Loft style kitchen design

Loft is one of those areas that is ideal for creative people who prefer urban themes. Kitchens decorated in this style look impressive. It is worth considering in more detail the main characteristics of the loft, its features, as well as design options for kitchen facilities.

Understanding the concept of such a direction as a loft is impossible without knowledge of its origin. We begin our description with the fact that loft translated from English means "attic, storage room". When the manufacturing crisis began in America, a lot of working space was empty, and the authorities did not know where to put these premises. Fortunately, at that time there was a critical situation with housing, and such "attics" were bought up by ordinary people, doing repairs there and converting spaces into apartments.

The modern loft style has retained its industrial motifs, so it is worth highlighting several conceptual features inherent in it:

• the requirement of a large space, and although some owners design small kitchens in this direction, this is not appropriate in every layout;
• the presence of certain materials, such as brick, natural stone, wood, metal;
• open space without many unnecessary partitions;
• lack of shelters for pipes and communications;
• urban decor, no romantic and classic accessories;
• large windows, the best option - to the floor;
• the severity of the situation, here you will definitely need to convey the spirit of the era.

Remembering factories and plants, many might think that a loft is necessarily a gloomy style, where black and brown colors predominate. But this is not at all the modern direction offers designers and homeowners a huge scope for creativity.

The base colors are white, gray and brown. Choosing something from this palette, it is recommended to be based on the area of ​​the room. For example, large kitchens or kitchen-living rooms can be decorated in any color scheme. Dark or brick walls, a dark floor look very interesting, and light furniture comes in combination with them. Small kitchens in houses of the last century cannot be made too dark, it will steal space and create a feeling of crowding. It is more appropriate to choose light yellow, brown, reddish-brick finishes.

Bright colors, such as blue, cyan, green, orange, it is quite acceptable to use even in such a strict style. But they cannot be the main ones, they should be done with additional touches. For example, it can be textiles, dishes, some decor items, flower pots, books, a chandelier. There should be a minimal number of accent colors; their task is only to emphasize the characteristic features of your kitchen.

Before starting repairs and decorating your kitchen in the described direction, it is worth familiarizing yourself with the variety of materials and determining how much they will fit together on your square. An important step is the preparation of drawings and projects, with mandatory measurements and determination of where this or that element of equipment and furniture will be located.

The easiest and least expensive option is concrete, but not everyone likes this floor finish. A more modern solution would be a wooden parquet or laminate "under the tree." Interesting that natural wood is almost never used in flooring; this is more a feature of classic designs.

A good idea would also be the differentiation of sex. For example, for the working area, you can choose tiles, and for the dining room - laminate or parquet. Some combine concrete and wooden parquet, which is also very successful.

In loft-style kitchens, brick is still the most popular option. At the same time, brick walls are best placed on the sides and opposite the area where you will work with products. A for the working area, it is better to prefer something more practical, for example, wallpaper or plaster. In small kitchens, designers advise using bleached brick or making matte, rough walls of a light color.

Many people believe that loft style wallpapers are not the best solution, but do not forget that we live in a world of modern technology. Today, wallpapers can imitate anything, including brick. And they are practically indistinguishable from natural materials, unless, of course, quality products are selected.

Another decoration option is glass blocks, this is a material that has not yet received much distribution, but is still used. Glass panels will be the best solution for all rooms, and they will increase the small kitchen both in breadth and in height. In addition, glass blocks fit perfectly into the industrial design.

The first thing that owners planning to design in a loft style should learn is the unacceptability of stucco molding, gravity, and classical variations. The ceiling must be both strict and original. Available for each solution will be plastering or painting, while the coloring should be lighter than the walls. High ceilings can be supplemented with wooden or metal beams, which emphasizes the style of the room.

Also can decorate the ceiling with cassette tiles made "under the metal". This is a lot of squares that fit together. Extremely easy to install, have an unusual, interesting look. For large kitchens, plasterboard two-tier structures are also suitable. They are painted in light gray colors.

Lighting for the loft style plays a huge role, since such rooms are usually spacious and need several light sources. As already mentioned, the windows should be large enough to let in a lot of light, creating coziness and a positive atmosphere. As for artificial lighting, there are several nuances that must be taken into account.

• Forget about the sophisticated, elegant fixtures that are so popular in today's range. The best solution is pendant lamps, stylized as industrial ones.

• If the lamps hanging on the cords do not inspire you, take a look at the chandeliers with strict shades. The ceiling can be in the form of a cone or a cylinder. There should be several such chandeliers - from 2 to 4.

• Immerse yourself in the atmosphere of industrialization and track lights, which are perfectly combined with ceiling beams.

• As for the working area, it will be appropriate to place spot lamps here. They perfectly illuminate the space and fit into the concept of direction.

• If the kitchen is connected to the living room, then it will be advisable to take care of the presence of several lamps made of metal and glass. This will help highlight accents and further delimit the room.

• An original and stylish solution will be LED-backlight. A thin line of various colors will beautifully highlight glass details in the interior, it is appropriate to use it to emphasize graffiti or a bar counter.

In the loft style, preference should be given to minimalistic pieces of furniture, and the materials for them can be used very different. Most often this is wood and glass. Small-sized rooms are filled exclusively with direct headsets, the upper cabinets are not applicable here. Instead, they use airy wooden shelves to increase space.

Spacious rooms, kitchens with the island may contain corner headsets. As in the previous version, here it is better to hang shelves instead of cabinets. The facade of the furniture does not have to be grandiose; the secret of style lies in its simplicity. Furniture can be matte, gloss is allowed, light, gray or brown tones will be optimal colors. You can prefer metal facades, but for such an innovation, you will have to pay a considerable amount.

Recently, modular headsets have been very popular, but they are better to take for small rooms, since it is quite difficult to calculate the number of objects on a volumetric area and subsequently effectively experiment with them. Each module has several options.

• Direct. A standard option for rectangular kitchens, the set is located along the wall. There are hanging cabinets.

• Double row. Suitable for kitchens without dining areas, as the furniture is located on both sides. It uses open shelves.

• Corner A good option for kitchens in the shape of a square, here the working area is placed at an angle.

• U-shaped. This solution is exclusively for large kitchens, because the set occupies three walls and contains many compartments for built-in appliances. It is advisable to equip the dining area in another room.

• Island. Most suitable for kitchens, with an island or a bar. But here it should be borne in mind that it is difficult to find modular kitchen sets in kitchens of this format, since such rooms have a special personality.

As for tables, most designers recommend glass structures. They will allow to unload the interior, refresh it, give lightness. Chairs should also be light, a prerequisite is a metal frame. However, loft style wooden tables are not uncommon. True, such models should stand on high legs.

A mandatory element of the kitchen-living room is the bar. Atmospheres will give it retro elements: bar stools in the style of the 50s, sofas made of leather, a variety of vinyl records on the walls, retro posters. Refined serving table in the spirit of vintage will also help to emphasize the “retro-loft” direction.

Initially, in industrial premises, the windows were completely open, no curtains, curtains or curtains were used. Many still follow this concept, but sometimes it’s worthwhile to close the window. A good idea would be roller blinds or blinds, which you can raise or lower at any time. The color is better to choose white or gray. You can also use cotton curtains that are easy to care for and refreshing. Absolutely unacceptable options will be:

• curtains made of expensive fabrics, such as satin, velvet, silk;
• classic and heavy jacquard patterns;
• curtains of bright colors;
• products with a variety of decor.

Textiles can be selected to match the curtains, as well as a different color. A loft-style tablecloth is rarely used, but a few towels or potholders will not be superfluous. They can be bright accents, it is recommended to choose the following colors:

• red;
• Orange;
• yellow;
• blue;
• purple.

The second must be urban accessories. Here you can note:

• car numbers;
• road signs;
• posters with different motivational inscriptions;
• pointers;
• neon signs.

And, of course, the loft style does not prohibit the use of living plants, on the contrary, they will bring freshness to urban design. Small palm plants as well as hanging planters are a good idea. But roses in such a kitchen is better not to grow.

To fully understand what a style is, let's look at some beautiful photo examples.

• This kitchen fully complies with the canons of destination. There is nothing superfluous: brown furniture is in perfect harmony with metal and chrome surfaces, and the pipe going to the hood immediately evokes the feeling of a factory and transfers it to production movement.

• The huge kitchen with a brick wall and a dining counter is successfully complemented by original chairs, a seating area and large windows. A variety of signs, hanging chandeliers and cast-iron pans hanging on hooks complete the impression.

• If you want a bright kitchen, pay attention to this photo. Here, light gray furniture and curtains effectively resonate with a white ceiling and living plants.

• And here you can see how interestingly the lighting is organized.The working area is lit by one pendant lamp, and several track lights are located on the ceiling. Dark blinds and an abstract bright picture complete the design.

• Despite the fact that the loft loves space, with the right approach it is impossible to spoil it with a lot of scenery, which is clearly visible in this photo. Aged objects, watches, living plants - all this is successfully combined, and even the chandelier, more inherent in the classic design, does not stand out from the general theme.

• In this kitchen, severity and restraint will be paramount. Furniture of a shade of a sea wave, brick walls and an abundance of metal create an original ensemble that fully meets the original loft.

• To choose blue furniture for the room is a rather bold decision to direct the loft. But such furniture looks very advantageous in small bright kitchens.

For ideas on budget repair of a loft-style kitchen, see the video below.