Artist Converted New Orleans Gas Station Into Lovely Modern Loft

When artist Robert Guthrie asked his son what he thought about living in a gas station, his son thought his dad had gone crazy. Turns out all the gas station needed was a little refurbishing, a few modern appliances, some clever car memorabilia and voila! A modern two-story loft located in the much desired New Orlean’s French Quarter. Well, okay, the renovations may have been a bit more complicated than that, but the end result is still lovely—watch the video above to take a tour of the gas station-turned-loft, courtesy of CNNMoney.

Guthrie had his eye on the gas station for a while. Built in 1918, the station was eventually turned into a furniture and jewelry-making studio before Guthrie scooped it up. He bought it before Katrina, but said they were able to fix it up pretty quickly. He decided to keep the original gas station exterior and focus mainly on the interior, which makes the end result even more surprising. From the outside, it looks like your standard abandoned gas station, but on the inside, you’ll find a fully furnished kitchen, stunning master bathroom and a second floor loft made from an old hydraulic lift. There’s even a rooftop deck with a lovely view of the French Quarter.

Guthrie made sure to acknowledge the space’s roots, however. His kitchen cabinet handles were made from car emblems, the bathroom sconces were made from old headlights, the toilet paper holder was an old oil can holder, and in the upstairs space he displayed artwork made from toy cars. “As an artist, it’s my biggest art project, to be able to incorporate items of cars and gasoline and stuff like that,” said Guthrie.

Obviously, we can’t all renovate New Orleans’ gas stations into trendy lofts. For one thing, most of the time you can’t live in an old gas station, period, due to zoning laws. But if you do get the opportunity, maybe considering using Guthrie’s home as a blueprint. The artist died in 2014, but his art and home are still a source of inspiration today.