Tour this apartment in a former department store, which uses layers and lofts to take advantage of the 16′ original tin ceilings.

The contrasting materials, new with old and weathered with sleek, create a dramatic backdrop for stylish living in historic downtown Newport.

There are no other apartments in the Greater Cincinnati region like the ones in Tailor Lofts. The building was constructed in the early 1900’s as Eilerman Department Store and had retained many original interior elements. Developer Tony Kreutzjans incorporated the patina of the tin ceilings and rustic plaster walls into the design of the units. To fully use the volume created by the high ceilings, this apartment has three levels, resulting in dramatic interior views and nearly 1,100 sqf of living space.

The tenant parking and entrance is at the back of the building. A new mural there references the old department store’s specialization in clothing for men and boys, “offering highest quality apparel in values of surpassing elegance.”

Tailor Lofts’ tenants enjoy living on Monmouth Street and taking advantage of the eclectic selection of bars, restaurants and shops housed in the neighborhood’s historic buildings. In fact, the project has been so popular, Tailor Lofts was 98% leased within three months of completion.

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Thank you to the sponsors of this episode:

 

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More information about the property

Learn more about Tailor Lofts here.

Learn more about the City of Newport here.

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Additional photos of the property (slide show)

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If you’d rather read than watch, here is a transcript of the episode:

Jill Morenz, host: Hi, and welcome to another episode of Beyond the Curb, River City Living. I’m Jill Morenz with the Catalytic Fund. Today, I’m going to take you inside this loft apartment in Newport, Kentucky that’s recently completed, and it’s built inside an old department store. It makes inspired use of these 14 foot ceilings, and I can’t wait to show you.

This episode is sponsored by Orleans Development, specializing in historic redevelopment projects in Northern Kentucky’s river cities. It’s also sponsored by Republic Bank, a bank where everyone feels welcome. Republic Bank. It’s just easier here.

This apartment has almost 1100 square feet of space across its three levels. The combination of old and new elements throughout the building is a really striking feature of the project. Here, you can see how the developer was able to keep the original tin ceiling with the deep crown molding.

You enter the apartment through that green door on the kitchen level. The floors there are the original wood while the platform floors are new. I love how the resident used those high light fixtures to play up the artwork. Notice how the three levels here make full use of the volume of space. They bring the windows up to the right height, and also allow for a large closet, and a bedroom above the kitchen. This view is looking down from the loft bedroom. Notice the different building materials pairing sleek with rustic, including the leathered granite they chose for the kitchen counters.

Tony Kreutzjans, Developer: This building has a rich history. It was Eilerman’s Department Store, which was a clothing store for men and boys. The first floor was the retail where they’d sell the clothing. We suspect the upper floors were where the tailors would work and sew the clothing that they sold on the first floor. We suspect that because the ceilings are really high. They’re 16 feet on the second floor and 14 on the third. And that would be before the age of air conditioning. That would help keep the upper floors cool, hence the name Tailor Lofts, because we think the tailors worked up here. My favorite features are the original features, on the upper floors with the tin ceilings. The paint on the tin ceiling is original. It hasn’t been touched for years, so, it really has a dark, warm kind of feel to it. And, and then the existing exterior plaster walls have a lot of character. They’re very moody in color. In some areas the plaster’s falling off and you can see the brick below. So we left the ceilings and all the exterior walls alone, even the old windows, which are huge, to allow as much natural light as we could in.

Those ceilings on the second and third floor are also soaring ceilings. On the second floor they’re 16 feet high, and 14 on the third floor. So, on the second floor where we have 16 foot high ceilings, we were able to get these various platforms in there to create the lofts, and we also elevated the platform. So you could see out the windows, ’cause the windows were off the floor like eight feet, and so you’d never be able to look outside living in these units so we created these platforms, and that creates a lot of layering.

We have a great range of tenants. We filled the building up really quickly. I think in three months, and they all kind of get along well. And you know, when you share just like these common areas, you kind of want a good vibe between tenants. Well in Newport, being on Monmouth Street, is a great street. They can walk right down the front steps and out onto Monmouth, And Monmouth has had all these wonderful mom and pop shops. There’s a bakery, there’s a butcher shop, right across the street is a record store, so it’s just got all the old school like restaurants and stores that really have stood the test of time here on Monmouth Street. Once you get out of the Monmouth Street corridor, you have the Levee, and even the stadiums are an easy walk. There’s a new concert venue that would be a really easy walk for the tenants to get out to also. So, Monmouth is a very special street. It’s a good mix of retail.

Jill: Thank you so much for joining me on our tour of this up-leveled loft in Newport, Kentucky. Please take a look at our website, beyondthecurb.org, for more tours, and also to learn about our in-person tours. On behalf of the Catalytic Fund and our sponsors, I’m Jill Morenz. Thank you so much for coming beyond the curb with us.