As men are shifting to smaller and smaller apartments, the need of the hour is to find solutions for better functionality and storage, while at the same time not compromising over aesthetics. Modern homes and flats today are all resorting to lofts for various purposes.
Flats with high ceilings are the most suited for lofts. In case you are getting your own home built, raising the ceiling to double height would give you the opportunity to do the same.
So what are best places to have lofts? What should be the design approach for the same? What should you place in the loft to maximize on functionality and aesthetics? Well, here are a few answers to your questions.
Living Room Lofts
Living rooms are spaces for guests and family alike. Most of our living rooms act as merely sitting rooms, with no other major function than to occupy sofas and watch TVs. Is that all? A living room can be designed to have much more. The problem, at times, is lack of enough space to accommodate a multitude of functions.
The loft design comes to the rescue here. Incorporating a loft in your living room not just adds up some functions to it, but also increases its aesthetic appeal manifold.
You can have a bookshelf on the loft, and hence convert it into a study right above and peeping into the living space.
You could add cosy seating to the loft and have a huge screened television for using the space as an entertainment zone, separated from the sitting room. The stairs up to the loft can act as storage spaces for shoes.
Bedroom Lofts
The bedroom could be designed to have a loft incorporated within. The loft could either be a serene space for some alone-time up there, or it could be a complete fun zone very close to your nightly retreat.
If you are thinking to go by the first option, consider using it as a study space, with your bookshelf, a comfortable chair and good lighting. You could have a musical haven up there if you are an instrumentalist, and can spend hours in that snug space of yours for practice.
You could store away all your old memories from childhood – your old books, gifts and toys – and choose to have a look at them whenever you feel like. You could also choose to opt for the second option. The loft up there could have a refrigerator, a bar and a television for you to sneaking away into it when you feel like enjoying by yourself. The bedroom loft can fulfil both aesthetical as well as functional requirements with ease.
Kitchen Lofts
Lofts have both a storage as well as aesthetic function in a kitchen. For one, the bonus additional space you get with a loft in the kitchen is extremely desirable. You can literally store away all your not-frequently-needed kitchen essentials into the loft – be it bigger utensils or jars, smaller drums and bags and so on.
Secondly it is a great way to conceal chimney lines, if your kitchen has them. You could also opt for lofts ij utility spaces, for the purpose of storage of all equipments for cleaning.
Loft Decor and Design
You can choose to go either industrial or modern with the loft in your space, whichever part of the house it is in.
For an industrial style loft design, you better go for exposed brick or concrete for the walls and wood or steel for the furniture. Keep the colour scheme subtle and solid, and stay away from vibrancy. Industrial style design relies a lot also on vintage goodies, so make sure you can aly your hands on a few. Also important is playing with textures.
For a more modern look, there are no set rules. You could choose to have a monochromatic retreat, where you restrict the colour scheme of all elements – walls, floor, furniture and furnishings, to one colour or several tones of the same. Or you could choose to go colourful and warm, creating a cosy ambience for your loft. The choice is yours.
Lofts are a mix of functionality and aesthetics combined into one to give your house some well deserved uniqueness. The way and purpose for which you style your loft is completely dependent on you. The key is to keep it well maintained, because for some or most parts, it is going to be visible.
– Sakshi Singh
