Lofts to live in

The grandiose style of loft living...

Lofts are one of my favourites when it comes to the types of living spaces. I have to admit that I have a soft spot for loft living and for the architectural aesthetic that comes with it. When I was a kid I was dreaming of living in a loft apartment with lots of space, huge windows and with original features and characters.

The first ever loft I 'saw' was the apartment of Alex from the 'Flashdance' movie. I was obsessed with that movie for several reasons - I cannot tell you how many times I have seen it - and one of them was that she lived in an old, abandoned warehouse apartment.

Loft or warehouse apartment refers to a large, adaptable, open space, usually converted for residential use from some other use, often from light industrial or commercial (warehouse) buildings. They are extremely spacious, bright and airy full of with character but they do have their downsides too.

From architectural / structural aspect they are old, sometimes long-abandoned buildings so the chances are they can cause a few unpleasant surprises. However good renovated lofts are great places to live in and they are seemingly getting more and more popular and high end.

From interior design aspect they can feel a bit impersonal, oversized where you might feel kinda lost or not really homely. With a few 'tricks' this problem can be easily solved. One is that a loft apartment demands more grandiose design in terms of the size of the furniture and decor items and in terms of 'bravery' of design - unexpected or unusual solutions, features and style, more daring colour scheme. So you will need to 'scale up' everything. The other important 'trick' is zoning. Since a loft is a huge open space practically without walls zoning the space will make it look and feel cosier and more homely. Zoning also have an ergonomic and functional purpose - it signals the different 'rooms' with different functions.

Living in a thoughtfully converted, well renovated and superbly designed loft can be a joy and pleasure. Obviously for the right type of people. Lofts are certainly not everyone's cup of tea. They are most popular within creative minds, artists and other bohemians. A typical loft apartment boasts a massive combined living/dining/kitchen areas and features special architectural and design elements.