Contents
Original, non-standard, creative – a modern loft style can either arouse admiration or not like it, but in any case, people who remain indifferent to it will not remain.
Foreshortening Into History
The English word “Loft” is translated as “attic”. This style direction originated in the United States in the 40s of the last century. The sharp rise in rental prices of land for development in the central areas of cities has led to the fact that the construction of industrial and production facilities has moved beyond the city limits. The premises that were previously used as storage facilities were empty and were put up for sale by the owners for a penny. Often such buildings were used as shelter for poor citizens. But there were more and more representatives of bohemia who discerned a “highlight” in such dwellings, a kind of urbanistic charm, which formed a feeling of freedom and independence. So, over time, many of the premises that used to be used as industrial ones turned into workshops for creative personalities – artists, musicians, actors. Gradually, fashionable American trends reached the European continent. As a result, a new style in interior design was formed, which has gained great popularity today.
Loft In Modern Interiors: Reasons For Relevance
It is safe to say that today the loft is at the top of fashion. What is the secret of its unprecedented relevance? To understand the advantages of such an interior solution, it is necessary to list its characteristic features.
Main Characteristics And Directions Of Style
To create a loft-style interior, the designers of the studio recommend using a spacious, bright room. The general features of this style decision should include not only a large area. It is also the color scheme, the originality of the decor, the arrangement of furniture items, the methods of finishing the floors, ceilings and walls.
Designing an industrial interior within a city apartment or private house is based on the following principles:
- open plan availability. The room is completely free of walls, partitions, fenced rooms (of course, except for the bathroom);
- lack of textile decoration of window openings. Large, open windows should be striking, and not hide behind curtains, curtains or curtains. Rooms with panoramic or dormer windows look advantageous in this regard;
- the emphasized lack of wall surface finishing. It is not customary to paste over them with wallpaper or decorate with plastic panels. The most common option is bare brickwork (its imitation is allowed), or whitewashing on concrete walls. You can also sew up surfaces with plywood or sheet metal;
- laying of wooden floors or flooring imitating wood. As you know, floors in industrial and warehouse premises are usually concrete. But in relation to living rooms, such a solution is unlikely to be comfortable. Self-leveling floors, artificial slabs imitating marble or stone also look impressive;
- high ceilings. It is not customary to hide electrical wiring, as well as other communications in the loft style – on the contrary, they serve as a kind of decorative element. Ceiling surfaces can be additionally equipped with wooden beams;
- unusual installation of lighting devices. It is practiced to use by groups of lamps with a modern design;
- the use of open stoves and fireplaces as decorative elements. At the beginning of the 20th century, the premises of factories and factories were cold and they were heated with these heating devices;
- possibility of equipment of the second level due to the high ceiling height. Under the ceiling, usually equip a bedroom or study. A special attached or stationary wooden or metal staircase leads to the second tier;
- use of strict colors in the interior. As a rule, two or three primary colors predominate, which can be in harmony with each other or come into contrast;
- installation of furnishings belonging to different eras. So, modern multifunctional furniture (usually preferred to transformers) can stand side by side with products frankly belonging to the last century, antique or artificially aged (traces of peeling paint, shabby armrests, missing parts are welcome).
Loft Style Destinations
This style interior solution is heterogeneous. The most popular these days are the following areas of the loft style:
- bohemian (the so-called boho-loft);
- glamorous;
- industrial.
Accordingly, each of the listed options has a number of characteristic features.
Boho Loft – The Choice Of Creative Personalities
The motley interiors filled to overflowing with bright decor items will not be to everyone’s taste. Lovers of antiquities, which often include creative personalities, will surely enjoy the bohemian loft. Its main feature is a striking combination of colors and details that seemingly contradict each other. But people of art, as you know, are distinguished by non-trivial views on life and refuse to live by established rules. When decorating the interior of their home, they focus on brightness and creativity.
Bohemian loft does not accept any rules. This applies to the choice of color schemes, the arrangement of furniture, the use of accessories. Numerous details here may seem like an unsystematic pile of things only at first sight. In fact, they are a reflection of the inner world of the inhabitants of the dwelling, characterize the wealth of their inner self. In such an interior, every tiny little thing matters. Dark colors are used to create an elevated festive atmosphere, emphasizing the freedom of expression. After all, every day lived in the life of people of art is a holiday, and the atmosphere of the space they have created is designed to emphasize these moods.
Boho loft is a bright and unpredictable style. Decorated in this style home interiors reflect the freedom of the owners, the creativity of their thoughts. There are no rigidly delineated frameworks or restrictions here, people have the right to independently decide how to arrange their home. But the designers still managed to identify a number of main trends characteristic of this direction:
- unification of the interior concept with a common color scheme, which allows you to make the space a single whole;
- game in contrast. This design technique is put into practice through interior details. So, on a sofa with blue upholstery you can place red decorative pillows, and on a black armchair you can casually throw a golden plaid;
- the proximity of surfaces made from materials in various price categories. So, in a bohemian loft, along with expensive oak flooring, you can often see whitewashed walls or simple brickwork;
- preference for natural finishing materials or their imitations (in this respect, boho resembles an eco-style). So, when installing plastic windows in an apartment, you should give preference not to white plastic, but to the option for natural wood;
- the presence of things and accessories from different eras, countries, cultures.
If you consider yourself a creative person and strive to express an individual vision of the world in the interior of your home, then the boho style is just for you.
Glamorous Loft – Add Color To Your Life!
This direction is also closely related to the creative environment, it is preferred by actors, painters, theater and cinema figures. The atmosphere of theatricality and artistry is felt here, therefore, elements and techniques of other similar styles – baroque, pop art, art deco – are often found. Glamorous loft is easy to recognize by the presence of open, free space, brick walls, huge windows, typical for industrial buildings. But at the same time there is elegance and luxury.
Each element of the interior is designed to attract attention. In this design, there is a place for a patterned carpet, furniture of pure forms, works of modern art, and a relief original fireplace. In the kitchen space, you can equip both open racks for dishes, and highlight a separate wall for cabinets from floor to ceiling – a real dream of housewives! At the same time, the peculiarities of the style are emphasized by open beams under the ceiling, the lack of finishing of one or all of the walls, the presence of old lighting fixtures and other items from previous eras. Among the color preferences, turquoise, red, green colors are allowed, the presence of a bright color scheme is also possible (it all depends on the taste preferences of the inhabitants of the dwelling).
As for glamor, its patina can be felt in the installation of chic chandeliers, huge mirrors, and the use of indoor plants. The glamorous loft is also characterized by chic soft furnishings. Thus, in this style variation, one can feel the presence of a certain working atmosphere inherent in industrial facilities, but without losing home comfort.
An Industrial Solution For True Loft Connoisseurs
In fact, the industrial version is a loft in its classic initial manifestation. This design is ideal for people who want to immerse themselves as much as possible in the atmosphere of the homes of ordinary people of the early 20th century. Its advantage is a minimum of financial costs, since the simpler the finish, the more pronounced the features of the style. It is enough to plaster the old peeling walls, create an imitation of brickwork (for example, using artificial stone), recycle the boardwalks, and paint the wooden window frames. Outwardly, your home will resemble an old manufactory or glass-blowing workshop.
Space zoning can be done using lighting. In the interior of the loft, the presence of random floor lamps or shades is not expected. Light here can unite a room, or highlight separate functional zones in it. Preference should be given to lamps made of metal, wood, glass of natural shades and regular shapes.
Buy expensive furniture also does not make sense. An old, shabby leather sofa, a metal bed, and an old carved chest of drawers will become the “highlights” of the interior. In the home there is also a place for a pot-bellied retro refrigerator, a radio radi of the last century, etc. And all this is peaceful side by side with modern high-tech household appliances, simple plastic furniture – tables, chairs, stools.
The accents are accessories. For travel lovers who seek to bring a small trinket with them as a souvenir of every trip, this style is a real freedom! Here you will find a place for abstract paintings, posters, advertising posters, all kinds of calendars. All these details are hung on the walls, located on window sills, tables and other surfaces. In a large room, you can maximally recreate all the features and characteristics of an industrial loft. But even in the event that a one-room apartment is subject to reincarnation, designers achieve excellent results. The main thing is that you can imitate a loft without sacrificing comfortable living and financial damage.
