Clear and concise, practical and “all as intended” - this is how almost everyone describes their first impressions of acquaintance with the loft style. Now such a design is at the peak of fashion, but few people know that it is not new at all. Who came to us from distant America, there he was not at all a rich man's style, but simply a survival environment during the time of the Great Depression, an attic (from the English word “loft” - an attic, a warehouse) with furniture of rough shapes and sizes.
But, as usual, art takes inspiration in harsh reality, and now modern designers of the world invent original pieces of furniture in a loft style.
New york style
To equip a kitchen is not an easy task. And the very first furniture purchased for the dining area is the table. If you are a creative person, then appreciate the extraordinary freedom-loving style of a loft.
No frames, everything for a fantasy flight - the attic style is simply created for creative people who are ready to make unforgettable stylish designs from simple forms at home.
Consider what is typical of dining loft tables.
Expressed idea
It is important to fully display the time the style appeared, while preserving its spirit and pronounced features. The loft went from New York at the beginning of the 20th century: coziness and beauty were not held in high esteem at that time; bohemians shockingly defied all standards, taking rough silhouettes and simple geometry as a standard of taste.
In America, the film "Ghost" just blew up the interior design market, outlining how to equip loft-style apartments. Many fans copied the design of the kitchen and rooms, like the characters in the film.
Ergonomics
A kitchen table must withstand any impact on the surface of both mechanical and thermal nature, be durable and well assembled.
Multifunctionality
Your dining table should easily transform into a table for any purpose. Such a table can be easily identified as a writing table, and as a decorative one for a living room, and for any of your ideas.
Its surface should be perfectly flat, and the appearance should be universal, without the slightest hint that it is a dining attribute, not a working one. This is the loft style.
Comfort
It should be comfortable and pleasant to sit at the table, its weight should be light to lift, if there is a desire to make a permutation. The emphasis is on functionality: on the table you can cook and take food.
Naturalness of materials
Natural raw materials are very important for the loft style, only high-quality natural materials should be used. Aesthetics is in second place, and sometimes deliberate negligence of the table model only adds charm to the kitchen.
Laconic elements
The concept of the loft does not include carved legs, lace, bulky jewelry and engraving on the surface of the table. Appearance should be without any wild accessories, slight negligence is allowed.
Loose geometry
The simpler the shape of the table, the better. Oval, rectangle, square are frequent models in this direction, although extraordinary shapes are also welcome, and if your dream is a triangular table - why not. Fits perfectly into the concept.
Most often, the table is determined by the center of the kitchen, so that it is freely accessible from all sides. Almost never parts of a table are pushed against a wall.
This zonal distribution is again explained by historical facts: workers' teams were located at the tables, and there should have been enough space for everyone.
Where is it used?
If in the course of history New York-style tables stood in warehouses and in work shops, nowadays a loft is ideal for small but free from heaps of furniture and sideboards for apartments, studios or even huge cottages, if the kitchen in them is a large hall-type room . In such housing, the table connects the remaining rooms and becomes the center of attention.
If you put a table in the center of the living room, it will separate it from other rooms, which is convenient when hosting a large number of guests, and the table can play the role of a written or decorative. If you define it in the center of the kitchen, then it will immediately become the “main character of the whole house”, separating the cooking area from the rest of the house.
How to choose?
Loft style furniture is in many ways similar to modern minimalism, but no one has canceled the beauty. Models, although not “openwork”, are nevertheless always laconic and spectacular, attracting precisely with their simplicity of forms. When choosing, pay attention to a number of characteristics.
Dimensions
Variety. Choosing a table to fit your needs, you can buy a model the size of a school desk or, conversely, a heavy massive table for gatherings by the whole family with guests for the holidays, such as to accommodate a large number of people, and none of them knocked it over. As we wrote above, geometrically no one limits you either.
Materials
When choosing a loft-style kitchen table, pay attention to quality, natural materials. A rough metal table, wooden countertop, or fragile glass table are some of the many options worth noting.
If you stop on a tree, buy a table made of durable species that are not afraid of everyday trials: beech, oak, maple.
If this is a metal table, inspect the forging thoroughness, the absence of rough cuts at the places where a person’s hands come in contact with the surface to avoid possible injuries.
If you want to buy a small countertop, look at the very loft models with an internal shelf or drawers.
If you have to move a piece of furniture from room to room, then buy a transforming table.
Color
Choose the color of the table under the walls of the kitchen or the color scheme of the kitchen set so that it harmoniously fits into the general mood. But a contrasting color is allowed only if all items of kitchen furniture together with the table are made in the same manner. In this case, a bright color will add audacity to the overall picture, making the table a highlight of the interior.
At the same time, keep the decor of the kitchen strict, without unnecessary decorating elements.
Loft-style tables are designed to create a special creative atmosphere and encourage a minimalist mood that rejects the splendor and pretentiousness of forms as an aesthetic standard. Nevertheless, the effect of such furniture is not to occupy. The kitchen, at the first glance, suggests that everything is in place, there is nothing superfluous: here we cook, here we store food, here we eat. And what else is needed for a magnificent spiritual meal - nothing, just a table.
See how to make a do-it-yourself loft table in the next video.