Conquering Space

Kay Unger bought a 4,300-square-foot loft two years ago in New York City's SoHo neighborhood. It has huge windows, generously proportioned bookcases, and a polished fresco fireplace that stretches up to meet the 15-foot-high ceiling. Another person might be dwarfed by the surroundings, but Kay, a successful clothing designer for nearly four decades, has made them completely and delightfully her own.

The benefits of the place were not immediately apparent. "Being here alone took some getting used to," she says.