From SoHo to Downtown LA they are calling. From the deconstructed artist loft to the shiny hybrid soft loft, they beckon, promising adventure and inspiration. They say, “You are an urban pioneer, a creative adventurer, in search of an authentic experience. You are the daredevil of your suburban circle of friends.”
You live in a Loft.
Congratulations, your space is as unique and unconventional as you are! Now how the heck do you decorate it? I’ve been in hundreds of lofts of all shapes, styles and sizes and the common thread between them all is that whatever worked in your Beach Bungalow or Traditional Tudor probably will not work here. There are challenges that arise with soaring ceilings, no separate rooms and all that open space. Here are a few tips I’ve learned that will spark the inner space planner inside of you!
Anchors Away
In more traditional structures, the walls anchor the placement of furniture and dictate the set-up of the room. However, in one big open space, most of the furniture will have to “float” in the middle of the room and will be anchored by things other than walls. Area rugs are a great way to anchor individual sections of the loft. Grouping items together such as two armchairs, an occasional table and floor lamp can make an attractive vignette in an otherwise awkward corner or unused niche. Remember that your couch does not have to be up against a wall – if it has an attractive back it can be placed virtually anywhere in the space at any angle in any configuration.
Living the High Life
We love our loft’s high ceilings but rarely take advantage of them. Be sure to utilize tall storage systems and oversized artwork to make a statement and make use of the high ceilings, especially if the space is short on square footage. Lots of bookshelf, closet, and cabinetry storage is essential to keeping the clutter out of eyesight. The best part is that you can really take advantage of custom-made pieces in this area that would otherwise look out of place in a traditional ceiling height setting.
The Great Divide
Room dividers can be more than rice paper and wood panels. Since many lofts do not feature closets, standing wardrobes with a finished back are great for storage. They also serve to delineate living spaces, lend privacy and custom units can be made in any finish and configuration. Open bookshelves do double duty as a virtual wall that holds books on one side, while providing a place for pictures on the opposite side.
Everything Must Go
The colors need to flow throughout your open floor plan, but they don’t need to match. Each individual living space can have a separate color theme as long as a common thread runs between two or more exposed areas. For example, if your Plum and Slate colored bedroom is visually adjacent to your Teal and Brown living room, then use Lemony-Green accents in both areas to compliment each individual scheme and carry a commonality throughout.
Most importantly, be true to yourself and true to your space, most of the time your instincts will tell you what feels right. Be bold, take a chance and for goodness sake, don’t play it safe!
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This post was written for the CRAVE company by Christy Biberich, Space & Design Therapist and founder of Interior O.D. She lives and works in a spatially challenged downtown loft – and loves it! You can visit her website here: http://www.interiorod.com/.
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September 17th, 2010 at 12:33 pm
Great post! Love love love loft living!