd, and a metal shelf by the homeowner.
children's room with swan
Alongside a wide view to dream by, the children’s room includes vintage cat masks from Mexico above the tiny hanging rack and a soaring swan.

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