Give Your Home a New York Loft Style Makeover

We may all be a bit restricted in actually visiting New York this year, but there’s no reason we shouldn’t steal a little of their urban New York loft style for our own homes! Like most trends, there will be elements you like and others that you find too much, so pick and choose to end up with a look that suits you and your home. Here’s what to think about if you’re interested in bringing a touch of New York loft style design to your home.

What is the New York loft style?

The style that we think of as typical from films generally relates to older buildings that have been converted from something else. For example, a former factory may have been converted into apartments, but in order to retain the link with its former purpose and history the designers have retained raw brick walls, industrial steel girders, polished concrete and exposed pipes.

Windows are usually huge and sometimes oddly shaped, as they were never designed for a domestic market! Ceilings are high, and rooms are large and airy with a minimum of dividing walls. As you can see, this ‘full on’ look won’t suit every home, but you can add touches as you wish.

How to create a New York loft style in your home

Exposed brickwork. This is something you may be able to do, but it does depend on the state of your walls and how old the house is! Taking the plaster off can be a bit of a risk, as you don’t know what’s behind it. Try a small area first, if you’re not sure. Another option is to build a false wall using old bricks in front of the existing wall or use brick slips, as they are thinner than standard bricks and take up less space. Alternatively you could play completely safe and use a brick-effect wallpaper.

Try the effect on one wall first of all as that’s enough for many rooms, otherwise you may get the feeling you’re living in a garage! To soften the effect or if the bricks aren’t very good, you can paint the wall in a darker colour to make it into a feature.

Loft style living is light and airy, so spaces should feel open rather than cluttered. Furniture should have simple lines and be steel and functional. Glass, raw wood and steel all look good.

Keep colour schemes neutral – and that doesn’t mean boring! White, cream, beige and pale grey all work well, and use plenty of texture to add interest in the shape of chunky cushions, faux fur rugs and throws and textured upholstery fabrics. This will also help to prevent the space from looking too clinical.

In any interior, lighting is a vital component. Industrial-style pendant lights help to create clean, contemporary lines. Add pools of light where required with steel Anglepoise-style desk and floor lighting.

For New York loft style bedrooms, the only possible colour is white! Polished concrete floors can be tricky and expensive to fit retrospectively, so if you are changing the flooring you might like to consider other natural materials such as soon or tiles.

In the kitchen, ‘sleek and contemporary’ is the key phrase. Plenty of hidden storage makes it easier to keep the area tidy and uncluttered, and handle-less cabinets give a sleeker line. Add interest with accents of copper (on taps and pans) and black steel – metallics have been in vogue for a while now, but the trend shows no signs of being over yet!

Main image: (c) Nastuh Abootal/Unsplash

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