Loft style in the interior

The loft-style space is more reminiscent of an abandoned factory, an art workshop, even an informal squat. This is a combination of urbanism, luxury, “attic” romance and blatant industrial. The article details the best loft design ideas.

Style implies minimal finishing of the floor, walls and ceiling, or creating the illusion of no repair

Origin of the style

“Loft”, translated from English, originally meant abandoned, non-residential buildings, attics, hangars, warehouses, attics, shipyards and so on. In general, all the places where a normal person would never agree to live. But the poverty of the mid-20th century and exorbitant land prices forced many Americans to relocate to abandoned factory and office buildings. Their owners moved production out of town, where rent is cheaper..

Beams, pipes, ventilation and other traces of communications are not hidden, but displayed

A characteristic feature of the loft is high ceilings and large windows that are not covered with curtains.

There is always a lot of space in these rooms, good lighting, high ceilings. It was less expensive to rent such housing than an ordinary apartment. Conveniences were limited to the availability of water, light, a place to sleep – people did little. At first, musicians, artists, and other bohemians settled there. Later, in the 50s and 60s, this housing began to be considered fashionable and elite. Some buildings have acquired the status of architectural monuments, now wealthier people live there..

Loft-style interiors are most loved by creative personalities.

Since the buildings of the former factories are multifunctional, some of them host exhibitions, concerts, parties, cultural centers, cafes, offices and other facilities..

Private houses are now also sometimes styled “like a loft” – this is called “neoloft”, implemented according to special projects.

Loft-style interior – space without shackles

The loft style in the interior is paradoxical, it demonstrates how non-equipped industrial objects, with the help of skilled designers, become real works of modern art.

The original idea of storing bicycles and skateboards

The main features of the style:

too much free space;
high ceilings;
details of the “factory” past – pipes, stairs, ventilation;
“Factory” lighting – huge hanging lamps;
the windows are high, wide – ideally to the floor, no tulle, curtains;
brick walls – at least one, no wallpaper;
there is little furniture, but it is luxurious;
free planning;
there are almost no partitions – only closed bathroom.

Bathroom from a container

Loft directions:

Bohemian or hipster. The interior of the plant has been largely preserved. The space is unfinished or minimal. Furniture, usually second-hand, even antique – chests of drawers with a “noble patina”, hundred-year-old bookcases, wrought-iron beds, chairs. There are many art objects everywhere – paintings, musical instruments, sculptures, flower arrangements.
Industrial or industrial. This is the most popular type of loft. Here, all the attributes of the factory shop are deliberately emphasized – pipes with large valves, weaving of wires, cords, chains. Furniture with clear geometry, strictly functional, no frills – plain sofas, open hangers, simple tables, chairs.
Glamorous. Differs in an abundance of pastel shades, fanciful shape of the lamps, which are available in abundance. The direction combines strict forms and baroque elements. Furniture should look luxurious, expensive.

Vintage black metal staircase is one of those details that emphasize the industrial style of the room.

There are also three types of loft:

hard – a ready-made room with a bunch of pipes, wires, easy redevelopment is allowed;
soft – created according to a special project, it is very comfortable here, there are many wooden parts;
commercial – the premises look uninhabited, the style is completely “attic”, with very high ceilings.

Since the room does not have interior walls, but only external ones, the space is divided into zones using furniture. Almost no piece of furniture is placed near the wall, but only somewhere in the middle. The abundance of light creates the effect of endless space.

The combination of pieces of furniture is optional and even undesirable

Behind the partitions there is only a shower, a toilet, a bathroom, and all unnecessary things are located in the back rooms, without cluttering the interior. The auxiliary rooms can also accommodate a dressing room and a storage room..

Materials and colors used to create a loft interior

The elements of repair and materials used are different:

traditional – natural wood, cement, marble, brick, glass, steel;
the latest – plastic, MDF, artificial stone, drywall.

The most common ones are:

bricks;
pipes;
beams;
concrete.

Industrial interior with concrete ceiling and dark hardwood floor

Brick, concrete and stainless steel kitchen

A very characteristic feature of such a room is brickwork. Walls can also be decorated with coarse plaster that retains the texture. Less often they use brick-like wall panels, decorative plasters, which are used to distinguish separate zones. Coloring the walls of predominantly cold colors, sometimes with bright blotches.

Copper pipes, cast-iron batteries are not hidden behind screens, but on the contrary, they emit as much as possible. Sometimes thin, inconspicuous ones are replaced by more massive ones, painting them in metallic colors or “under rust”.

Wood, concrete and brick were used to decorate the room, and there is a lot of copper in the decor.

The floor of the apartment is covered with rough wooden planks, tiles “like a stone”. Self-leveling and 3D floors – the most fashionable trend in recent years.

On the concrete ceiling, they make iron or wooden beams, shiny pipes, paint it in light colors. Large production fans will organically complement the interior design.

For lighting, lamps are used, as in old factories – large, hanging from the ceiling, they give a lot of light. The wiring is left in plain sight, and LED bulbs can be used.

In principle, any light sources can be used in a loft, and there should be a lot of them.

If the windows are large and have a wonderful view, then you can completely do without curtains. When the windows are small, and the landscape behind them is so-so, then they use blinds of white or steel colors..

Mirror partitions, plasma-cut metal sheets, even parts of railway containers are used to separate the bath and toilet from the main space..

Furniture should be selected in the spirit of minimalism or “antique”, metals, plastic, leather, leatherette are welcomed from materials.

An abundance of bare concrete – walls, a dining table and even a podium with seating

Original brickwork, painted white

The most popular loft design colors are black and white, blue and silver, ginger and sand, woody and wine.

Free layout, optimal zoning, functionality

The functionality of loft-style interior design is paramount. The space may look very austere, but every element in it is not just like that..

Zoning as such may be virtually non-existent, and furniture is often rearranged depending on the mood, especially if it has casters. Different zones can be visually separated by podiums, ceilings of different heights, mirrors on legs, large sculptures, columns and beams. The bedroom from the living room should differ in wall material or floor covering.

Zoning with a transparent glass partition on a metal profile

Symbolic zoning using light semi-partitions

High ceilings make it possible to make two levels in the dwelling. The staircase leading upstairs can be made of forged, vintage, rough wood or concrete. On the second floor there are bedrooms, a study.

You need to take care of heating – warm floors will come in handy. It is not necessary to do floor heating over the entire huge area of the dwelling – it is enough to place it in the bedroom, bathroom and recreation area.

Ventilation pipes can coexist with luxury chandeliers

Accents used in design:

open water pipes made of steel and other metals;
thick ceiling beams or false beams that are not covered by anything;
decorative or real fireplaces;
minimalism combined with luxury;
rough finishing and artificial aging of pieces of furniture;
slight negligence in everything.

The loft is the place for huge, even defiant, decor items

From furniture, you should prefer multifunctional, easy to care for, the most durable, strong. The room will not do without ultra-modern technology, which will eclecticly look against the background of rough walls without finishing.

Loft-style decor

The decor in the apartment should not be used excessively. At first glance, it is located chaotically, but at the same time, each item is in its own special place. For example, colored bottles will play the role of vases, and from several suitcases there are options to build a kind of chest of drawers.

Letters, numbers or some kind of graphic designations on the walls, protruding rivets on the metal and other details that attract attention with their deliberation

A bold and aesthetic mosaic is assembled bit by bit. Walls can be decorated with various graffiti, collages from pieces of a magazine, patterns on raw plaster, posters, road signs, paintings.

The interior can be organically decorated with a real telescope by the window, columns with intricate stucco molding, carved wooden sculptures or even your favorite motorcycle..

Favorite guitar and telescope by the window

Pristine brickwork, murals and a variety of art objects

In the middle of the room, a vintage fireplace looks interesting – wood-burning or electric. The wiring can be specially made of colored cable.

Interior decoration of a city apartment in the loft style

A modern loft in the interior of an apartment is appropriate, even if it is small and cannot boast of high ceilings. The main thing is to remove the partitions to the maximum, fill it with light using mirrors, bright lighting. Large posters with city views, lamps that look like street lamps will help to emphasize the style.

Loft-style kitchen design is possible with the use of wall panels, the whole variety of shiny chrome household appliances, modern modular furniture in combination with rough floor and ceiling finishes. Here you can focus on the corrugated exhaust pipe, duplicating it in several places, industrial lamps with chains. In general, the kitchen should look like a stylized restaurant workspace..

Austere interiors, wood beams and modern furnishings in the dining area

The arrangement of a loft-style living room seems to be quite simple – walls with decorative plaster, and one of them is stylized “like a brick” with a fireplace in the center. The furniture is beautifully decorated with canvas or canvas draperies of various colors. There may be a leather sofa with wheels like a cart, chairs with bicycle parts, various racks. No headsets, massive wardrobes, unnecessary things in the pantry. All items, if possible, should be located away from walls..

The living room zoning is a soft sofa with a fluffy carpet for the sitting area, and a table, chairs made of metal or plastic for the workplace. Home theater with a large-scale stereo system will organically fit into the interior of the old factory.

A mix of styles – a classic bed with a rich headboard and leather upholstery, surrounded by an industrial interior

A loft-style bedroom can be separated from the rest of the room with shelves, canopies, or arranged on the second floor. A large steel bed with “balls” in the corners, a couple of bedside tables and a little light are enough.

The bathroom does not have to be well fenced – a light folding screen is enough. The bathtub itself can have legs-legs, and the taps with pipes can be made of brass, copper, steel. Muddy mirror in heavy frame, rough brickwork, match perfectly with the latest shower stall.

Dark bathroom interior – wooden boxes and many bulbs without shades

Bright bathroom with white walls and mirrors

The modern loft style in the interior gives great freedom in the choice of design solutions, combining the harmony of antiquity and innovation, urbanism and fine art, creativity and simplicity of execution. It is most suitable for everyone who loves large spaces, rough shapes, creativity and minimalism..

Loft style is not even a type of design, but a separate way of life.