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6 Lofty Ideas For Your Warehouse Conversion
Anyone who has ever watched the movie Ghost, can’t help but a have had a craving for the large open space warehouse apartment that Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore made their own. It seemed to require nothing more than a touch of paint and some somewhat dubious looking sculptures to turn a loft into a chic industrial interior.What about those of us who are envious and don’t have the Hollywood budget or designer instincts or even an attic, yet want to take up this loft style living for ourselves? You need to keep reading.
There are multiple methods for bringing this stylish and very trendy look into your own home, to urbanise your space to perfection and create an effortless downtown vibe, regardless of where you live.
Open Up Your Open Plan Spaces
Open plan design is synonymous with the loft interior style. As New York is infamous for small spaces, keeping with this simple design trick will give the room the spacious appearance you are looking for, regardless of the possibility that it’s not roomy at all.
You need to carefully consider your furniture positioning to guarantee it remains to look that way. You can easily recreate the open plan look by considering with care your furniture placement.
This air of open plan is created by ensuring to leave plenty of white space” for breathing room. Once you’ve chosen your furniture pieces, take time to move them around, indeed work and play with the area you have.
Of course, furniture is essential, but if you’re indeed devoted to creating a lofty vibe in your space, you may choose need to knock down a few walls. An open concept layout is crucial for this aesthetic. If this is the route, you want, be sure to consult with a professional builder who can advise on any load-bearing structures.
Though lofts are beautiful, they have limited square footage and come at a high price as they are, in general, situated in some of the most desirable locations. Their potential for incredible design more than makes up for the lack of floor space. Clever use of high ceilings, expansive windows and an extremely open floor plan, all go towards making space feel much more extensive.
Bare Brick Brilliance
Because many of the loft spaces available began life as a warehouse or old industrial building, there is a significant likelihood that there will be a vast expanse of bare or exposed brickwork throughout the space. This can be mimicked in your space, no matter the location by having a go at revealing any existing brick walls that may currently be hidden behind drywall. Whether with the services of a professional or removing the plaster on your wall to expose the brick yourself, you could also tear an old wall down and discover one.
If that all seems a little too much like hard work, there are countless ways you can achieve the same authentic look by cheating just a little bit. There’s a ton of cool exposed brick wallpaper around, as well as equally modern concrete versions if you are going for the more raw, industrial feel. These wallpapers work wonders creating that desired effect, and in smaller areas.
Wonderful Walls
With so much open space, towering high ceilings, every loft needs a gallery wall to fill the space. If your interior doesn’t include these features, don’t stress! A curated wall of art can work in any room, no matter the style, size or height. Your feature wall is merely a creative collection of artworks ranging in height, position, and style, arranged in any artistic format you see fit. Again, the where and whys as to owning these pieces don’t matter. From flea market finds to original prints, even sepia pictures of your children or pets, mix it up with a variety of styles and frames. The gallery wall is a humble dedication to all forms of creative expression, and the trickiest part is making sure you hang them correctly and safely.
Fill the wall space. If pieces of art just aren’t your thing, you may opt for a more intellectual look by organising a beautiful library of books arranged to span the entirety of the wall. Adding this on-trend feature will no doubt put the finishing touch on the lofty feel of your space.
Be Funky With Your Furniture
When it comes to adding furniture, it goes in direct contrast to the wall space; keep it to a minimum. Loft spaces usually contain an exciting mix of high-low furniture and are synonymous with an eclectic style. This can be achieved by pulling together a variety of furniture from differing eras and styles, even pieces with a little wear and tear are at home in this type of interior design. It’s a tricky look to pull off as even though you have a full array of styles, they must complement each other without clashing. If you are a little unsure or it is your first time testing this design style, then the living room area is a great place to begin.
Arranging your furniture strategically to keep ample “white space” and keeps the room feeling open and airy. Throwing together hand-me-down one-off pieces, new items of furniture, even an old ottoman, will go towards achieving a loft style look and it’s almost impossible for these three things to clash.
Now is the time to be brave and throw out all you have learned about a stylish design where everything must match in colour and content. There’s one thing that always stands out in an authentic city loft; it’s the perfectly mismatched furniture, especially the chairs. Try mix and matching chairs, adding bright pops of art and colour, and incorporating pieces from different times and places.
In other rooms of the house, especially in the bedroom, opt for a Scandinavian inspired, minimalistic look. Think white sheets, low bed-frame, and minimal accessories for a fuss-free, serene space. Once again, combining fabulous finds from your local flea market such as a thrift coffee table, with higher end designer items such as vintage style pendant lights for the ultimate clean look.
When it comes to this style of decor mixing the old with the new is where the real magic happens!
Awe-inspiring Accessories
Although the rule of thumb for this type of living is minimalistic, with neutral hardwood or laminate flooring adding that simple touch, colorful and stylish rugs are fantastic because they take the pressure off other parts of the room when it comes to providing stylish touches.
Patterned rugs add texture, allowing you to leave the walls and ceilings tastefully understated and neutral.
Light and Breezy – Free and Easy
Large bare windows that bring in lots of natural light are a significant component of creating an open and airy loft-like space, and your windows should be treated as a centrepiece to your room. Lofts or warehouses are usually exposed to plenty of natural light from windows or skylights right at the top of the structure, unobstructed by other buildings and trees.
If you aren’t looking to make any significant structural changes to your windows, just make sure to keep them as exposed and bare as possible by not hanging blinds or heavy drapes. Continue the “stripped down” aesthetic and allow as much natural light into this space as possible.
Sloping ceilings give loft conversions a bit of added character too.
So whether you are looking to move homes, choosing a new warehouse, or merely converting your own home to lofty heights, keep it simple and light to get it right.
