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Intimate conversations about art, sometimes loud, sometimes muffled music, dim diffused light and again the doorbell ringing: this is a new guest with an original outlook on life. This is how we let into our lives the freedom-loving and free-flowing loft style, which is unusual for conservative individuals. It did not become popular today or the day before, so the editors of the online magazine site again return to the “attic” life of America of the last century and offer to learn more about what a loft-style apartment is.

If we translate the word "loft" from English language, then you can easily understand why the style is called attic, because the word itself means “attic”. Industrial New York, having survived the 30s and vigorously stepped into the rise of the 40s, was faced with the problem of a jump in urban land prices, especially in the center. Therefore, the owners of industrial plants were forced to withdraw production process closer to the outskirts of the city. In their place came local bohemia - artists, musicians, actors.

Loft style lighting

There should be a lot of light, but it should not hit the eyes. Diverse lighting is obtained due to numerous lamps located in a special way - the light also zones the space.

The lighting sources used are chandeliers, suspended structures, spots, LED backlights, sconces, floor lamps.

Related article:

: feature, what they are made of, varieties, selection criteria, loft-style lighting in the kitchen, living room, hallway and bedroom, making a loft lamp with your own hands.

Accessories in loft style

Loft-style decor dots all the i’s. These are original and bold items that create that very bohemian atmosphere, turning a factory premises into a residential one.

The main thing in choosing accessories is to make an accent and maintain the feeling of spaciousness in the room, not overloaded with small details.

Decorating different rooms of an apartment in loft style

Arranging a loft-style room in an ordinary apartment is not as difficult as it seems. This option is suitable for those people who, for various reasons, cannot buy a two-level or very spacious home in order to furnish the entire apartment in their favorite style. We suggest considering methods and design options for different living rooms under loft.

Hallway and living room

The house begins in the hallway, so it makes sense to pay close attention to it. In an ordinary apartment, this is not always a multi-meter room, but we don’t need much. If the hallway is small, the brick and wall decoration should not be overly dark. Although lovers of twilight may argue with this. Here, as they say, it's a matter of taste.

Massive wardrobes are not frequent guests in the loft, so utility rooms, storage spaces in sofas, and hanging inconspicuous mezzanines are used.

The loft-style hall will be the center of the apartment, so you need to choose the most comfortable and suitable furniture. The most difficult thing is choosing the colors of upholstered furniture: no floral patterns, ruffles, or flounces. Where did you see appropriate floral patterns in the factory? Even though we are talking about arranging a residential apartment, once we have started to match the design, we need to go to the end.

Study and bedroom

An office in the loft style looks interesting: it does not look like a home, but there is no impression that it is an office. This is truly a workshop for a master of thought, words, and pen. You can convert any room into an office, and not necessarily the largest one in the apartment.

The design of a loft-style bedroom involves a certain amount of textiles: usually a carpet, bed linen, bedspread, pillows and curtains.

The bed can be metal or wood, light or massive. All textiles should be both invisible and an irreplaceable stylish accessory.

Kitchen and bathroom in a loft style apartment

Setting up a kitchen is the hardest thing to do: no storage drawers kitchen utensils getting by is problematic, but choosing the right one furniture set It's not always easy.

The bathroom and toilet also claim a special atmosphere.

Planning and zoning of a loft-style studio

Holders small apartment or studios can also decorate it in a loft style. The difficulty lies not so much in small footage, how much lighting: most often in the studio there is one, less often - two small windows. The way out would be clear zoning according to the frequency of use of the zones. If the owner prefers to cook most of the time in the house, then priority dining area with kitchen. Therefore, the kitchen area is located near the window. Do you spend a lot of time working? This means that a desktop is placed under the window.

Creative individuals always have something that could be learned if they had a little more free time. But there is one extremely important talent that you want to adopt without shelving, here and now: this is the ability to turn disadvantages into advantages. If there are shortcomings in the interior of a creative and constructive home - sloppy finishing of walls or ceilings, slight chaos in the arrangement of things, communications not properly hidden from the eyes of guests, lack of zoning, lack of proper repairs - they are not saved by camouflage, but, on the contrary, emphasize that , which the average person would consider a cause for embarrassment. Demonstrate as clearly as possible magical transformation minus interior decoration bold style is an undeniable plus loft in the interior.

Loft style in the interior: origin

The name of the loft style comes from the English loft - “attic”. Where did the idea come from to equip a home as a place that is traditionally suitable only for storing old things, but not for cozy living? The history of the avant-garde loft dates back to the 20s of the 20th century, when the current economic situation forced people to expand their “habitat.” It is believed that New Yorkers were the first to rush to use the buildings of abandoned warehouses, factories and factories for apartments. It should be noted that they managed this very successfully.

And the residents of secluded apartments who came to visit the “Carlsons” liked this innovation - and they decided to bring some of the details from what they saw to their nest. What successful trends can you borrow? to modern man from the loft style?

Harmony of antiquity and innovation

Loft allows you to expand your consciousness and combine diametrically opposed motives. He is no stranger to the variety of combinations of antiquity and innovation. To the bone classic finish A progressive telescope aimed at the sky from a window will fit very organically with the reflections of negligence characteristic of the “attic” style. Why not? In addition, the loft boldly draws ideas from golden antiquity: Roman columns in a decoration bordering on modernism look extremely successful.

Pristine walls

Aesthetic mosaic bit by bit

Beauty does not fall from the sky, but is created step by step. The loft also teaches this: every little thing is important. Having decided to decorate the interior in such a freedom-loving progressive style, please note special attention for accessories. Mind-blowing chandeliers that look like gifts from aliens will become more relevant than ever. posters, lifebuoys as wall decoration.

...And also a favorite motorbike or bicycle that embodies complete freedom of spirit, which will certainly find a secluded corner within a non-standard loft. Leave the worries about formalities to strict classics.

Who said mirrors belong on the wall? In the loft you can relax and line up reflective surfaces in a long row right on the floor. Looks amazing! Good news for photographers and artists: an arsenal of professional accessories - a set of lenses, reflectors or an easel, forgotten by you at the scene of the muse's attack, in the atmosphere of a loft will look like decoration, and not evidence of forgetfulness or sloppiness of the creator of beauty.

Loft style in the interior: functionality above all

Everything must have and justify its purpose. Therefore, when choosing furniture in the “attic” spirit of modernity, first of all pay attention to its strength, durability and ease of care, and only then you can take a closer look at its compliance with high fashion trends.

A bathroom created from a MAERSK shipping company container at the entrance to a three-level penthouse in Kyiv, Ukraine. Design: studio 2B Group

In the picture: Design of a loft studio apartment with purple accents

In the design of loft-style studio apartments in 2016, shades of eggplant could often be seen. To make a decision in a discreet color scheme design project is more attractive; it is often enough to install a sofa or a cozy chair in a muted purple shade in the room.

Types of partitions in the design of a studio apartment in the loft style

15. Transparent partition between the living room and bedroom

In the picture: A transparent partition separates the bedroom from the living room with an office

The studio principle of organizing space, on which the concept of loft-style apartment design is based, involves the use of a minimum number of partitions. However, this does not mean a complete abandonment of room zoning. In order not to create chaos and disorder, it is important to at least conditionally indicate in the apartment functional areas. Transparent partitions hardly violate the principle of studio space organization. Such structures transmit light well, so they are suitable for zoning a room with one window. If you want to ensure complete intimacy in the bedroom area, for example, then transparent partition can be equipped with light curtains.

16. “Rack” partition

In the picture: Partition in the interior of a loft-style room

The space of a studio apartment is not burdened by slatted partitions, which perfectly transmit light. Such structures are very light and mobile. At the same time, they effectively zone the space, separating the bedroom from the living room.

In the forties of the last century in the United States, which at that time was experiencing a period of the Great Depression, economic and industrial recession, people began to occupy empty buildings of factories and factories for housing. They had neither the opportunity nor the great desire to change anything in these production premises.

For this reason, many elements characteristic of industrial buildings remained unchanged and became the basis of the emerging style. Water and ventilation pipes and unplastered brick walls, with rough lamps hanging from them, imperceptibly “flowed” into a new style, which was called loft. But no matter how hard life is for a person, it is common for him to decorate and equip his home, and over time, people began to create original, stylish and unusual interiors in such apartments.

Style Features

This style is often called “attic”. This is how it is translated from English. Its characteristic features include the following:

• Simplicity of the environment.
• High ceilings.
• Minimum partitions (only the bathroom is separate).
• Lack of luxury items.
• To zone the room, furniture or movable partitions are used, which should be opaque below.
• No draperies.
• Loft style wallpaper is not used.
• Maximum use of natural light.
• Utilities are open - these are elements of the loft style.
• An abundance of metal is welcome.

Many fans of the loft style will be upset after reading its characteristics. It is quite obvious that in a small modern apartment, which is in multi-storey building, these requirements cannot be met. But don’t despair, nothing is impossible for modern designers.

A one-room apartment in the loft style can be decorated today, although, in fairness, it must be said that it will be more likely a stylization than a style in pure form. But this does not upset the owners at all tiny apartments who dreamed of such an interior.

Loft style in the interior of a small apartment

Today we will look at the two most common options - a studio apartment with high ceilings, but with a very small area, and the legendary Khrushchev building with ceilings of about two and a half meters.

In the first case, they are quite suitable modern interiors in the loft style, and you can even increase the area by organizing on the newly created second floor sleeping place. To do this, you will need to arrange a site, which must be placed at least 1.8 meters high. Such reconstruction is possible if the ceilings in the room are not lower than three and a half meters.

Under the platform, they usually set up an office, a library, or simply organize a relaxation area with an armchair and a coffee table. This ceiling height allows for finishing in white (standard for lofts) or darker. Can be used to decorate the ceilings in such a room, stylized wooden beams. Small metal lamps installed on them will look organic.

What if the ceilings are low?

Undoubtedly, this option is more difficult to implement, since the free space that is characteristic of this style is limited by the size of tiny rooms and low ceiling heights. Therefore, it is impossible to do without redevelopment in this situation.

The first step is to get rid of partitions and walls (non-load-bearing). This is how a loft-style studio is created. But you need to know that such work must be agreed upon and documented in the city departments of architecture.

If you are not planning such a large-scale reconstruction, then you can limit yourself to demolishing light partitions - built-in cabinets, storage rooms, mezzanines, which can often be seen in hallways or tiny corridors between them and kitchens. Such designs make the rooms even cramped and low. Now let's look at what this or that loft-style room might look like.

Hallway

If you live in brick house, then it is better to leave the walls in their original form, but the masonry seams should be lightened a little, thereby emphasizing the structure of the wall. Restore in an old house brickwork, which has been plastered, painted, and wallpapered for many years, is extremely difficult. Therefore, you can use loft-style wallpaper that imitates brick or stonework.

If the walls in the hallway are concrete, then you can use rough plastering (without finishing grinding). As a rule, the hallway is a dark room, so you can prepare a plaster solution from ordinary (gray) and white cement. This composition will somewhat brighten the room.

What should the furniture be like?

In such a hallway, the furniture should be “Spartan” and simple. It could be wooden bedside table without any frills in the form of twisted handles, polished surface, etc. and a mirror installed on the floor.

The simplest pendant lamps and sconces are suitable for lighting. It is desirable that they are made of metal. It should be noted that the loft style in the interior of a small apartment, and the hallway in particular, does not include any objects hanging on the walls. The only exception can be an open shelf of a simple shape.

Living room

A brick wall in a loft style is a mandatory element of this style. At least one of them should be decorated like this in the living room. To decorate other walls, you can use textured plaster.

It is desirable that the floor in a small living room be wooden. Can be used flooring, imitating concrete or stone. Both porcelain stoneware and single-color tiles fit into this style.

Window decoration

It is known that windows in industrial buildings differ from residential ones in their large size. In old Khrushchev buildings they are standard, and they cannot be increased. But you can increase them visually by ordering frames with vertical imposts. It is better if the windows in the loft style are wooden, since there should be no plastic in such an interior.

Selecting furniture

The loft style in the interior of a small apartment is attractive to many young people because the room can use the most different furniture: both in color and in its size. If you like a large leather-like sofa, then add one armchair, a floor lamp and a TV to it - and the room is furnished.

It is very important that furniture is not adjacent to the walls. Style is a must. The distance to the walls should be at least thirty centimeters.

It should not have more than two companion colors in its interior. For example, they can be black and white, sand and brown, which are later played with various shades. A few bright accents can only be textiles - a small rug by the sofa, decorative pillows on it.

Bedroom

To decorate the interior in the loft style, cold natural tones are used in the bedroom, with light shades predominating. will look more spacious thanks to the contrast of shades. Most often used:

• grey;
• white;
• red (individual elements);
• dark brown;
• blue (accessories).

Loft-style furniture for the bedroom is selected in accordance with certain rules. Interior items should be as multifunctional as possible and at the same time embody the most original and daring design ideas.

The bed must certainly be made of metal. Fabric upholstery is allowed. Can be selected completely wooden model. But in this case, the wood should not be varnished. In such a bedroom the minimum amount of furniture is allowed:

• spacious wardrobe;
• large bed;
• cabinet.

The bed is installed against the wall, with elements of unfinished finishing. The rest of the furniture is arranged chaotically. As a rule, interior items become bright accents against the background of light walls.

Textile

Even such an ascetic style as a loft cannot do without textiles. True, it is limited to its minimum quantity. We have already said that the curtains are in this case are not welcome, so textiles are presented only as a bedspread and bed linen. A carpet on the floor can also be used, but it should be small and of a rich, bright color.

Kitchen

The main task when decorating a small kitchen in the loft style is to create the most functional room in the limited space. When the shape of the kitchen and its area are not a source of pride for you, you need to use some design tricks that will help visually and functionally change the space, at least a little.

It is important to pay attention correct zoning, which is achieved not only with the help of furniture, but also thanks to the well-chosen color of the walls. For a loft-style kitchen, maximum lighting and furniture arrangement are very important.

Many people think it's dark and gloomy. But this is a misconception. Today, designers are proving the opposite by creating kitchens in warm and light colors. Often in the interior next to brick wall you can see the glossy white tiles and textiles in soothing colors.

But most design experts are sure that in a small apartment the kitchen should be combined with the living room. In this case, they recommend setting up the kitchen in the most inconspicuous place and decorating it in an unusual way. This way you can visually expand the space. For example, make a wooden floor in the living room, and tiles for the kitchen area. Practice proves that a kitchen-living room in a loft style is the most profitable solution, for owners of modest-sized apartments.

IN small kitchen there should be a lot of loft household appliances, and among them there should be modern models, and rare samples. For example, an antique stove may be adjacent to latest model refrigerator with a built-in computer.

Bathroom, toilet

And these premises should be decorated as simply as possible. But if you take into account their sizes in small apartments, then it becomes clear that the owners simply cannot afford any excesses.

It is not advisable to use in these rooms bright tiles with a drawing. A monochromatic or white-and-black mosaic that does not have a clear pattern is more suitable for the loft style. A lot of glass and metal are welcome. The sink can be made of stainless steel. A large chrome-plated heated towel rail will perfectly complement the interior.

Plumbing, even modern, must be simple shapes. The bathtub must have legs.

Advantages of style

As you can see, the loft style in the interior of a small apartment, being essentially minimalist, allows you to rationally organize the available space. At the same time, it does not become lifeless and cold. For those who like to add to the interior of their home bright accents And original solutions loft allows you to experiment and show imagination, perhaps more than any other interior design direction. Therefore, if you love strange and sometimes controversial accessories, surreal paintings, sculptures made from scrap metal, then go for it: loft is your style.