Character traits
The loft style interior is distinguished by the following features:
- The most simple cladding that creates a feeling of incompleteness.
- Open plan without partitions, with large panoramic windows.
- Decorative details in street style in the form of graffiti or traffic signs.
- An unusual combination of rare furniture items with modern appliances.
- The presence of various communications, such as ventilation pipes with rust or wires as decoration.
Main features of the style
The design of a loft-style living room is based on the basic features of a composition that originated in the 1940s thanks to the interest of bohemians in vacant factory premises. In a matter of months, the workshops were transformed from art workshops into luxury housing, available only to wealthy lawyers, financiers and businessmen. Therefore, it is not surprising that in this style one can find features of the asceticism of “half-starved” creators and the luxury of high society:
- The palette remains predominantly cold - standard colors of metal pipes, equipment and various units. Although vintage rooms retain the warmth of terracotta bricks, copper and bronze piping, mechanisms and brass parts.
- Large windows remain open to maximize natural light. But lamps also occupy an important place. The highlight is the use of metal, wood, paper and plastic to create geometrically regular and, conversely, asymmetrical lampshades.
- Furniture is usually characterized by increased comfort, albeit simple design.
- Many parts are multifunctional. And we’re not just talking about technology: cabinets, partitions and shelving are combined to transform independently and transform the room.
The loft elements in the apartment, and in the living room in particular, are harmonious, but this harmony often lies in contrast. Design features and industrial features do not contradict a person’s desire to live in comfort, so there should be those details that are necessary for complete convenience and coziness.
Furniture
The loft perfectly combines modern furniture sets and retro models. Glass, metal, wood or plastic products are welcome here. Furniture with leather or textile upholstery in a single color looks very impressive in the living room.
The main element of the room is the sofa, which can be decorated with colorful pillows. In addition, install a coffee table on metal legs or a structure stylized as an antique suitcase.
The photo shows a spacious living room, which is decorated with a leather sofa.
For convenience, choose mobile models on wheels, allowing you to modify the space at any time. Antiques combined with ultra-modern technology will help emphasize the style.
A good solution for the hall would be to use shelving and open shelves made of metal. Also, artificially aged items with wear and tear, such as massive cabinets, armchairs or tables, will harmoniously fit into the loft setting.
The photo shows an industrial-style room with a combined “wall” made of wood and metal.
A bar counter with high chairs will allow you to expand design possibilities and implement zoning. In a studio apartment, this is the most popular option, separating the kitchen and living area.
To arrange a sleeping area in the living room, a laconic wooden bed or a structure with a metal frame is often used.
The photo shows a bedroom-living room design made in an industrial style.
Furniture selection
Pieces of furniture for a loft-style living room are often characterized by gigantism. Its characteristic feature is brevity and simplicity. Extra details, carving elements or floristry are alien to her.
By adhering to the characteristics of the loft style, you can get a result that exceeds all, even the most daring, expectations.
In the living room, furniture is arranged in islands, each of which has a specific functional load. The center of the room is a sofa, which can be of any color, and a TV. Colors are selected in accordance with the main color scheme.
The right project allows you to create the desired environment in almost any area.
Note! Furniture is never placed along the walls.
It is better to leave many surfaces in their original form, slightly leveling them and covering them with a special varnish.
Color spectrum
The traditional color for decoration is white with a gray undertone, which visually expands the space and fills it with air. Also, the design of a loft-style living room involves the use of terracotta shades: the color of the brick makes the interior more cozy.
The photo shows a bright interior in which the loft is intricately intertwined with elements in a classic style.
Black is often used as contrasting elements, while red, purple and green tones are used as accents. Silver and metallic shades are found everywhere, but in small quantities.
The photo shows a living room design in gray tones in an industrial style.
Color solutions for a loft-style living room
The main rule when choosing a color scheme is the preference for light shades and the absence of details that can absorb light and disrupt the freedom of space.
1. White living room in loft style.
Decorating your living room in white definitely adds extra value to this style. If the room is large in itself, white will expand it even more, and you will get a whole sea of space and freedom. However, it is worth remembering that without sufficient lighting, white rooms will look bad. The main materials for furniture should be glass, wood, and metal. A minimal amount of decoration and high ceilings are some of the main components of a loft.
2. Beige living room in loft style.
Decorating a room in beige tones is a more delicate and sophisticated option. Beige color looks perfect in combination with turquoise, yellow, peach and brown. Bright accents can be colorful pillows, handmade souvenirs and plants in original pots.
3. Brown living room in loft style.
Brown goes well with bright colors. The main material used in this case is wood. You can combine metal and wooden cabinets. The main condition is that the wood must have a texture, that is, we are not talking about varnished plain doors.
4. Yellow living room in loft style.
If previously it was quite difficult to imagine a loft in bright colors, then in the modern world this is a fairly common occurrence. When decorating a living room, yellow plays an accentuating role. You can decorate one wall in this color, or you can use it in textiles, decoration, furniture and decor. For example, a yellow sofa, pale lemon curtains and an orange begonia flower.
5. Olive living room in loft style.
It is better to use an olive shade in good lighting - then it will sparkle with all its colors. It looks cozy and not boring at the same time in combination with yellow and beige. Upholstered olive furniture and lamps look especially stylish in this shade.
Recommended articles on this topic:
- Armchairs in loft style: types, features, photos
- Children's room in loft style: fresh interior solutions
- Loft style sofas - features of choice
Finish options
The main role when recreating a loft in the living room is played by cladding:
Walls. The main element is brick walls or gypsum tiles that imitate brick. The walls can be left concrete, covered with textured wallpaper, or covered with wooden boards.
Floor. When decorating the floor, you should give preference to natural materials or laminate. The ideal solution would be oak or pine flooring, as well as tiles that imitate stone.
Ceiling. To emphasize the creative interior as much as possible, leave the bare, untreated ceiling, paint it in neutral light colors, or cover it with textured concrete-like plaster.
The photo shows an interior in an industrial style, where the ceiling is decorated with plaster with imitation concrete.
Doors. The design of door leaves made from natural materials combines antiquity with modern details and often has an original appearance. Glass inserts are appropriate, as well as high-quality wood imitations.
The photo shows a small living room with a black wooden door.
Window. Windows with dark profiles and unusual fittings for frames fit organically into the loft style. But the industrial style is a balance of rough finish and lightness, therefore, if the room is small, the windows are decorated in light colors.
The photo shows a stylish living room, the walls of which are lined with brickwork. To optically increase the space, panoramic windows and a large mirror are installed.
Eco-friendly wood is often used to decorate city apartments, which not only has a noble appearance, but also helps create a coziness and warm environment.
Room decoration
A typical solution for decorating a loft-style living room is simplicity. Most often this is painting or plastering on a brick wall or concrete surface. Less often they choose wallpaper that can be painted or initially matched to the brick pattern.
The color of the walls usually fits into the characteristic range of the style: choose white or terracotta for brick, gray or brown for concrete, gray-brown for wallpaper or paint. In combination with natural light through large windows, the cold palette in the living room interior takes on new shades: in the photo of the same loft-style room you can see the play of colors from different angles and the incidence of light rays from different sources.
Floors also play a significant role in the overall composition, as well as in providing comfort. Wood remains the most comfortable option. To renovate and decorate a living room in an “attic” industrial style, people choose natural boards, parquet or terrace coverings, or less often laminate. Ceramic tiles and, of course, self-leveling concrete floors can be used if they are heated. But most often a combination of coverings is used in a loft - for zoning and creating a harmonious composition.
Textile
To decorate a room in a loft style, light curtains or roller curtains made from natural materials are suitable. Handmade curtains or blinds are also appropriate. The decisive touch in the design of the living room can be a carpet with a pronounced texture and an unusual color scheme.
The photo shows a loft interior with textile decoration in gray tones.
The decor can be complemented with functional blankets and sofa cushions, which can be decorated with geometric patterns or inscriptions. If the interior of the room is a loft with eco elements, textiles in natural colors will be the basis of such a design.
Creating an interior in the living room
There are many options for furniture for a loft-style living room; it is not part of the main design. Basically, here you need to show your imagination, but there are also several variations.
Place huge armchairs or sofas in the living room, place a small glass table for magazines near the wall, and attach a shelf for books or various accessories to one of the walls.
You can also choose a simple design option, where a simple leather sofa will do. In order to make the living room more cozy and comfortable, you should add several different decorative pillows and rugs.
The ceiling in the living room of this style can be created in different ways. If you leave it white, it will not be noticeable, but if you paint it in different colors or make it stretched, it will look just great.
Natural materials remain the most valuable materials for lofts. Nothing can replace natural stone or metal. It is better to decorate panels and partitions with stone if you have a kitchen-living room in a loft style. The panels are also decorated with leather.
- Metal objects and accessories will create a more natural look.
- A fireplace in Art Nouveau style and other brutal options will fit well into such an interior.
Decorative and functional pipes in the loft style probably play the most important role. Instead of a partition or shelf, you can choose a plexus of pipes. Make the hood and air ducts in the same style.
In the living room, it is recommended to use several small lamps instead of one large classic-style chandelier.
Posters with posters will also help brightly decorate the room. They will perfectly complement the interior with their bright colors. You can also create your own drawing or poster, which will look pretty good in the design of a loft-style living room.
When creating a living room, do not forget that this room requires comfort, lighting and warmth.
Decor
Metal and stone products, large posters and paintings with abstract designs, and pop art posters are appropriate in the loft. Some living room ideas seem extravagant, but the loft style is ideal for self-expression. You can embody the spirit of freedom with the help of road signs or graffiti, your favorite bike or bike, thereby creating a garage style.
The photo shows a loft in the living room, where the decor supports the theme of railway transport.
Black and white photographs, unusual wall clocks, and abstract figurines are actively used in the design. The decoration is often a mirror in an unfinished frame made of wood or metal. Since loft style finishing is textured, it is important not to overload the room with unnecessary details.
Features of the loft style
In order to create an interior design in the loft style, you need to understand its features. The main ones are:
1. The layout should be as open as possible, for example, kitchen-living room, living room-bedroom. Enclosed rooms should be the bathroom and toilet.
Layout Layout Layout
2. Large windows or even panoramic windows are welcome. They should not be cluttered with curtains. They are often left open.
Windows in the Loft interiorWindows in the Loft interiorWindows in the Loft interior
3. It is not customary to use wallpaper or panels as wall coverings. The loft is characterized by brickwork, concrete walls and rough finishes. Imitation of brickwork can be done using putty or decorative stone.
Wall decoration in the Loft styleWall decoration in the Loft styleWall decoration in the Loft style
4. Parquet or laminate is mainly used as flooring, less often tiles or self-leveling floors.
Floor in Loft styleFloor in Loft styleFloor in Loft style
5. Ceilings are made white or left uncoated. They are equipped with wooden beams, wires or ventilation pipes.
Ceilings in the Loft styleCeilings in the Loft styleCeilings in the Loft style
6. Various pendant lamps are used for lighting. They can have either a modern design or an industrial style.
Lighting in the Loft styleLighting in the Loft styleLighting in the Loft style
Lighting
Wall or table lamps in a loft living room have an unusual design and are made of metal and glass. Chandeliers with round shades and garlands are very popular. The interior can be decorated with spotlights or spotlights can be installed around the perimeter of the ceiling.
The photo shows the lighting in the interior of the kitchen-living room, made in an urban style.
Studio, track, rod light bulbs or fluorescent lighting will favorably emphasize textured surfaces and create the effect of soaring light.
The photo shows a large living room with loft-style pendant lamps located above the sofa.
Decor in the loft living room
Decorating a space in the loft style is one of the most exciting processes in decorating such a living room, because items that are completely unexpected for “shop” rooms are often used here. These include bright posters, exclusive figurines, and simply functional furniture, lamps, mini-fireplaces, etc. In this case, decorative elements usually stand out from the general palette, because black, gray, copper or white shades predominate here.
Bright rugs, huge paintings and the use of rich, eye-catching colors in various details help create an attractive space.
Most often, the color scheme of the main elements serves as decor:
- lamps;
- stands for cups, flower pots;
- directly flowers and their pots;
- books on the shelves, etc.
Choosing such decorations is not difficult - they are always used in almost all rooms, but for a concrete-metal loft you should select bright details in the same palette.
Textiles, traditional for many other styles, are used to a minimum in such a space. This can only be furniture upholstery and small carpets. But sofas and armchairs will not be colorful or overly bright, although there are exceptions here.
Living Room Design Ideas
To add personality to a room, the ceiling is often decorated with wood or metal beams. If a two-level apartment or house has a staircase to the second floor, it is recommended to choose a metal or concrete structure, complemented by wooden steps.
The photo shows an attic in a loft-style country house.
Eco-loft allows you to focus on the natural theme. It uses outdoor furniture, decor in the form of living plants, wood elements and linen textiles.
A fireplace fits harmoniously into the concept of a brutal loft: its design can be modern - with metal or glass inserts, or retro - with forged elements or in the form of an antique hearth.
The photo shows a living room in a private house with a metal fireplace.
Natural large stone, granite or ceramic tiles imitating brick are often used in the cladding of the fireplace portal.
Loft living room interior in a private house
Perhaps the main feature of the loft-style living room interior is its eclecticism. Eclecticism is achieved by using a wide range of finishing materials that differ in texture and texture, as well as by combining furniture and decor items that at first glance seem incompatible.
On a note! Combinations of furniture with strict geometric shapes and decorative accessories in vintage style look especially good.
An eclectic mix of art and designer furniture will help create a stylish and unusual atmosphere in the room.
However, in order for the interior of a loft-style living room to “work” as it should, a number of mistakes should be avoided.
- In private houses and former production workshops, loft-style interiors often turn out to be too gloomy and “lifeless”. To avoid this, increase the presence of natural light and add some warm accents. Various decorative items, cute trinkets, stacks of books and magazines will help dispel the atmosphere of desolation - by placing these items on tables, racks and shelves, you will instantly give the interior a welcoming look.
Loft in a former industrial building
- The second common problem with large loft-style living rooms is the lack of spatial depth. Metal parts, a long-pile carpet or a table with a stone top can give it a spacious room. When it comes to room design, nothing adds volume to a space like a variety of textures.
A variety of textures and decorative details can enliven and add coziness to a loft interior in a large room
- The rough texture of brick walls can be softened by a framed picture or a collage of stylish photos - it’s quite difficult to imagine a loft-style living room design without such accents. It is interesting that these elements, while performing a purely decorative function, are at the same time capable of “highlighting” the shades of pieces of furniture and decor, be it a table or a sofa, a carpet or an armchair. In turn, furniture, being designed in warm colors, tends to dilute the uncomfortable atmosphere created by the excessive presence of glass, stone and metal in the interior.
Decorating a small living room
When recreating the loft style in a small living room, special attention is paid to color. A narrow room in a Khrushchev-era building should not be decorated in too dark colors or cluttered with a lot of decor.
The photo shows a small loft-style living room with a world map made of brick.
For a small or walk-through living room, choose only necessary and practical items in light shades. To create an accent, it is better to use only one element: an unusually shaped table, a wall panel or a bright armchair. A dazzling white ceiling will help to visually increase the size of the room.
Key features of a loft-style living room
The loft style is characterized by large windows from ceiling to floor, high ceilings and large footage. Such rooms are not divided into smaller ones using walls; zones are demarcated visually by means of bar counters, furniture, screens, etc.
This design is preferred by people of creative professions, economists, owners of apartments with an open plan, as well as those who are accustomed to standing out and not paying attention to generally accepted norms and rules, but being guided only by their desires.
The main distinctive features of the living room design are:
- Open plan with a minimum number of partitions. The room is divided into functional zones using various types of zoning (color contrasts, accentuation with light or glass partitions that will not violate the basic concept of open space).
- The presence of non-standard street style decoration accessories. This could be graffiti, posters, abstractions or road signs.
- High light ceilings. The more light and space there is in such a room, the better.
- A must-have combination of antique furniture and modern technology, surfaces, materials and elements.
- A brick wall, ventilation pipe, sewer hatch or rough plaster are integral components in interior design.
- Using modern art when decorating a room.
One of the advantages of decorating a living room in the loft style is its affordable cost. Repairs are possible with a minimal budget. Minimalism in everything – it is on this principle that the loft was formed.
