Homes

Interior decorating: Lofts

Industrial to incredible - the sky's the limit

Turning a loft space into a cosy living area or bedroom is easier than you might think. With well-chosen items and a fresh lick of paint, you’ll feel like you’re living in New York City – without the sky-high rent, of course

From converted crawl spaces to palatial penthouses, loft living has been the preference of many New Yorkers for decades. But you don’t need to be in the Big Apple to give this tried-and-true trend a go.

With inner-city housing increasingly in demand in New Zealand, the opportunity to expand into attic or storage spaces is not to be sniffed at, and is a great way of showing off your DIY decorating skills.

When approaching your loft’s modern makeover, strive for a warm, homey feel, and steer clear of anything that makes it cramped or cold.

While you don’t want the finished room to feel too “industrial”, it’s important to retain some if its character.

In doing up this bedroom, we’ve chosen a vintage theme, re-purposing wooden crates as shelving, and making a feature of the old-fashioned brickwork, with a coat of grey paint.

In a smaller, darker room, a deep tone of charcoal would swamp the space, but high-stud ceilings afford this loft plenty of light, so it’s safe to be a bit more adventurous with dark colours.

Just add accents in the form of bright accessories. Here are some of my  favourites.

Blue umbrella $74.95 from Taylor Road, Chalkboard $8 from Tesori, Animal cushions $199 each from The object room, Plane $169 from Annie Boyd, Rust wooden truck $38 from Red current, Green wodden car $38 from red current, Orange velvet cushion $75 Red current, Cushion from $89 from Tesori, Towels $59 each from Superette, Twist rope baskets from $22 from Red current, Aircraft hooks $55 from Annie Boyd, Rabbit pictures $36.99 each from Annie Boyd.

Find it:

  • Annie Boyd (09) 376 2172

  • REDCURRENT redcurrent.co.nz

  • Resene resene.co.nz

  • SUPERETTE superette.co.nz

  • Taylor road taylorroad.co.nz

  • TESORI tesoridecor.co.nz

  • The Object Room theobjectroom.co.nz

Photo: Photonewzealand/living4media

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