Loft Ideas to Transform Your New or Existing Space

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Updated on February 16th, 2022

Lofts are elevated spaces perfect for an extra bedroom, office, gaming room, or workout room considering an open floor plan. Found in homes and apartments, lofts are a great way to optimize space, and the possibilities are endless when it comes to what you do with it.

We gathered interior designers from all over the country to share their tips on different loft ideas to optimize space and create something you love. So whether you purchased a loft condo in the city of Chicago, IL, or want to revamp your existing loft space in Ontario, CA, here are some loft ideas to help you decide what to make of the space.

Loft Ideas to Transform Your Space - Loft

Tailor the space to fit your lifestyle

A loft is a great bonus space that should be tailored to fit your personal lifestyle. If you are a single male, it could be a hang-out space to entertain and relax. You could add a golf simulator, bar, billiard table, or media with comfortable lounge seating. For the professional that is working from home with a family, this could be transformed into a private quiet office space with desk and lounge seating. –Ducy Design Interiors

Light fixtures can create a dramatic look

Light it up! Invest in dynamic and dramatic lighting, even if it is only one chandelier. The drama of the lofted space and high ceilings will be highlighted, even if your other furnishings are more modest, it will all be elevated-literally! –Annie Fair Design

Create a home office

Using your loft area as a home office is a great plan for your home and work. Lofts are typically free from distraction, wired for tech, can increase the value of your home, and a perfect space to showcase your personal style. We suggest a timeless, calm design; surround yourself with colors and accessories you love- make the office a place you WANT to be! –Statement of Style

Make a cozy bedroom

A bedroom loft should be made to be the coziest space possible. Add a curtain that you can draw across the opening for privacy. Add a fun wallpaper to the walls or ceiling to detract from low ceilings and give the space life. Putting storage under the bed will keep the space more open and less cluttered. And to top it off, add a nice bed skirt to cover the space. –Q. Interiors

Use warm and cool tones to balance your loft ideas

What comes to mind when you think of a loft? Typically it’s the raw industrial vibe, an abundance of unfinished open space, brick walls, and cement floors. The energy is quite masculine. A great way to bring balance to this design is to incorporate strategic accents that have a feminine energy, such as a sprinkling of soft colors, a refined piece of furniture, even a small pop of bling. Remember to play delicately with the balance of warm and cool. –Modern Loft Interiors

Create a feature wall that sets the space apart 

Your lofted space is the perfect area to get creative and add a fun feature wall that sets this area apart from the rest of your home. Whether it is a place you go to for sleep or play, the loft is a space where you can utilize patterns and colors that you may not be so bold to use in the more common areas such as the kitchen or living room. Try something like the Aspen Leaf Mosaic for a relaxing, spa-like feel or if you are using the loft as an entertaining space, opt for something more playful like the Arrow Rows Rainbow mosaic. –Decorative Materials

Add an eye capturing focal point

Make the most of those soaring ceilings and 12-foot walls by hanging an oversized piece of art as a focal point – perhaps a stretched tapestry in bright colors or a compelling design (or both). –The Gunderman Group

Loft Ideas to Transform Your Space - Loft Up Close

Romanticize your loft ideas

Get the idea of a love loft. Hay barns, artists’ lofts, and upper balconies seem to equal romance.  Soft pillows and coffee, bedding, and natural light make for a beautiful bedroom in a loft. Create light and open reading areas and book nooks, with modular stacking boxes, round cushions, velvet poofs in jewel-tone colors, and plants here and there. –Shelley Scales Design Associates

Define the mood of the room with the right colors

Colors impact our mood and emotions. Select the right color, and you can define the mood for a room. Accent walls in dark grays with blue undertones are ideal for home offices. While they add interest and contrast, they provide relief to your eyes when working long hours on the computer. –Decorating Den Interiors

Optimize your lofted space

Lofts are excellent, flexible bonus spaces in a home that can be utilized for many purposes including a lounge area, home office, or guest space. If your loft is visually open to the rest of the home, make sure to use color and style cues from the other existing spaces to make it feel cohesive. If your loft is visually closed off from the remainder of the home, don’t be afraid to put your unique stamp on it and do something fun and unique. –Michelle Ford Design

Invest in a Murphy or wall bed

A loft area has an abundance of possibilities in a home. Ask yourself how you can create the space so it can serve multiple purposes. I have recently worked with two different clients that have a room that needs to serve as an office yet also an extra bedroom and storage room. I am finding that clients are really open to a Murphy or wall bed as an option when they see how beautifully they operate. When the bed is up, the room is spacious and welcoming for daily use as an office or workout room, they can quickly be transformed into a comfortable and inviting bedroom for guests. It’s quite magical to pull the handles and see the bed descending down creating a welcoming space for your guests in just a few seconds. Not only that, but when the bed is lifted back up it creates a built-in furniture look with options on the sides for a desk, a media center, shelving, nightstands, etc. creating myriad and magical options. –Sharon Hocking Interior Design

Focus on multi-functional furniture

Focus on furniture pieces that serve double duty. With limited space in lofts– everything needs to have a multi-purpose so you don’t need a lot of extra furniture pieces and only bring in what is functional, well made and beautiful. 

A DAYBED: Doubles as a sofa during the day and a bed at night.  Pile it with colorful pillows and a reversible cover to change out the look for each season.

LUCITE CONSOLE: Functions as a desk during the day and at night it can be set up as a bar for parties and guests! Place it behind the sofa with lamps is a good option too.

BOOKCASES: Standalone, see-through bookcases can serve as a makeshift room divider. Make sure they are open on both sides and add casters for easy movement.

JUTE RUGS: Affordable, modern and well priced. –Bohemian Bungalow Design

Expand the loft

For BKT LOFT and partner from Italy Astra Cucine, it is essential to start with the lighting because it allows you to expand the loft space even if it is small. We make the most of the perimeter space by using wall cabinets in concrete or resin effect finishes, which reflect the essentiality of a concrete wall as if it were part of domestic architecture. These containers support a study or a bedroom, where the use of “ceiling/floor” wall bookcases allows you to divide the loft spaces without physically closing it. –BKT LOFT

Maximize function with a storage/media core

Outside loft walls under eaves tend to be low, with height in the center. Exploit this feature with a two-sided core of casework incorporating a bookcase, work-station, and/or media center. One large space becomes two zones (work and seating?) with circulation around. Clever carpentry stopping short of the ceiling can feature up-lighting to visually expand the space. –Fritz Harding Interiors

Transform the space into a social hub

Only three pieces stand between an empty loft and the timeless wine tasting room of your dreams. Add a built-in bookcase with some wine storage, a few accent chairs, and a cocktail table et voila you’ve got the perfect space tailored for wine nights in your own home! To further enhance the space, consider adding a vibrant accent rug, a glamourous light fixture, and fun accessories to add a punch of color to the bookcase. –Davinci Interiors

Ana is part of the content marketing team and enjoys writing about home improvement and life & style. Her dream house would be a Mediterranean style home featuring expansive windows.
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