I don’t really make resolutions for new years (I set goals and I accomplish them, mothaf***as!), but if I were making a resolution for the DIY sector of my life, it would probably be ‘embrace industrial’.

When we first moved into the loft a little less than a year ago it was a little bit confused about what it was, and therefore, so was I. You see, it’s a century old woolen mill. It has massive factory windows, and enough exposed brick to make a New Yorker sick with envy. It has more visible pipes than I can count—and they’re all…beige?

And then there’s the kitchen, which was strangely cozy; whoever had decorated it seemed to be going for a country cabin vibe, which would be fine if this were a cabin and not an industrial loft.

So, between the bizarre kitchen, and the beige pipes, and the adorable red stairs,

it became apparent that the previous owners were definitely going for a ‘cozy’ theme. Clearly they never spent the winter here. Cozy isn’t really what I thought of when I woke up this morning and cursed the fact that all the heat escapes through the glorious bank of skylights and factory windows.

I tried to roll with the cozy for a while actually. I told Nick ‘no I will not paint all the exposed pipes black’, mostly because I have many, better things to do with my time, but also I didn’t want to make the loft feel ‘cold’. I even tried to embrace the cozy for a while during the bathroom remodel, aiming for a mix of industrial and old west Victorian. Eventually I jumped ship and went all the way over to the ‘sleek modern’ end of the spectrum.

I finished the bathroom right before the holidays, and last week as I contemplated what was on the project docket for 2012, I realized something. I have thrown cozy out the enormous factory windows and into the river below, which, by the way, has started to freeze over. Adios, cozy.

So, let’s take a look at the glorious, modern, pipe-made things I have planned for the coming year:

Bathroom Shelves:

Made out of plumbing pipe, obviously. These are pretty straightforward much more miniature versions of our bookshelves, except these will have a toilet paper holder attached—badass. We lost some space with the remodel by getting rid of that weird tiny half shelf, so these will replace it and then some. And then I can stop storing the bath towels with my t-shirts.

 Replacing the Futon:

With one made out of plumbing pipe. Sensing a pattern yet? It will have industrial casters, and also lots of wooden slats so your bum doesn’t fall through. I think it will definitely be awesome. Another thing that often bothers me about this place is all the spots where there could be awesome, natural looking wood, and instead it got painted white. Sigh.

Lighting the Living Room:

This one actually doesn’t involve making anything out of plumbing pipe, just using the pre-existing pipe, and pulleys. I frigging love pulleys. I actually made a lot of unexpected headway on this one the other day, so keep an eye out for it!

 Oh, and then there’s the Kitchen, which doesn’t involve any pipe, but does involve pouring concrete countertops, but that’s a whole different pony. I mean post.

Ciao!