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Lofts: 14 Ways to Make the Most of Your Loft Room
With awkward layouts and tricky angles, lofts can be difficult rooms to decorate. Here are some tips for capitalising on the available space
Carving out extra living space in the loft can be a wonderful way to make the most of your home’s square footage. But to get the most out of your newfound space, you will need to address a few challenges particular to lofts, from steeply sloped ceilings and awkward layouts to low light and hard-to-dress windows. Here you’ll find help for some of the most common loft decorating dilemmas.
Embrace the romance of a loft bedroom
What could be cosier than a child’s bed tucked under the eaves in a loft bedroom? Kids tend to love small spaces, so converting a loft into a child’s room is a natural choice. White panelled walls ramp up the cute cottage feel here.
What could be cosier than a child’s bed tucked under the eaves in a loft bedroom? Kids tend to love small spaces, so converting a loft into a child’s room is a natural choice. White panelled walls ramp up the cute cottage feel here.
Increase storage with a built-in bed
A comfy little bed nook becomes even more functional when you add slim bedside shelving plus storage at the foot and under the bed.
Tip Beds for bigger kids and grown-ups are best positioned under the highest part of the ceiling (as shown here), rather than under the eaves, as in the previous photo.
A comfy little bed nook becomes even more functional when you add slim bedside shelving plus storage at the foot and under the bed.
Tip Beds for bigger kids and grown-ups are best positioned under the highest part of the ceiling (as shown here), rather than under the eaves, as in the previous photo.
Go semi-built-in with a desk under the eaves
If you have basic carpentry skills and a DIY bent, you could feasibly construct something similar to the desk shown here using cut-to-order wood and floating shelving, for a feature that makes use of every inch of space.
If you have basic carpentry skills and a DIY bent, you could feasibly construct something similar to the desk shown here using cut-to-order wood and floating shelving, for a feature that makes use of every inch of space.
Maximise space and light with white
Even if you would ordinarily shy away from using pure white on the ceiling, walls and floor, in a loft it can be just the thing to open up the space. Upstairs rooms get less foot traffic and less dirt tracked in, thanks to their being located farther from the home’s entrance, so it’s not as difficult to keep white loft floors clean as you might think. And being surrounded by white is like being inside a big, puffy cloud… a far cry from the stereotypical cramped, dark loft.
Tour a bright loft conversion in Old Portsmouth
Even if you would ordinarily shy away from using pure white on the ceiling, walls and floor, in a loft it can be just the thing to open up the space. Upstairs rooms get less foot traffic and less dirt tracked in, thanks to their being located farther from the home’s entrance, so it’s not as difficult to keep white loft floors clean as you might think. And being surrounded by white is like being inside a big, puffy cloud… a far cry from the stereotypical cramped, dark loft.
Tour a bright loft conversion in Old Portsmouth
Paint the floor
Whether you choose white or another light hue, painted floors can be a smart choice in the loft: They reflect more light than plain wood, and paint is a great finish for less-expensive wood flooring – a great help for staying on budget.
Whether you choose white or another light hue, painted floors can be a smart choice in the loft: They reflect more light than plain wood, and paint is a great finish for less-expensive wood flooring – a great help for staying on budget.
Look into customised storage
A full wall of bespoke wardrobes and other storage is worth its weight in gold as far as I’m concerned. If you plan to use your loft as a master bedroom or as another frequently used space, consider saving up for custom-made wardrobes or cabinetry – they’ll be worth the splurge. Find a professional bespoke cabinet maker to build your design.
A full wall of bespoke wardrobes and other storage is worth its weight in gold as far as I’m concerned. If you plan to use your loft as a master bedroom or as another frequently used space, consider saving up for custom-made wardrobes or cabinetry – they’ll be worth the splurge. Find a professional bespoke cabinet maker to build your design.
Consider other built-ins
Perhaps a standard wardrobe is not what you need at all, but what about a built-in desk, set of drawers or storage trunk? A good professional will have lots of creative ideas for making the most of your space.
Perhaps a standard wardrobe is not what you need at all, but what about a built-in desk, set of drawers or storage trunk? A good professional will have lots of creative ideas for making the most of your space.
Find the proper window treatments
Windows positioned on a slanted wall are especially tricky to cover and, depending on what you’re using the room for, you may choose to leave them bare. But if you are using the space as a bedroom, you will want to cover those windows. Motorised blinds like the ones shown here can be opened from the top or bottom, allowing you to easily control the light even on high, slanted windows.
Windows positioned on a slanted wall are especially tricky to cover and, depending on what you’re using the room for, you may choose to leave them bare. But if you are using the space as a bedroom, you will want to cover those windows. Motorised blinds like the ones shown here can be opened from the top or bottom, allowing you to easily control the light even on high, slanted windows.
Hang a statement-making chandelier or pendant light
Make the most of the vertical space at the height of your loft ceiling with a hanging light fixture. Supplement it with table lamps – floor lamps tend to look awkward in lofts.
Make the most of the vertical space at the height of your loft ceiling with a hanging light fixture. Supplement it with table lamps – floor lamps tend to look awkward in lofts.
Try pint-size furniture
Children’s play tables, chairs and shelving can be tucked into tight spaces where full-size furniture would never work. Finish off a loft playroom with a daybed beneath the window, where grown-ups can hang out while the little ones play. Hanging a chair from the centre beam is a fun touch that also makes the most of the highest point in the room, drawing the eye up.
Get expert advice on making the most of your loft conversion
TELL US…
Do you have a loft space? What have you done to make the most of it? Share your tips and photos in the Comments below.
Children’s play tables, chairs and shelving can be tucked into tight spaces where full-size furniture would never work. Finish off a loft playroom with a daybed beneath the window, where grown-ups can hang out while the little ones play. Hanging a chair from the centre beam is a fun touch that also makes the most of the highest point in the room, drawing the eye up.
Get expert advice on making the most of your loft conversion
TELL US…
Do you have a loft space? What have you done to make the most of it? Share your tips and photos in the Comments below.
Measure every available nook and cranny in your loft space – really, don’t leave anything out. Especially if your loft is smaller than the space shown here, you’ll want to know about every inch; there are many ways to work with low eaves, small nooks and narrow passages.
Take your measurements downstairs to your main living space, and compare some of the numbers to the furniture there to give you a clue as to what might fit. Is there room for a king-size bed or just a single? Will that low shelf fit beneath the window, or will you be looking for a bespoke solution? Doing a bit of legwork early on can get your creative juices flowing.