Loft - a new style of interior decoration, characterized by freedom of space, high ceilings, the absence of partitions and walls, large windows and an incredible amount of light.
Loft Style Features
This design direction appeals to people who reject the stereotyped theories of apartment design with an ostentatious, settled life. This is a style that optimally combines the old elements in the interior, indicating the original purpose of this room (beams, brick or concrete walls, pipes, ventilation systems, other building structures) and new (modern appliances, fashionable furniture, chrome and metal details).
To some extent, the loft - a reflection of sincerity and reality - appears to be a chaotic style, but when you look at the room there is absolutely no sense of disorder. Everything is so harmonious and modern that it causes sympathy among people of various characters and fields of activity: travel enthusiasts, free artists, information technology workers. They feel comfortable in the loft style with its emphasized lack of “warm” coziness and the coldness of the rebels, loners, newlyweds, people who are hungry for communication, space, change and able to freely express their feelings and desires.
Where to begin?
The ideal layout of the apartment is a one-piece large room, the rooms in which are separated from each other by various zoning methods, rather than walls. The bedroom and bathroom remain isolated rooms.
If you want to decorate your home in a loft style, it is recommended to start the space transformation from the balcony, which must first be insulated and glazed. Let this be a breakdown of the pen, but in the process of making changes, perhaps, a decision will be made on the transformation in the loft style of the entire apartment.
The loft style balcony is beautiful
The balcony should not be a warehouse and a place of storage of conservation, but a corner for immersion in oneself, one’s own thoughts or a space for reading and drawing. The design of the balcony in the loft style implies the presence of large windows through which maximum light will penetrate. No curtains are supposed, unless with a sense of discomfort, adjusting to the overall design, you can hang roller blinds or blinds.
Loft aesthetics, in contrast to plastic bags, prefers wooden frames, preferably brown and black shades. It is recommended to “revive” the windowsill with flowers in pots or turn it into a bar counter, under which to place wine cabinets. Nearby you can build niches for storing small dishes, put some comfortable chairs, and a small balcony (loft style) will become a favorite place for a pleasant pastime with a glass of semi-sweet wine.
Options for using balconies
Loft-style balconies are perfect for organizing a wonderful office with an ultra-modern computer mounted on a wide windowsill . Or to equip an art workshop with an easel, shelves and racks. The latter are also the decor of the room, characterized by an unusual design and can be made of the most unexpected materials: for example, water pipes or wooden drawers fixed to the ceiling.
Such a height will save space below and give the room an original look. Balconies in the loft style can be used for sports; In addition, the simulator fits into such a space quite organically.
Historical background: the emergence of style
From English, the loft translates as “attic”, and this is no accident. This trend appeared in America during the Great Depression (30-40s of the 20th century). During this period, many enterprises were closed, the owners of which, in order to somehow survive, were forced to put up for sale individual parts of production facilities. The maximum demand for them was from creative individuals who could use the premises for housing and for work.
The new owners of the acquired premises, which were the upper floors of industrial buildings (trading floors, warehouses), for the most part did not have the financial ability to carry out full repairs and left them in their original form: with brick walls and steel beams supporting the roof.
Gradually, simple-execution furniture “settled” in such studio apartments, which optimally fit into the interior of the balcony in the loft style, becoming its integral part. Over time, such an original design was considered a design style, and there was a demand for housing.
Brick walls: sign of a loft
The main sign of the loft is the walls of the room. Brickwork (real or organized with the help of finishing materials) is a sign of style and does not require special decoration.
Loft-style balconies do not accept expensive and fluffy carpets. Chic chandeliers and comfortable large sofas are alien to them. Simplicity and scarcity are the components on which the loft-style balcony decoration is based. The interior can be diluted with a bright shade, which would be optimally combined with furniture. To do this, the wall or part of it can be painted with the selected color, thus diluting the “dullness” of the design.
DIY loft style balcony
To visually increase the area (if it is impossible to actually expand it), it is recommended to use wall decoration in light shades: cream, beige, blue, white. Monotony will increase the space, as well as finishing materials with a glossy surface, which tend to reflect light and fill it with the entire room.
The floor should be done in a comfortable style: you can lay a laminate or tile, preferably of a rough design, or leave a concrete surface. Aged boards or material repeating their pattern will optimally fit into the balcony interior. You can soften the roughness of the floor with a small rug, which will stand out as a bright spot against a plain, boring background.
Balconies in the loft style are characterized by ceilings, which can be made of rough unpainted boards; in modern interiors, plastic panels representing a single solid plane began to be used more often for decoration.
For lighting, which is considered a key concept of style, tires with mobile lights or metal lights with an electric cable stretched to them, not hidden under the casing, are often placed on the ceiling surface.
Internal partitions are often a screen and are only possible on large balconies. They can hide the corner where old things are stored.
Also in the loft style, retro lamps are used, also called "Edison lamps." Such lighting devices are characterized by a bewitching appearance and can act as an independent source of light or as a component for a lamp.
As a decor on the walls, not cute paintings with landscapes and still lifes are preferred, but street posters, magazine covers, posters.
There is no need to mask communications: pipes are part of the interior. Space can be deliberately made as if not fully equipped.
Furniture is an important element of the loft style
The loft-style balcony (the photo colorfully conveys the originality of this style) is always distinguished by furniture, which plays a special role in the design decision.
It can be only one armchair or only one sofa, preferably bright colors and non-standard shapes. A similar accent (the look at the entrance to the loft-style balcony immediately dwells on the original furniture) was originally conceived as a maneuver to divert attention from sloppy surfaces, and then became an integral feature of this direction. Thanks to this effect, unsightly walls go by the wayside and become an excellent background for furniture items of interesting shapes.