This 1872 renovated loft has a music room, exposed brick walls, spiral staircases and more

Long before Matt and Kelly Schad ever thought they'd be living in their New Albany loft apartment, they visited the space they now call home for other reasons.

"This was Jimmy's Music Center before Steve Resch bought it," Kelly told The Courier Journal. "We are very good friends with them, (so) we used to come up here and watch Jimmy practice and do music."

Matt and Kelly's daughter, McKenna, soon started playing music with them. In fact, Matt's first concert was on the second floor of the building, just below what's now their apartment.

Making moves

"We had always talked about (living in) a place where we could walk and (quickly) get something to eat," Kelly said. And as soon as the space became available, Matt began considering the building for both home and work purposes.

"I knew we were going to move our office," he said of Schad Law, which is now located one floor beneath their abode. He also knew that he wouldn't need all the space for the firm, which got him thinking about other uses for the third floor.

"The wheels started turning," he recalled, "and we (thought), maybe there's a way to make that space work on the third floor. Maybe there's this synergy between working on the second floor and living on the third floor."

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Kelly adds that combining work and home into one space had been an ongoing conversation between them for the past decade. And when the opportunity popped up, everything about it just felt right.

Renovation ready

The couple worked with Resch and his team throughout the renovation to create a home that suits their needs. "They worked with us to (include) details that we wanted, even though they own it," Kelly recalled. "It was incredible."

Matt adds that though their home boasts lots of modern features, the renovation stayed true to the building’s character as much as possible.

"They kept all of the old bones, like the brick walls and exposed beams," he said. "You can see the DNA of the building, but (it features) a nice, cool, crisp, palette."

The primary bedroom suite sits on the main level, as does a large, open-concept area. "This whole area reminds me of an old hotel lobby, (with) one big space (that’s) divided into little areas for people to sit and eat," Matt said.

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Like a lobby, it's one big room, with different parts defined with careful furniture placement. It includes the dining room, living room, and what they call the jam space — the part of the house that boasts an old-timey microphone, a vintage Kalamazoo amp and numerous guitars.

Matt's collection boasts a Gibson Hummingbird, a custom Fender Stratocaster, and a Delta Blues Resonator, to name a few.

"It's set up so that (people) can come in and just have some fun," Matt explained. "We shoot videos in here so people can use them to get gigs and stuff."

The home also features a second-story addition with another bedroom and bathroom, as well as a rooftop area, which Kelly will utilize to teach yoga classes.

Community causes

Kelly explains that once their deck is complete, she plans to teach donation-based yoga classes on their rooftop, with proceeds benefitting various organizations around the community.

"This space is not just for us," she said. "A large part of the reason we moved here is because of his business and because of my business. We love this space … but the main (thing) that drew us here is that we want to be … part of the community, (and we want to) let the community benefit from this space, too."

She adds that though she was a bit apprehensive about moving from the country — they previously had seven acres in the woods — the sense of community she has since experienced is everything she could have imagined.

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"I knew there would be a lot of people here (because of the local) businesses, but I didn't think there would be (such a strong) sense of community," she said. "(And) it's pretty hoppin'. If you go outside, you’ll see a lot of people walking around all the time."

Matt adds that their home has become an organic space to sit and spend time with friends old and new.

"(We) can hang out, enjoy the sounds, and walk to the river," he said.

Know a house that would make a great Home of the Week? Email writer Lennie Omalza at aloha@lennieomalza.com or Lifestyle Editor Kathryn Gregory at kgregory@gannett.com.

nuts & bolts

Owner: Steve Resch. This home is occupied by Matt and Kelly Schad. Matt is a personal injury attorney at Schad Law, and Kelly is a yoga instructor. Also in the home is McKenna Robertson, 19, and Calico sisters Margo and Althea.

Home: This is a 2-bed, 2-and-a-half bath, 2,800-square-foot loft apartment in a New Albany building that was built in 1872.

Distinctive elements: Completely renovated space with reworked façade to resemble the original, period-correct windows, paint stripped from original limestone, repainted facades, and new doors of roofs; interior renovations with new mechanicals, an elevator, a new spiral staircase, engineered hardwood oak floors, and new clerestory windows in main bedroom to provide natural light to interior corridors; second-story loft addition with a second bedroom and full bath.

Applause! Applause! Matt and Kelly Schad would like to give special thanks to Steve and Jacob Resch and their crew for creating such a beautiful home, and Paul Kiger Group for helping make it happen.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Inside renovated loft apartment at Schad Law Building in New Albany