Lit Loft, Minneapolis
Retrofit Team
TUBULAR DAYLIGHTING DEVICE INSTALLER: SolarMidwest Inc.
Materials
Constructed as a warehouse in 1902, the building was converted into lofts in 2005. When Marilyn Nelson purchased her loft, which is located on the top floor of the 6-story building, in 2017, she remodeled the entire unit.
“I was so excited to find this place. It’s located in the trendy North Loop neighborhood of Minneapolis. Over 100 years ago, it was bustling with warehouses and commerce and now has this very cool, vibrant and eclectic culture,” Nelson explains. “When I saw the amazing views of the downtown skyline and the surrounding neighborhoods from the top floor of the building, I was sold.”
However, even after a complete remodel, Nelson wasn’t satisfied by the lack of natural light in the unit. She wanted her new cabinets, marble countertops and refurbished exposed beams to have their chance to shine. “I had this beautiful remodeled and open space, but you couldn’t see half of it because of how dark it was. When I woke up in the morning, I wanted to be greeted by this flood of natural light in every part of the loft, and that just wasn’t the case,” she recalls.
The loft’s bathroom was another room starved of natural light, leaving the space feeling cramped and dull.
Looking for inspiration, Nelson discovered some of her neighbors in the building had faced similar desires for natural light and installed several Solatube tubular skylights in their own lofts. She instantly fell in love with the look and style of the skylights. “Once I saw the amount of light just one or two tubular skylights emitted into the home, I just had to have them!” she says.
With the help of SolarMidwest Inc., Nelson decided two Solatube 290 units in the kitchen space would fit her needs and ensure a proper balance of natural light to match the rest of the loft. She selected the white frosted square decorative fixtures, which complement her white cabinets and marble countertops.
In the bathroom, one Solatube 290 unit would be enough to make the space brighter and consequently feel bigger. Meanwhile, the white frosted square decorative fixture pairs perfectly with the bathroom’s design.
“The Solatube tubular skylights are incredible! I open the door, and [the loft is] bright and light, and it doesn’t feel like I’m walking into a dark cave anymore,” Nelson states. “It has been wonderful waking up and seeing the sun streaming through my entire loft every morning.”
TUBULAR DAYLIGHTING DEVICES: Solatube 290 ISn Systems with JustFrost Square Decorative Fixtures from Solatube
PHOTOS: courtesy Solatube