Decorating a Loft

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There’s no question that lofts are unique. But the qualities that make them Bookcases and a fireplace mantle combine to make a unique focal point for storage. Photo by Jerry Laursen, Jerry Laursen Photography. appealing can also create significant challenges. Here are the most common decorating issues that loft dwellers face with tips from designers and loft owners on how to affordably address them. Space Planning  Many people are stumped about the lack of walls in a loft. The first step toward making a loft feel like a home instead of a warehouse is to establish the various  spaces that are common to all houses, such as a living room, dining area and bedrooms. Area rugs are the easiest way to achieve this, says Manhattan-based interior designer David Anthony Harris. You’ll want a rug that’s bigger than the seating area to clearly show the boundaries of the space, which “creates a room,” he says. “It’s like a house within a house. You can also define spaces with pieces of furniture—such as bookcases, You have to create your own storage in a loft. Photo courtesy of Adam Ellis. credenzas and buffets—with plants or by building simple platforms, says Wanda Colón, a Los Angeles-based interior designer featured on TLC’s Home Made Simple. Other strategies include screens, hanging fabric or beaded panels from the ceiling or using patterned or alternating hard flooring, such as hardwood floors or tile. “You can create inset patterns such as rectangles or ovals and run the material in different directions for different functional areas,” says Brenda Be, a Boston-based interior designer. Storage Lack of closet space is one of the top complaints from loft dwellers—all that big, open space and nowhere to hang up your clothes, stack your linens or hide your clutter. Take a lesson from our forefathers whose homes typically lacked closets and choose furniture with storage, such as buffets, wardrobes, china cabinets and platform beds. There are inexpensive options as well. Colón suggests building shelves or buying square storage blocks and putting a focal point, such as an old fireplace mantle, in the middle. Fabric skirts can cover shelves or bins beneath a pedestal sink, and colorful fabric or murals can hide a set of shelves on the wall. “It’s amazing how you can create a lot of storage,” she says. Sound Long-time New York loft dweller Bob Weinstein says there have been times when people he was talking with on the phone asked if he was traveling. “They thought I was in an airport hangar,” he says. “It’s a little disconcerting.” With

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