Casual Cacti

A 1,100-square-foot loft in the historic Bester Building, a former steam-engine factory in Emeryville, California, is updated with a customized storage unit in the middle of the space.

The picture wall is adorned with images collected from family, colleagues, and estate sales. ”I kill plants, so cacti are our friends,” Peter says of the succulents along the low table behind the Design Within Reach sofa, just over which an Established & Sons Font clock keeps time.

Originally published in November 2011, Peter Benoit's loft renovation features a light-filled living room. The douglas fir clad storage "box" is on the right as a full height bookshelf. The low maintenance cacti in front of the Design Within Reach sofa are a must for Benoit and his wife's black thumbs.

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