Rhode Island couple say creating loft with separate living spaces saved marriage

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After two decades of marriage, Allison Pascke and John Danskin found themselves arguing over small things
In 2006 they decided to sell their Cranston, Rhode Island, home and buy a loft in Providence for $600,000
They spent another $600,000 separating the loft into two living spaces, complete with separate bedrooms, kitchens, dining areas and work spaces
The couple still eat dinner together and share a bed every night
Since moving in, these have been the best years of their marriage
Couple famous for sharing an apartment with two living spaces is Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton, who separated last year

Published: 20:03 EST, 19 July 2015 | Updated: 00:59 EST, 20 July 2015

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A Rhode Island couple who needed space from one another found a way of staying together by living in a loft with two connected but different living spaces, each complete with a bedroom, kitchen, dining area and work space.

After two decades of marriage, artist Allison Paschke and computer engineer John Danskin found themselves arguing over small things, but they didn't want to get a divorce.

So in 2006, they sold their home in Cranston, Rhode Island, and bought a 4,300-square-foot loft for $600,000 in downtown Providence.

They then spent an additional $600,000 splitting the loft in two, making a unique and individual space for both the husband and the wife. The loft, which has two front doors, was finished in 2009.

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Artist Allison Paschke and her husband, computer engineer John Danskin, have saved their marriage by living in a loft that has two connected but separate living spaces, each complete with a bedroom, kitchen, dining area and work space

Danskin (pictured) and Paschke have been married since 1983. They decided to sell their Cranston, Rhode Island, home and move into the divided loft in 2006

Couple who saved their marriage by splitting their home

Though they each have their own bedroom, kitchen, dining room and work space, they find themselves eating dinner together each evening and sharing a bed each night.

They do, however, cook separate meals and clean their own areas, which both have designed to their own liking.

'This living arrangement has really helped us solve our issues,' Paschke, 53, told the Wall Street Journal, adding that their time spent together is now intentional and more fun.

Danskin, 54, said these have been the best years of their marriage.

'Marriage was hard work. Now it's not,' he said. 'We feel like we found a system.'

Providence architecture firm 3six0 calls the loft, which the company designed, a 'Double Loft'.

Pasche's side of the studio features a minimalist kitchen, a small, cozy living area and separated spaces. Shag rugs, bookshelves and plants fill the rooms.

One wall of the space is formed out of translucent acrylic panels with a door leading to a sun room. On the other side of the sunroom there is a door leading to Danskin's side of the loft.

Paschke's side of the loft features a minimalist kitchen, a small, cozy area and separated spaces filled with shag rugs and several plants

The couple decided to move into the space after realizing that living together caused many small arguments between them

Paschke's work space is filled with art supplies, as she specializes in light-reflective installations and ceramics

A wall of her space is formed out of translucent acrylic panels with a door leading to a sun room, which separates her living area from Danskin's

His features cork flooring and an angled built-in bookshelf separating the bedroom from a long, open room a few steps away.

In the center of the room is a rowing machine and a desk with a large computer monitor. An entire wall has been made into a blackboard for him to do work on.

And now that Danskin has his own space, he's been cleaning up after himself - something Paschke used to do when they lived in their three-story home, raising their two children, who have grown into adults and now live on their own.

His clutter used to cause tension between the couple, but now if he makes a mess, he's the one who has to clean up.

'If I clean something up it's because I want it clean not because someone else wants it cleaned. I'm more likely to do something if it's for me and not for guilt,' Danskin told the Wall Street Journal.

The tension has also been lifted off dinner time, as well, as each makes their own dish before eating together in Danskin's kitchen.

Danskin usually goes for elaborate meals while Paschke assembles salads in her own kitchen.

Danskin's studio features cork flooring and an angled built-in bookshelf separating the bedroom from a long, open room a few steps away

Danskin's large open space holds a rowing machine, yoga mat, large work desk and several low bookshelves

One entire wall of Danskin's studio is covered in a black board he uses to solve math problems for his work as a computer engineer

While the couple cook in their own kitchens and clean their own spaces they find themselves still eating dinner together and sharing a bed each night

A sunroom, which the couple says is not used very often, sits between the two studios and connects the two spaces

Both say the arrangement has brought them back to the early days of their relationship, when they started dating as students at University of California, Santa Cruz.

'It's like being teenagers but without all the horribleness of being teenagers. We're more secure and we know what to do,' Danskin said.

A couple who famously lived separately after squabbling over small issues is Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton. After 13 years together, the couple split last year.

During their marriage, their twin London homes were accessed by a communal door, with each side having its own distinct decor.

They each had their own television, their own Sky Plus and their own kitchen – although Burton’s was reportedly barely used. Bonham Carter claimed her ‘half’ was cozier because it had the property’s sole fireplace.

Unlike Danskin and Paschke, however, it was understood that at night Burton and Bonham Carter slept in their respective halves of the property – because of Burton’s snoring and insomnia, which led him to watch television at night.