How to make an inexpensive renovation in the loft style. How to make a budget renovation in the loft style using the example of a restaurant. Loft in the premises of an ordinary apartment

Modern trends in the design sphere use a wide variety of approaches to interior design, one of which is the loft style. This trend in design has its own characteristics, which can be organically integrated into the overall interior, which gives atmosphere and zest to the atmosphere.

Features of repairing an apartment in a loft style

Loft is a style of architecture typical for rooms designed in the 20th and 21st centuries, that is, it is a very young trend in the field of design. The main feature of the loft is the use of industrial elements in the design. A refurbishment of a loft-style apartment may have a ceiling with beams that are used to install ceilings in factories, the walls may be finished with red or gray bricks without cladding, and the lighting system, for example, may consist of light bulbs without shades. Renovation of an apartment in a loft style is distinguished by originality and originality, which is very much appreciated these days. In addition, this interior design can be described as "severe comfort", but despite all the rudeness of some elements, they fit very naturally into the overall picture, creating a unique atmosphere.

Design solutions for the renovation of a loft-style apartment

When developing a loft-style apartment renovation project, photo examples of which can be easily found on the Internet, they are presented in large numbers, it is worth considering not only the design style, but also the comfort and practicality of operating individual zones. For example, a loft-style studio apartment is perfect for a single and independent man who does not currently plan to become a family man.

Such housing reflects his personality and is saturated with masculinity. And if you are a member of a large friendly family, then you already need a bigger apartment, since the renovation of a one-room loft-style apartment will not be able to meet the needs of your friendly “team”. At the same time, you should not think that the elements in the nursery, decorated in this style, will be harsh and gloomy - no one has canceled the use of colors, and your kids will be delighted with the drawing boards hung on the walls.

The cost of renovating an apartment in a loft style

There is no guarantee that loft-style repairs will be very cheap. Given the popularity of this style and the use of a wide variety of materials to bring design fantasies to life, decorating an apartment in a loft style can cost a pretty penny. At the same time, this indicator is individual - it all depends on the choice of a contractor, consumables, unplanned expenses, sudden ideas and the complexity of their implementation.

Having bought a one-room studio apartment in a new building, a Minsker named Andrei could not resist the temptation to create an interior in the now fashionable loft style. The crisis made its own adjustments to his plans: he had to abandon the services of professionals, look for places where building materials are cheaper, and even make furniture and lamps with his own hands. The eyes were afraid, but the hands did. It turned out stylish and unusual, and they managed to save about $ 7.5 thousand in equivalent ... On Onliner.by, the contest of reading stories “I did it myself” continues, sponsored by the dmi Dyatkovo chain of cabinet furniture and kitchens in Belarus.

A couple of years ago I bought a "odnushka" at the construction stage. The deadline for putting the house into operation was postponed by as much as a year and a half, which, however, slightly upset me, since with the onset of the next crisis, it became even more difficult to earn money for finishing the apartment. But, having a layout and some experience in design, I began to design the interior and at the same time earn money for the budget of the upcoming event.

Divided the corridor - got a bedroom

I can’t remember how, but I wanted to make an apartment in the loft style. I studied interior photos on design websites for a long time. Notice what you like and what you don't. The loft involves a large space, high ceilings and windows from the floor. Unfortunately, high ceilings and windows from the floor - this is not about my new building. And there are not so many places in the "odnushka". To compensate for these shortcomings, elements of the Scandinavian style had to be added - for example, a lot of white color that expands the space.

One interesting desire was the opportunity to have a separate bedroom in a studio apartment. Initially, I thought to fence off the bed with glass partitions, but this bed still ate up a lot of space. The exit was found unexpectedly. The corridor in the apartment was comparable in size to a separate room. Properly dividing it, we managed to get a separate small room for the bedroom and a still quite spacious corridor. Since I am an engineer by training, I began to draw first 2D and then 3D interior design projects. The project ended up looking like this:

Of course, this project has undergone some changes in the process of finishing work. But I already roughly understood what I needed, and began to think about where to get it and how to save money.

Looking ahead, I will say that I bought all the materials, tools, and so on from importers or manufacturers, and, as a rule, even at wholesale prices. When you compare it with the prices in the market, your hair stands on end. The margin at some sellers reached 300%! Of course, I understand that everyone wants to eat, but this is arrogance. In some markets, it seemed to me, we have no competition at all. If there are 5-10 points of sale, for example, Armatura mixers, then all these stores belong to one owner. Accordingly, he sets the price he wants.

I managed to save about $ 2.5 thousand in equivalent on materials alone, bought not in the first place that came across. Of course, this saving was worth the time and effort. But the result pleased.

When the apartment was completed, it was possible to start finishing. Initially, I did not plan to do something myself. I think everyone should mind their own business. If you are a builder, then you must build, if you are a travel agent, organize recreation for people. But the situation in a crisis is such that the builder begins to think: “I’ll buy the tickets myself and go on vacation as a savage.” As a result, the travel agent, having not received income, thinks about how he can make repairs on his own. Such a vicious circle is obtained.

You hire craftsmen - you multiply all estimates by two?

Having made an estimate of the work and estimating that the money earned during the completion of the house should be enough, I started finishing with the involvement of builders. I started, of course, with the wiring of plumbing and the bathroom as a whole. Upon completion of these works, I realized that all estimates can be safely multiplied by at least two. In practice, builders will find what to do with themselves and what to take more money for. And in my case, this happened already after the work was done. From that moment on, I realized that no one would do better than myself (both financially and in terms of quality). Fortunately, I was able to afford to take a vacation for two months.

The wiring of electricians was helped by friends who are associated with electrical work. I wanted to think through everything thoroughly so that there would be enough sockets for various furniture arrangements, and I had a lot of ideas about the light at the design development stage. As a result, I got more than 60 points, which is a lot for a "odnushka". It can be called a mistake that I decided to partially leave my native wiring. It turned out to be unprofitable in terms of time and effort. The cables in the wall were cut several times, as the diagrams received from the developer indicated a completely different location.

The savings on the work of an electrician amounted to about $ 500 at average market prices.

The next step was the decoration of the walls. According to the project, all walls from floor to ceiling were to be lined with decorative stone under natural brick. An analysis of prices in the service market determined the average cost of laying bricks at $20 per meter. A significant expense item, since the area of \u200b\u200bthe walls is 90 "squares".

All masters described this work as extremely difficult because of the stitching. As it turned out later, this is not true. I did not rush right off the bat: the stone is too expensive to ruin everything. He invited familiar builders, and they laid the first batch of stone. And I watched them and studied the technology. In appearance - nothing complicated. In the future, I decided to continue laying on my own. I would like to note that I have not been engaged in construction work before, except for making something out of wood. Having bought the missing tool (a mixer nozzle and a couple of spatulas), I set to work. At first, the eyes were afraid, but the hands did.

After half a day of work, I already felt confident. The jointing of decorative stone, of course, is a little more difficult in comparison with the jointing of tiles, but I did not see any particular problems. He was jointing with a pistol, and not a special one (it costs money), but one that he himself made from an empty silicone tube and made a collapsible piston. I rubbed the seams with my finger (although you could use brushes, but then the seams turn out to be too smooth, which I didn’t really like). The only trouble - the composition for filling the seams is coarse-grained and very caustic - I washed all my fingers on my hands.

Glass blocks were cut into the wall adjacent to the bedroom, since there is no natural light there. Yes, and from a design point of view, it looks more interesting. From above I made a dim LED backlight, from below - a wooden window sill. More on lighting below.

We managed to save about $ 1000 on laying the stone. After laying and jointing, I covered the walls with a special primer using a water repellent. Switches and sockets were again installed with friends - this is about another $ 100, given their huge number.

In the corridor, bedroom and dressing room, tiles were laid on the floor, because there I made a warm floor. Laminated in the studio. Unfortunately, later it had to be partially shifted. Since the brick was laid from floor to ceiling, I left a gap between the bottom row and the floor for the thickness of the laminate and the width of the seam and did not involve the installation of skirting boards. Initially, it left a small gap between the laminate and the wall, and as the humidity changed, the laminate expanded and rose. The relocation did not bring great difficulties, but I had to worry.

For a long time I could not decide on the ceiling. There was an idea to leave the concrete, having polished it a little, because the monolith had not very neat seams. But, having studied several hundred photos of loft-style interiors, I was convinced that “canonically” they make either a white ceiling or a wooden one, less often - from a brick. The wooden ceiling did not attract me: it would have been very expensive and would have sunk much lower. I also wanted to hide the ventilation duct under the ceiling, going to the kitchen hood and into the bedroom. Therefore, the choice fell on a matte stretch ceiling, with a plaster texture. Between the supporting columns under the ceiling, I decided to make false beams “under the tree”. The ceiling, of course, was done by specialists. I installed the ventilation myself. I installed false beams on mortgages to the wall.

Initially, I wanted to apply decorative plaster on the walls in the corridor, bedroom and dressing room. Chose for a long time. As luck would have it, I liked the five-layer. The masters themselves dissuaded me from this idea. They said that due to the small volumes and a large number of layers, “golden” walls would turn out, and they advised me to choose good wallpaper. In the end it turned out even better. The bedroom is still more comfortable with wallpaper. And in the corridor, I pasted Dutch wallpaper under multilayer plaster, as I wanted.

I installed all the plumbing myself. I even managed to put siphons on a rigid connection without corrugations. It's been a few months now - no problems so far. This also saved about $400.

Arrangement of the loggia

So the finishing seems to have ended, but on a wave of euphoria, I decided to do even what I did not originally plan - to insulate and sew up the loggia. Since only natural textures (brick, wood, metal) were used in the design of the entire apartment, I decided to sew up the wall from the side of the street with wood. And not with clapboard, as many do, but with an ordinary edged planed board. Searching on the Internet, I discovered the technology of wood aging. All the necessary tools were at hand: a grinder with a nozzle in the form of a metal brush, a grinder, and so on. Then he covered the boards with impregnation. I didn’t cut the boards - I bent it in an arc in the shape of the wall.

I insulated the wall from the side of the street and the floor with Izover, and also laid unlaminated chipboard on the floor. In one of the corners of the balcony I made a podium from the same aged boards. It has two purposes: firstly, you can store things inside, and secondly, I plan to put a sofa with a table on it and enjoy the beautiful view from the window with a cup of tea in the summer.

I put an artificial grass covering on the floor - in combination with an aged tree it looks very fresh.

Boards with timber cost 50 rubles, impregnation - 8 rubles. Chipboard - 20 rubles, artificial grass - 35 rubles, hardware - 2 rubles. I find it difficult to say how much I saved here, since this, I think, is more creative work.

DIY furniture and chandeliers

Actually, the warming of the loggia aroused in me the desire to create further. Having completely completed the repair, I began to make furniture and chandeliers on my own. The loft style is conducive to creative endeavors. It doesn't have to be perfect, otherwise it will look artificial.

From the furniture I decided to make coffee tables in the studio and on the balcony, as well as original shelves. He also made tables from boards, which he aged and covered with impregnation. From the boards he assembled, as it were, pallets, and from these pallets - a table.

Large studio table

Small table on the balcony

For the manufacture of tables, it took 60 rubles for boards and timber, 2 rubles for hardware, 8 rubles for impregnation, 10 rubles for wheels. These designer tables, I've seen, sell for $400. Although I will say that this work is not easy: it is very dusty and uncomfortable at home. Everything had to be done on the floor, kneeling, which by the end of the day was very sore. But satisfaction with the result covers all the inconvenience.

In the same way I made a hanger for outerwear in the corridor. For everything about everything together with hooks, it took 12 rubles.

I decided to make shelves for books, vases, decor elements in the form of wooden boxes. At the dacha I found old unnecessary boxes, sorted them into planks, sawed off the leaky parts, washed them from plaque and dirt, covered them with white impregnation and rubbed them a little with sandpaper so that the texture of the old tree showed through.

From the "new" boards, I reassembled the boxes.

The result is this design:

I spent only 11 rubles on the shelves: 8 rubles for impregnation, 2 rubles for hardware and 1 ruble for a rope.

The most interesting thing began when I began to pick up chandeliers in the interior I created. It turned out that almost nothing fits, and what looks even more or less costs space money. Therefore, in the wake of success with decoration and furniture, I decided to make chandeliers myself. In the market I bought only one rattan chandelier for the bedroom.

I must say right away that I have a lot of light - both designed to illuminate the entire apartment, and decorative, to create the right atmosphere. All light, except for dimmable incandescent lamps, is LED. These are the chandeliers I decided to do. I ordered the entire package from the importer: LED strips, aluminum profiles, transformers, and so on. I ordered ceiling mounts for chandeliers in China, since they are not sold here.

The first and most difficult in terms of implementation was a chandelier for the living area. I saw similar chandeliers in stores, tried to repeat and made even a little more functional.

The chandelier consists of three segments suspended at different heights and with different inclinations on a cable in a metal braid, which looks like a metal cable. I liked the shape of the isosceles triangle. I've seen round and square ones in stores. A chandelier of similar power in stores and markets costs about 1,300 rubles. But my chandelier, in addition to the main light, also has the ability to work in decorative lighting mode or in two modes at once.

It turned out very cozy and atmospheric.

For all the components for this chandelier, I gave $ 70. Many acquaintances looked and said that they would have done this with ease. In response, I just smiled. Now I already have experience, but during the manufacturing process I did not know how to implement some points, I was looking for solutions. Yes, and I hung it, I remember, until five in the morning. I fixed it, she worked for 15 minutes and began to wheeze. Then for two days I figured out what was the matter. Separately, it didn’t take long, but as soon as I collected three segments together, it started. Until I completely reassembled it, it did not work.

In the dining area, I made a chandelier in a more loft style: metal frame, wood, metal mesh, linen burlap. The chandelier was hung on a metal cable with the ability to adjust the height. It has four regular LED bulbs. I have not even seen such chandeliers for sale, so I find it difficult to say how much it can cost. Accessories cost about $17.

In the corridor, I decided to make a completely loft chandelier. Somewhere on Instagram I saw a bicycle on the wall of a bar with light bulbs inside the wheels. And so the idea was born. I also made this chandelier in two modes: for lighting and as a night light - I put a low-power LED strip around the rim. I took the rim in the country from an old bike. So the components turned out to be quite cheap - about $ 7. I haven't seen chandeliers like this in stores.

Literally in 30 minutes I made two sconces in the bedroom. Again, natural wood and burlap. The cost of two lamps was only $2.5.

I installed dim LED lighting and traditional lighting on the balcony.

I also made a lamp for the mirror in the bathroom and a mirror light from wood.

And for starters, a little financial sketch.
In finishing stores, I found tiles for at least 405 rubles. per square meter. And she is not very, some kind of small, not very natural in appearance.
And that tile, which at least 70% satisfies my taste, costs around 700 rubles. per metre. And then it is too "new", and I wanted to achieve the effect of an old wall.
Plus, you need to consider that laying tiles by a master will cost at least 500 rubles per meter. Plus glue, I have no idea how much it costs.
Total runs from 1200 rubles. per square - this is the minimum (with the desired design)! And my need for this finish is about 15 m.

In addition, the thickness of the finished tile + glue does not satisfy me at all, it is too large for my conditions.

In general, I had already abandoned the idea of making such a decor, when all of a sudden!
Suddenly the idea came to do it yourself, by hand, to do miracles with your own hands, but in such a way that the process was as simple and pleasant as possible, and the effect was the most desired.

So, the whole creative process: design, preparation of tools, implementation.

1. Search for an image on the Internet

I chose this photo of the wall. I liked its texture, jagged lines, old age and wear, a kind of not a raid of time, but time itself.

2. Stencil preparation

I placed this picture in corel draw, circled the fragment.
To be honest, I spent about a day (along with other things) making a matching pattern and also calculating the size of the future stencil that I needed and convenient for me.

3. Making a stencil

I ordered the production of a PET stencil in an advertising production. PET is the material from which plastic bottles are made. Any products are made from a PET sheet by means of laser (or milling) cutting according to a vector file.
Here's what happened. I made two of these, slightly different in design and size.
And this was the first material waste in the amount of 670 rubles.

4. Purchase of materials

The second and last material cost is the purchase of gypsum putty about 500 rubles. per bag 20 kg. I had enough of such a bag for 6.5 square meters. Those. need two more. The total issue price for 15 meters of a brick wall is 500 * 3 + 670 = 2170. Well, let's add masking tape here for auxiliary work, so be it.

More than two thousand issue price against from 18,000 rubles. There is a difference?
All right, all right, let's increase the cost by the price of the paint, I'll just paint it matte white.
Although I still planned to paint the wall tiled and the wall without tiles white, so these costs do not count.

5. Manufacturing process

a) Attach the stencil to the prepared surface with masking tape. It is advisable to use the level like a real bricklayer :)
The surface is prepared as desired.
In my case, the wall is leveled with putty, because. I didn't originally plan to do this. But, in order to achieve the effect of the naturalness of the seams and the curvature of the old wall, it is better not to level it at all, but only soak it well with a primer. Thus, the word "achieve" is completely inappropriate here)).
So, depending on the desired effect, the wall needs to be leveled or curved to the extent that you wish.

b) Dilute a little putty to a state of thick sour cream.
Here you will have to experimentally select the amount of the mixture and water, you need to somehow count, estimate, remember. I diluted the mixture in a small bucket and mixed with a regular kitchen mixer. In a volume of about two liters of the mixture per 0.3 m square area (this is the area of \u200b\u200bmy stencil).

in) Apply an even layer of mortar on the wall over the stencil with a spatula.
It is convenient to use two spatulas, large and small, it is somewhat similar to working with a brush and a palette.

G) Flatten artistically. That is, not really bothering, because it will be an old brick "in a light haze of past centuries."
Here the task is to make a layer with a thickness of 3 to 8-10 mm, and even leaving uneven streaks.
You can make completely dents, potholes, there is no limit to fantasy.

e) Carefully remove the stencil. Put it on a clean surface (for example, the floor) and collect the remaining solution with a spatula, it will still come in handy.

e) Carefully consider the resulting bricks and adjust the thickness with a spatula and the remains of the mortar according to your desire and taste.

and) Carefully “tread down” irregularities with a wet sponge, correct the surface of the bricks.

This process can, and sometimes needs to be repeated when the solution sets and hardens a little.

h) To avoid the effect of gypsum blotches on a flat wall, you can dilute the solution to "liquid sour cream" and paint over the wall with an ordinary brush, paying special attention to the contours of the brick. This is when all the forms are already dry.

I) If desired, you can grind the bricks with sandpaper.

At this stage, I get this wall.
I will trim it, correct it to my inner “enough”, and then paint it white matte with ordinary acrylic paint for facades and interiors, the most resistant to dirt and washing.
Actions h) and i) have not yet been applied in these photos. The seams need to be curved, the joints to be covered up, but the picture as a whole is clear.

From this article you will learn:

What types of loft style can be implemented when repairing an apartment
How to renovate a studio apartment in a loft style
What role does a brick wall play in renovating a loft-style apartment?
How to renovate a one-room loft-style apartment
How to renovate a loft-style apartment yourself

Repairs in Moscow must be taken seriously. First you need to decide on the style that you like.

The loft style is gaining more and more popularity due to its ease and eclecticism, perfectly combined with convenience and spaciousness. A modern interior in the spirit of a loft can be created away from industrial premises, embodying his ideas in a standard living space. To renovate a loft-style apartment, it is not necessary to look for old bricks to imitate the walls of an abandoned factory. You will learn how to create a loft style using simple tricks in this article.

How can a loft-style apartment be renovated

The nuances of a loft-style interior largely depend on the lifestyle and preferences of the inhabitants of the apartment. The owners of such spaces are usually:

creative individuals with established principles and lifestyle (everyone knows that such an interior was made fashionable by the outrageous artist Andy Warhol, thanks to whom the loft became extremely popular with the bohemia of that time);
successful office workers or entrepreneurs, for whom the unobtrusiveness of the loft helps to escape from the daily work routine;
owners of studios in new buildings and buyers of "stalinok" and "brezhnevka" with high ceilings (renovation of a loft-style apartment allows you to make an original and at the same time comfortable and inexpensive interior);
people who have abandoned their usual way of life, whom the loft style attracts with its unpretentiousness.

There are several solutions for renovating a loft-style apartment:

soft loft(soft loft) is embodied in emphasizing a wall or a separate section of it with the help of “exposure” or imitation of the source material - concrete, brick, etc. This is quite enough to create a suitable spirit in the interior. A soft loft allows for open communications, but this is not mandatory.

A soft loft does not mind curtains, carpet or laminate flooring. If a family with a small child lives in a "odnushka", it is quite acceptable to make repairs in the loft style. However, the background for such an interior should be neutral, for example, wood or concrete. Any interior can be made loft-like, since a soft loft quite accepts elements of many other styles. Assorted furniture and decor items purchased "for the future" will also be appropriate.

hard loft(hard loft) does not mean strictness and gloom at all. In the interior, made in this style, light colors can be used, which is especially important when there is a lack of natural light or it is impossible to install large windows. In this case, it is appropriate to apply the principle of dominance of the top, in which the background is the ceiling, decorated with suspended deliberately rough accents of industrial origin. Open communication systems (for example, pipes), highlighted with contrasting paint, are also relevant. Another way to highlight the interior with a hard loft is to use large textured background surfaces, divided into zones and having their own complementary accent. Repairing an apartment in the style of a hard loft helps with chronic stress in middle-aged people, but such an interior is not recommended for children and the elderly.

evil loft(evil loft or malicious loft) is characteristic of those who sharply deny the socially approved way of life, for example, kitsch artists or anti-social elements. This style is distinguished by the neglect of space (overhanging ceilings), light and provocative to the point of obscenity main accents.

Loft pigsty(swine loft) is a dream interior for any creative person who wants to break away from reality. Such a space is not at all swine. Here everything is arranged and thought out to the smallest detail, light and air are harmoniously organized. However, refurbishment of an apartment in the style of a pigsty loft can only be done in rooms of at least 80 square meters with a full-wall French window and / or a roof with a lantern.

How to renovate a studio apartment in a loft style

For those who have recently become the owner of their own home and are thinking about the upcoming expenses for interior design, a loft-style renovation will be a real salvation. Especially when it comes to the studio. The loft style will create a truly original interior with the help of non-standard "street design" elements: pipes, various metal parts, etc.

What can you save on when renovating a small loft-style apartment? First, on finishing materials. Having abandoned plaster and primer, you just need to emphasize the beauty of the rough finish of ceilings and walls and flaunt the blocks of interior partitions.

Secondly, the loft style “loves” open communications and wiring, which means that you can save on chasing and sealing channels for pipes and electrics. Professionally divorced communications and wiring can become a real decoration of the interior.

By ridding your living space of unnecessary details and letting in a lot of light and air, you will further emphasize the "loft" of your apartment. Replace a lot of chests of drawers and bedside tables with a hidden storage system, and instead of vases and ceramic figurines, focus on a bright red bicycle.

Color palette

The renovation of the loft-style apartment is carried out in classic “industrial” colors: gray (from a shade of light concrete to dark graphite) and muted terracotta, which resembles the shade of old bricks and wood. This color of the living space is in perfect harmony with other objects and decor elements of the urban style.

All shades of gray are suitable for the interior of bathrooms and bathrooms. It is not difficult to choose finishing materials for these rooms, since similar colors can be found in the collections of each manufacturer of ceramic tiles and porcelain stoneware.

bar counter

The loft style does not accept living rooms with separate tables and rows of chairs, preferring a bar counter. This option is great for small apartments. A loft-style renovation will allow you to complement the bar counter with a mini-bar or hidden storage systems.

Also, the counter can visually divide the space into a kitchen area and a soft area for receiving guests or watching TV. As such a piece of furniture, a kitchen island is perfect, behind which several people can cook dinner at once. A similar stand can also be used for organizing urban-style parties.

vintage tree

Wood will never go out of style, the main thing is to choose the right shades and textures. When remodeling, complement your loft space with old beams, textured craftsmanship tables, or age-grayed carved panels. If you cannot find suitable wood, the visual effect of aging new pieces of furniture can be achieved using a variety of techniques and finishing materials.

Old or aged boards can become a wall panel, headboard, table top, etc.

street decor

Let the spirit of the city into your living space and emphasize the urban style with original elements of street culture. For example, a bicycle hanging on the wall. The loft style is a sign of open and stereotype-free people who are not used to hiding their lives behind decorative facades.

Old signs, road signs or neon advertising panels will look great on a brick or concrete wall, further blurring the boundaries between the apartment and the street outside the window. Photo prints imitating a signboard or graffiti, and time-worn urban artifacts purchased at a flea market would also be appropriate.

Having repaired an old barn door, remake it into a sliding one, bringing an original accent to the interior of a loft-style room. Such doors save space, so they are an excellent option for small apartments.

Loft-style renovation does not require strict compliance with the canons and large financial costs. It will not be difficult to create a suitable atmosphere or mood, the main thing is to attract fantasy and desire to help.

Brick wall as an integral part of renovating a loft-style apartment

The loft style originated in the factory districts of New York. The rising cost of land in the city center forced business owners to move them outside the city. The city authorities leased the empty factory premises to low-income families as apartments, obliging them to carry out repairs at their own expense. However, low income did not allow the new inhabitants of the factory spaces to seriously transform their housing, so the walls and ceilings existed in the interiors in their original industrial form.

The loft style was made fashionable by the outrageous artist Andy Warhol, who organized bohemian parties for artists in such apartments. The deliberate rudeness of exposed brick and concrete was radically different from the design standards accepted at that time, so this delighted the local beau monde, among whom a radical rejection of the past and the familiar became fashionable. The loft style and its hallmark - the rough texture of bricks - have become extremely popular, and the former apartments of the poor have skyrocketed in price.

Renovation of a loft-style apartment obliges to go for bold design experiments, which aim to emphasize the original industrial aesthetics.

Signs of the industrial style (LED signs, road signs, witty posters, graffiti and "industrial" lamps) fit perfectly into the interior designed in the spirit of a loft. Open communications and electrical wiring will be another accent of such an "urban" space.

The authenticity of brickwork can be emphasized with leather upholstery, coarse textiles, metal structures, sports equipment, bright color accents and contemporary art objects. Contrasting elements, such as massive mirrors in twisted baroque frames and neo-gothic wall candelabra, will further emphasize the brick finish.

Renovation of a loft-style apartment most often involves the most popular shade of brick - terracotta. White, gray and even black brickwork will also be relevant.

The loft-style space lighting scenario should emphasize the natural “redness” of the brick, so you should give preference to a warm light spectrum, thanks to which the shades and texture of the masonry will look the most advantageous.

Swivel spotlights, floor lamps, table lamps, chamber lamps on a low suspension, LED lighting and signs are suitable as lighting fixtures. Lighting can be multi-level.

One of the latest fashion trends in renovating a loft-style apartment is the original solution for the wall at the head of the bed: in the niches of the white plasterboard body, natural brickwork is visible, illuminated in a warm spectrum with the help of an LED strip. The niches themselves provide storage space, making them a non-standard replacement for bedside tables.

How to make a brick wall in an apartment

If your home has a brick wall with uneven masonry, and you are planning to renovate your apartment in a loft style, you should not hide this beauty behind plaster or plasterboard structures. An experienced designer will help to give it a refined and original appearance. To do this, it is enough for master finishers to clean the brickwork from cement, dirt and salt stains using an acid-containing solution. After the final wash, the surface will be coated with a water-based varnish. You can also paint the wall with paint of the chosen shade or paint graffiti.

If you didn’t get a “gift of fate” in the form of authentic brickwork, you can create it using finishing materials. The use of real bricks for this purpose is fraught with a reduction in the size of the room. It is much better to imitate masonry using modern materials and technologies:

Facing brick or clinker tile. The dimensions and weight of these materials are significantly smaller than those of building bricks, so they will not weigh down the structure or “eat up” precious square centimeters. This cladding is suitable even for interior partitions. The strength and durability of these materials allows them to be used in repairs in all areas of the apartment. Due to the variety of colors and textures, they will fit into any stylistic decision.
Brick-like plastic construction panels. This inexpensive material does not require wall preparation before application, as well as special building skills. Of the additional advantages - durability and good soundproofing characteristics.
Brick veneers. This material is made of plastic, wood, polystyrene foam, artificial leather or clay like clinker tiles. Such budget "bricks" are inexpensive, but they are sold individually, so they are best used for finishing small fragments of the wall.
Gypsum brick imitation. This method allows you to create a truly individual coating. During the repair, a thick layer of gypsum is applied to the wall, in which the “bricks” are formed by hand. After drying, the gaps are rubbed with a solution, the paint is given a shade and depth of texture.
Paper or vinyl wallpaper with a brick pattern. This is the easiest and most inexpensive way to renovate a loft-style apartment with a brick effect. However, it should be remembered that such a finish will not look as natural as natural brick.

Renovation of a one-room loft-style apartment is not as difficult as it seems at first glance

What if instead of high ceilings and large square meters of a real loft there is only one apartment or a modest studio? Abandon industrial style? In no case! It is quite possible to make a loft-style renovation in a small apartment with a small budget.

Professional designers cope with the challenge of a small-sized loft style very successfully, creating truly original projects.

So how to achieve the desired interior when repairing in a small apartment and a modest budget? To begin with, you should arm yourself with some tips.

Create the factory spirit of a loft interior.

You need to start by looking for what your apartment resembles an "abandoned factory". High ceilings and large windows, as well as utilities, a concrete wall or cast-iron batteries, can serve as such signs of a loft style. Of course, for this you will have to remove the existing finish, however, the old brickwork found behind the drywall construction will more than reward all the work.

Each such find should be described in detail in order to subsequently use them when creating a design project for a new loft-style interior.

Work with surfaces.

Carefully examine all the surfaces of your apartment. It is the walls, floor and ceiling that are the main accents in the renovation of a loft-style apartment. As noted earlier, furniture in such interiors plays a secondary role. With the help of modern finishing materials on any surface, you can create the effect of brickwork or rough concrete.

Textures that combine luxury and rough industrial processing fit perfectly. It is the loft style that allows the simultaneous use of exquisite Venetian plaster and “brutal” concrete-like coating in one interior during the renovation of an apartment. Such “tolerance” is due to the history of this style, when living rooms, kitchens, and bedrooms were equipped in the premises of former factories.

Decorative plaster will help to achieve such a “factory”, thanks to which brickwork, concrete blocks, crumbling plaster, noble surfaces of silk or marble can be created on any surface. But making out “under the tree” is still not worth it, since the loft style accepts only natural wood.

Review the layout.

Renovation of a small loft-style apartment implies a mandatory revision of the existing layout. If your odnushka does not have load-bearing walls, you should think about combining the living room with the kitchen or installing a glass partition between the rooms. So you can achieve the much-needed space for a loft-style interior.

However, if redevelopment of the apartment is not possible, you can add air and lightness to the room using simple design techniques: light walls, low furniture, hidden storage systems to match the color of the finish, etc.

Special attention should be paid to windows. Of course, in typical apartments you will not be able to expand the window opening, however, you can achieve a visual increase by removing heavy curtains and traditional tulle. If necessary, concise blinds will help reduce the intensity of sunlight and hide from the views of neighbors. If you got wooden windows in good condition, you should not change them to plastic. It is better to spend this money on high-quality repairs and insulation, turning old windows into a highlight of the interior of a loft-style apartment.

Remove excess.

One of the features of the loft style is free space. It is necessary to get rid of the boring attributes of Soviet comfort - carpets and blankets on sofas and armchairs. Hidden systems are perfect for storing the right things.

Unusual or vintage furniture, art objects and decor items in an industrial spirit will help to place accents.

For owners of new apartments who have moved into a new building, a loft-style renovation can be a real salvation, as it allows you to turn unplastered walls, concrete floors and draft ceilings into elements of a new interior. And at the same time, it is not necessary to hide engineering communications and wiring. However, do not forget about moderation. It is enough to decorate one or two surfaces in a loft style, softening the interior of the rest of the space. You should not get carried away with strict adherence to design, forgetting that the apartment after repair should look cozy and residential.

Get creative.

Originality and non-standard design thinking, free from stereotypes, are excellent helpers in renovating a loft-style apartment. In such an interior, a wooden factory table and a plastic chair, a classic crystal chandelier and a neon-colored armchair perfectly coexist. The absence of fear of mixing styles and eras will ensure success when creating a loft-style apartment design project.

However, you should not get too carried away with freedom, shifting towards bad taste. It is allowed to mix elements of different styles, for example, industrial with minimalism, hi-tech and retro, etc. Art objects will help to place accents.

Renovating a small loft-style apartment is not a trivial task for truly determined designers. Success in this business will help you feel the urban spirit of New York even in a tiny studio in the Russian provinces.

How to renovate a loft-style apartment with your own hands

Repair of a loft-style apartment must begin with the destruction or transfer of all partitions, except for the bearing ones. If you do not want to subsequently mess with the legalization of redevelopment, you should clarify in advance with the relevant service which walls can be broken. Next, you should decide which of the directions of the loft style will be embodied in this room. A hard and evil loft means “exposed” communications. If they were hidden, they must be opened and emphasized with decoration. In addition, you will need:

background surfaces of brutal "factory" style;
the main emphasis on a prominent place;
additional accents for the conceptual completion of the interior;
sources of lighting (as a rule, the amount of incoming natural light is not enough due to the limited size of window openings).

Background

Any well-visible surface of a large size can act as a backdrop for a loft-style space. As a rule, this is a wall, less often - a ceiling. Placing the main focus on the floor is impractical, since this surface is not clearly visible.

Walls

Red working brick masonry is most often used to decorate walls when renovating a loft-style apartment. It's all about the unique texture and color of this material. To bring in the spirit of the loft, you need to carefully clean the surface of the bearing brick wall from plaster and treat it twice with a deep penetration primer. This will save the brick from stains and shedding.

If necessary, paint can be applied after priming. After all work is completed, the brick must be impregnated twice with a water-polymer emulsion. It will give the surface shine and durability.

If the wall is made of chipped brick and does not differ in beauty, or there is no desire to destroy a well-plastered surface, brickwork can be imitated using finishing materials and special technologies.

loft doors

Not all walls in a loft-style apartment can be eliminated. So, along with them, doorways that need to be arranged will also be preserved. If you could not find an old barn door and fit it into the interior, you should not veneer the “remake” with “brick-like” tiles. All the efforts expended will be in vain, since such a design will be heavy, and the finish will be unreliable. It is better to paint all the doors in one color, contrasting with the background. It is not recommended to allocate doors in public areas in this way.

Anti-burglary fittings should also not be touched. But glazing for interior doors in a loft-style apartment is absolutely not forbidden, especially if these are doors from the hallway to the room. Thanks to the 30x30 cm glass squares so "favorite" of this style, such a surface will add more lighting to the hallway, which is often lacking in this room.

Ceiling

The ceiling is extremely rarely chosen as a background for an apartment during a loft-style renovation, but this does not mean at all that you can leave it as it is. It is the so-called dominant of the top, so the design of the ceiling should be given special attention. High ceilings (from 3.5 m) make it possible to sheathe them with boards and put massive false beams on the sheathing. If this is an attic room with a sloping ceiling, you can stop only on false beams from planks without sheathing.

As a rule, false beams are made of timber, while they do not visually reduce the height of the room. This is "played" by a light color for the ceiling and false beams crossing it with a crate. Such a finish will visually stretch the room wide, adding the space that is so necessary for the loft style.

The standard ceiling height in an apartment of sufficient area allows you to decorate the ceiling painted in light colors with a rare crate of dark flat overhead false beams. Visually, this technique will slightly reduce the height of the room, but this is compensated by contrasting elements elongated in length, which “work” to “stretch” the space of the apartment. Openwork false beams made of thin-walled C- and U-profiles for drywall and galvanized strips, painted in a dark color, will come to the rescue in cases where a loft-style renovation is required in a small apartment. This technique visually expands a small space without hiding the height of the ceilings.

Floor

The soft loft style is quite loyal to the laminate. A hard loft accepts painted or unpainted boards, as well as rough stoneware in all shades of gray, reminiscent of concrete. Those who want to renovate an apartment in the style of a loft pigsty are advised to give preference to porcelain stoneware, but the plank floor goes by the wayside. The evil loft, on the other hand, “adores” floors that the average person would not want to see in their interior. For example, 3D floors with disgusting patterns.

Main spot

Living rooms are best suited for loft-style repairs, since it is in this room of the apartment that you can easily reveal the role of the main accent of the interior and the requirements for the overall design concept. Regardless of which of the loft style directions is chosen (soft, hard, evil, etc.), the main accent is placed in the middle of the background area or in the most visible place. It should be in contrast with the background shade of the room, so a color panel would be an ideal choice. What will be the content of this art object depends solely on your preferences and vision of the future interior.

Restrictions

Before starting the renovation of a loft-style apartment, you need to find out about the restrictions that refer to sanitary and hygienic and medical and psychological requirements. It is strongly not recommended to make repairs in the loft style in the children's and guest rooms, as well as in the homes of the elderly. "Industrial" will make these rooms uncomfortable. In addition, it is impossible to achieve the spirit of a loft in the office and library due to the specifics of these rooms: there are open storage systems, and the atmosphere should not distract from the working mood.

Hallway(small size, lack of space and natural light, and other inconsistencies with the loft style).
Kitchen(“favorite” industrial-style finishing materials do not meet the sanitary and hygienic requirements for this room).
Bathroom(does not qualify for both of the above conditions).

Ideal in terms of creating a loft style is a large area (about 40-50 square meters or more), with impressive windows and high ceilings. But if your home does not meet these requirements, do not despair. Bring the urban spirit of New York to your apartment with the help of professionals.

Cooperate with the company "My Repair" - it is reliable and prestigious. The specialists working here are professionals of the highest level. The company "My Repair" operates throughout Moscow and the Moscow region.

27.07.2018 Read in 3 min.

The word "loft" in translation from English means "non-residential attic" or "attic". In the middle of the last century, land prices rose sharply in America, and non-residential premises were equipped for the poor. The protruding beams and ventilation could not be hidden, but the young artists liked it. And the once cheap warehouses began to turn into trendy apartments, and abandoned ones into elite dwellings.

Why choose a loft style?

There are the following reasons why you should give preference to this direction in interior design:

if you are a creative person, then a loft-style apartment is a great option for a showroom or workshop;
if you are limited in finances and do not have enough funds for expensive apartment repairs, a loft will help to make a beautiful interior out of a small one;
if you like free layouts, this style is definitely for you, because there is no clutter in space;
if you want to stand out, do it with ease, because the loft is a new and unconventional way of thinking.

And so, if you decide to decorate the interior of your apartment in a loft style, remember a few important rules.

The nuances of interior design in loft style

Most often, in the loft style, small apartments are decorated. But, there are also large two-level ones. The attic is also perfect for this direction. For example, on the second one, a living space may appear, which looks more like an attic.

If the room has a low ceiling, you will have to “lift” it, or rather try to “take it apart”. False ceilings are found in old apartments, from the time when they were in vogue. If this is exactly the case for you, then you just have to remove the suspended part and the ceiling will immediately become much higher.

If you are not so lucky, then you will have to play with visual perception. That is, purchase low furniture or illuminate the ceiling with lamps or a floor lamp. Another option to visually raise the ceiling is curtains with a vertical pattern and an elongated pattern on the walls.

As for the walls, the main rule of this style is that at least one of them must remain unfinished, that is, in the form of brickwork or concrete. By the way, this is the most budget option. Other walls can be decorated at your discretion. But, instead of wallpaper, it is better to use paint, and preferably light shades.

What else to consider?

The interior of a small room should look spacious, so you need to think carefully about the layout.

The best way to create an illusion, as you know, is mirrors. But the loft does not like it when the design of the apartment has many identical objects, so if the apartment is small in size, then you can make one of the walls reflective if you make it cabinets, where the doors are in mirrors.

When choosing furniture, one should not forget about saving space, so the apartment should not be forced to purchase multifunctional furniture, for example, a table with retractable cooking surfaces.

In the photo: Kitchen interior in a loft-style apartment

How to choose colors?

The color scheme is not simple, as it might seem at first glance. There are no strict rules, but the choice of color is limited. The main color of the style is beige, white and light shades of brown and gray. Everything else is in addition. The apartment should not be colorful at all, two or three colors are enough.

Bright shades, for example, rich pink, are categorically not suitable. You can also use red and wood shades. Only if they fit into such an interior. To not be so boring, you can dilute them a little with dark blue, chocolate or terracotta colors.

In the photo: Living room interior in a loft-style apartment

decoration

The abundance of decor items is undesirable, but they can still be present. Classics for this style are globes and various maps. Small flowers in regular brown pots may work. Small rectangular wooden shelves will harmoniously fit in, where you can place books or souvenirs. The main thing is everything in moderation.

Black and white photographs will be appropriate on the wall. Still lifes will look in the kitchen, and bright graffiti in the living room. Pictures can be randomly placed on the wall, large works of art can not be hung at all, but leaned against the wall. In the living room, you can build a fireplace, made of bricks, or just an imitation, and lay beautiful rugs and rugs next to it. Such an interior will immediately become cozy.

In the photo: Living room interior in a loft-style apartment

The fireplace is made of brick or simply imitated. Interior items should be made of wood, metal or glass, as an option - plastic. In addition, leather, suede and fur are popular. Such environmentally friendly materials are ideal for this style. But plastic and vinyl will not work, it is better to refuse them, or use them in small quantities.

If decor items are made of metal, then they should be matte or glossy. Shannil and leatherette are suitable, but in no case are velvet elements. Old beams or a table with a textured surface, as well as carved panels that have turned gray over time, are perfect as decorations. For this, it is not necessary to purchase antique pieces of furniture. Modern processing methods can age even new materials. As a decoration on the shelves, you can put jars with various buttons, nails, glasses with beads and small pebbles. Vases can be filled with the most unusual contents.

If there is a carpet, then let it be plain and not cover the entire floor, which must be wooden. Laminate and parquet boards are also suitable. The cheapest option would be a cement screed floor. Slightly more expensive will be self-leveling floors or lined with ordinary ceramic tiles.

Lighting

A feature of the style is a lot of light, so sometimes there are no curtains on the windows, they can be replaced with blinds. Lighting creates space, which means there should be many artificial light sources.

If you have a studio apartment and there is no partition between the main room and the kitchen, it is necessary to allocate "zones" in order for the space to be perceived as one. It is not necessary to highlight the kitchen too brightly, you can only paint the corner in a contrasting color or separate it with a bar counter or table. By the way, an open bar will be very suitable. This does not mean that alcohol should be placed in it, there may be coffee syrups.

In the photo: Interior of a bathroom in a loft-style apartment

Style features in interior design

The main characteristic feature of the loft is the apparent negligence. For example, specially “not hidden” communications. Some try to emphasize ventilation shafts and rusty beams. Then there is no need to make additional finishing of the room. As an option - release the cable and fix it on the walls.

If you decide to make partitions, then try to make them made of translucent materials. For decorations, thematic images or unusual posters with bright inscriptions and abstract patterns are more suitable. If the house has a staircase, it is better if it is metal. For a change, you can put a few small do-it-yourself pillows on the sofa, and purchase covers on the chairs.

In the photo: Dining room interior in a loft-style apartment

Furniture

The first thing to do is decide on a bed. A small ottoman or a classic bed is perfect. If this is a sofa or chair, then let them be leather. Folding chairs and transforming tables will be ideally combined. It is good if the furniture is on wheels so that it can be rearranged at any time. So she won't get in the way.

There is no need to force the room with cabinets and bedside tables when the necessary things can be placed on hidden shelves. For example, on the sides of the bed or on the podium, in the form of roomy drawers.

In the photo: Interior of a bedroom in a loft-style apartment

Children's room

The child's room is a unique place in any apartment where you can show all your imagination. All parents want comfort and safety for their children, but at the same time, that their room is unusual and interesting. Therefore, decorating it in a loft style, it is worth adding bright contrasts.

Bathroom interior design requires a lot of attention to plumbing. The most suitable cast-iron bathroom, it is in the center of the room. A mirror in an old frame is selected for it, and the walls are laid out with mosaic tiles. Open pipes complete the interior.

Almost every apartment can be decorated in a loft style, if there is a desire, and this will prove that even a small studio can be made practical and interesting.

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