When you're the creative director of a shoe company—and the son of its founder—there's no more appropriate place to live than in a converted shoe factory. That's what ALDO's Douglas Bensadoun must have been thinking when he bought the former factory in Montreal. Originally built in 1948, the space was converted into a loft-style home with high ceilings and lots of windows to make a peaceful and creative living environment. Bensadoun's house is featured in The Inspired Home: Nests of Creatives (out in April from Rizzoli).
Cuban artist Damian Aquiles designed this wall installation. When he arrived to create it, Bensadoun says he requested a bottle of tequila and some 140 BPM techno. Bensadoun "obliged and joined him, and he went to work [installing the piece]."
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Bensadoun enjoys hosting dinner parties and gatherings for his friends. The dining area is one of his favorite spots to entertain guests.
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Bensadoun calls his giant kitchen counter "command central" when it comes to throwing dinner parties. His idea of a good night is "drinking some nice wine, and making a big salad with lots of friends with all the doors and windows open."
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Throughout the home, Bensadoun mixed dark accents and decor with lots of natural light.
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The contrast of light and dark is particularly evident in this bedroom, where light from the windows and the hanging lamps contrast with the dark wood ceiling and slate gray wall.
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The converted factory features a series of stained-glass window shades in a variety of warm colors throughout the house
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The loft-style space retains a hint of its former life as a shoe factory.
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