It’s always been my dream to live in a home with airy, open rooms and lots of exposed bricks, so when this renovation project from Amy came across my desk, I was instantly smitten. Located in Atlanta, this building is about 100 years old and originally served as a trolley depot. Thankfully, Amy and her husband did a wonderful job preserving many of the original details while adding some modern touches that complement the overall aesthetic beautifully. Wonderful job, Amy! — Kate

Have a Before & After you’d like to share? Shoot me an email with your images right here! (Low res, under 500k per image, please.)

Read more about Amy’s renovation after the jump!

Time: 1 year

Cost: $500k

Basic Steps: The basic steps we took to achieve the look were to preserve the original space as much as possible and use the existing lines (like the arched windows) in other elements, like the niche, and the arched doorway — even the arch of the armoire. My husband is from France, and they are used to mixing old with new. But we were shocked at how well our French antiques fit inside this industrial space — we preserved all the brick, the concrete floor and the original garage door bay openings. When we had to repair or replace bricks, we would use recycled bricks from the same time period so the texture and size were similar.

Then we added a 17th-century carved mantle, a late 19th-century spiral staircase and other recycled architectural elements to add a feeling of warmth and luxury to a hard (brick, concrete) space. The advice I would give to others tackling a similar project is to preserve as much of the original architectural elements as possible. They add such character to a space and give it depth and history. We love the space and what it used to be. It is easy to imagine what it used to be, and it easily transitions into a very livable space for a modern lifestyle. — Amy