Would you like any visitor to your office to have a great desire to return? Then a loft-style office design is exactly what you need. Believe it or not, more than one successful entrepreneur or office space owner has been convinced of the extraordinary attractive power of this interior style. It would seem that the increased interest of customers and other visitors to the loft style is not justified, but this is not so. They are attracted by the extraordinary color of the loft-style office. What is so special about this interior style? What should office spaces look like in this style? And most importantly, how to create such a design yourself, having a very modest budget? We will answer all these questions in this article. But if you decide to thoroughly and responsibly approach the design of your office, then you cannot do without!
The emergence of the loft style
A popular trend in our time: to create simulated brutality wherever possible. Untidy clothes, a wrinkled and straightened shirt, a three-day stubble and a mess on his head are the perfect description of a person who follows modern trends. All this fashion did not disregard the styles of the interior. Moreover, not only residential premises, but also offices. If the reception of clients in your office plays an important role in your work, then believe me, it is the loft-style office design that will suit you best. How did it all start and how did it happen that this particular style occupies one of the leading positions in our time? Do not be surprised, but although this style began to emerge more than a hundred years ago, it is considered modern.
But about how exactly it appeared, it happened in the most natural way. This happened due to the fact that unused factory buildings, warehouses or even prisons were converted and used as living quarters or offices. But these days, you don't have to bother buying an old factory just for the sake of a loft office. You can create this style artificially, removing all possible walls and partitions, deliberately aging the surface of furniture or walls, giving them a shabby look. But it is a mistake to assume that this is just a style when everything is anyhow! You need to work hard on the design of a loft-style office. But the result of such efforts will delight the appearance of not only today's youth, who understands such things more than others, but any other visitor to the office will not remain indifferent.
How to create a loft-style office design at minimal cost
It’s worth starting with the fact that a loft is, first of all, a lot of free space. Secondly, any things that are usually hidden, such as: a sewer, a brick wall, a concrete floor or an electrical wire - all this is not hidden, but, on the contrary, is exposed. It is worth combining the details of the past and the present in the design of a loft-style office. Let's say you can use modern appliances and electrical appliances, but place them on old, shabby retro-style furniture. If your office does not have a brick wall that could be used in this interior, then you can easily create an imitation of brick using fairly cheap materials and watching a few tutorials on the Internet.
It also plays into your hands that the space should be free, which will save on the amount of furniture by installing only the one necessary for the job, and excluding any decorative. There are a couple of things that are unlikely to be imitated or faked, but which are a very important part of the design of a loft-style office. These two things: a high ceiling and huge windows. If you are only looking for a room for a future office, then pay attention to these details, and if you already have a room that does not quite fit into this style in terms of its parameters, then read the next paragraph, where we will describe how to use the details to create loft office in any room.
Finishing touches and details
Since the loft style refers to the industrial structure, original signs, posters, signs, road signs, graffiti and other decor details (in relation to the loft style) that could usually be found in a factory, workshop, abandoned building and etc. A couple of such signs, perhaps even checkers used in road repairs, posters calling for labor and defense of the homeland, Soviet times - all this will bring the same spirit of the industrial era to the loft-style office design and create the necessary atmosphere. And if you don’t like posters or you think it’s too simple, hackneyed, or just a bad idea, then you can always decorate the interior with a couple of abstract paintings or even sculptures, if space allows you. But we must remember that everything is good in moderation, especially art and abstraction. If you want to save as much as possible by creating a loft-style office design, then instead of custom-made artificial aging of furniture or buying a ready-made one, you can do it manually by buying a couple of sheets of sandpaper, spray cans of paint and turning on your imagination.
If you are lucky and have old radiators, radiators, lamps or fans in the office, then you will not have to change almost anything. Put it all on display, underline and pay attention to these things. But always remember, no matter how brutal the loft style may seem, it is still just the appearance of untidiness and slovenliness, when in fact, these are well-thought-out decisions that make a person think: “How can such a random and messy design look like so holistic and attractive? Well, among other things, this style of interior will not only attract customers to you, but will also have a great effect on your employees. Open space will allow everyone to easily communicate and do common work. The style itself pushes to creative work and gives the necessary inspiration and only increases the desire to work, to create. This is the magic of the loft, which many consider an accident, but now you know how it really is.
Appeared more than a hundred years ago, this interior industrial design is still relevant today. You can decorate an office, shop, restaurant or apartment in a loft style - and it will be fashionable. In addition, such an interior is comfortable, practical, looks original, it is easier to organize joint work of employees in such a room.
Who would like an office in an industrial loft style? Creative companies, studios, most of whose employees are young and ambitious, free and liberated. It is easy to create something new in a loft office, because employees are surrounded by a creative environment.
A loft-style office is the best fit for creative companies
How good is a loft? It allows you to combine seemingly unsuitable objects, uniting them into a single space. To create such an interior, you need to understand the features of this design direction:
- Space. The room should not have blank monolithic walls, partitions, nooks, even glass ones. Free space - that's what you need.
- High ceilings and large windows.
- Elements of industrial design, demonstrative openness of communications, which are used as decorative details.
- Combination of different texture and different style items.
- The minimum amount of furniture.
- Variety of latest technical innovations.
Loft style is always room for creativity
Loft-style office (photo interesting design solutions and original finds are presented in the gallery) does not require capital investments if equipped in the right place:
- in the basement or in the attic;
- in an industrial building;
- in the office area.
Loft is the perfect style for former industrial buildings
In this case, minimal repairs are needed to creatively transform the existing space. In the new room, you will have to create stylish imitations.
How to decorate walls, ceiling and floor
- Loft-style walls give the impression of deliberately casually finished, roughly processed.
Attention! Brickwork and concrete surfaces look perfect.
Brick walls - an essential attribute of the loft style
Terracotta bricks can be aged or painted white or gray. The combination on different walls of concrete and bricks looks great. Concrete wall loft design options:
- concrete is applied unevenly, loosely, emphasizing the texture of the finish;
- the concrete wall is painted in white, gray, brick, turquoise, black;
- the wall is given the appearance of an old one, it is covered with cracks and stains.
It is good if the room already has brick and concrete walls. Then it remains only to clean them of dust, treat them with a colorless protective varnish. If the premises are new, then the walls are covered with a layer of concrete or brickwork is created by laying imitation tiles. Old communications (batteries, water and ventilation pipes) are restored and used for their intended purpose.
An interesting solution is to highlight one wall, decorating it with wood-like wall panels.
- The design of the ceiling inherits the traditions of industrial design: wiring and utilities are not hidden, air conditioning pipes run under the ceiling. The tradition of the loft style requires that the ceilings be high, like in the workshops of factories. If the ceiling is low, then you can decorate it with a grill that imitates an air intake, embedding LED backlight there. Beams fit perfectly into the interior - metal and wooden. Plasterboard structures combined with lighting equipment are also used.
Exposed wiring and utilities on the ceiling are a classic in industrial design
- For flooring, you can choose any material, the main thing is to observe a cool gray-brown range. So, the floors can be:
- wooden (leading in popularity);
- cork with scuffs;
- bulk decorative;
- concrete;
- from ceramic tiles.
Floors combined from various materials look interesting. Thus, the common space of the office is easily zoned into places for employees, a guest area and a place of rest.
- The ideas of industrial design are embodied in lighting, where a variety of lamps are used:
- imitating kerosene lanterns;
- spider chandeliers with rotating elements;
- American vintage lanterns with a folding accordion mechanism;
- spotlights;
- brass Edison lamps;
- high-tech chromed metal;
- with frosted glass shades.
Lamps are suspended from the ceiling and lowered down on bundles of wires, an elongated rod, rods or folding structures.
The main principle of selection of lighting fixtures is unusualness and technogenicity.
- Even the office needs accessories. They can become:
- large clock or many small wall clocks;
- abstract paintings;
- lush vegetation in tubs;
- graffiti;
- posters.
Graffiti is a great option for wall decoration in youth and creative companies
There is not much industrial-style interior decor, but it is defiantly bright.
Be sure to have all the technology. Computers, TVs, air conditioners - all this creates a special working atmosphere.
Office furniture in loft style
The loft style organically uses furniture from such design trends as modern, hi-tech, classic, Scandinavian style. Furniture items fit perfectly into the interior:
- frosted or clear glass;
- metal, slightly tinted with patina, chrome, brass;
- forged;
- wooden, primarily from rough boards;
- from MDF and chipboard, imitating the texture of wood.
However, there are a few conditions that must be met:
- furniture should not be deliberately new, it is better to artificially age wooden objects;
- furniture should have clear forms;
- light elegant objects do not fit - furniture products should look solid, impressive;
- openness of furniture facades - the loft is characterized by the absence of doors in cabinets and cabinets, shelves and racks are usually not covered with glass;
- boxes are used to store things.
Nuance! Loft furniture does not recognize decorative excesses in the form of bright enamel or mosaic inserts, wood carvings, or complex fittings. Simplicity and reliability are the main signs.
Loft furniture is devoid of decorative details
Another important feature of loft-style furniture is that it is equipped with wheels. Not only work chairs or tables, but even wardrobes. This gives the furniture mobility, making it easy to move it around the entire office area.
Wheels are a convenient and practical element of office furniture.
Furniture in the office can be one-color, then it is better to use the following colors:
- metallic silver;
- grey;
- beige;
- terracotta;
- brick;
- white.
In small quantities, black, olive, blue are welcome. At the same time, an office filled with dissimilar furniture items, painted in different colors and artificially aged, looks interesting.
Office interior in loft style
The loft style tends to minimize the number of furniture items. Therefore, you should not fill the office with a lot of tables, chairs, sofas. Only what is really needed is the principle of selecting furniture products.
Each employee must be provided with a minimum amount of furniture, providing him with a desk and a chair. When equipping an office, when buying furniture, you can use one of the options:
- purchase modular designs - of the same type, of the same color;
- pick up items of different styles and eras.
In the latter case, antique shops and flea markets, as well as advertisements for the sale of furniture from hand, will help.
Modular furniture designs are the easiest way to furnish an office
Important! In this case, it is required to carefully select objects that, despite their heterogeneity, must be in harmony with each other. This is what gives a stunning loft style effect.
A resting place for employees or a guest area can be equipped with a sofa, armchairs, a coffee table. For a loft-style interior, you will need a huge comfortable sofa, its upholstery is done:
- from a monophonic, corresponding to the scale of the room, dense fabric;
- from leatherette, even better from genuine leather;
- from suede.
The sofa should not look like a needle, in this case, small scuffs are welcome. There will be a lot of chairs so that everyone has enough space. As single seats are used:
- office metal chairs;
- non-standard original designer chairs;
- forged benches;
- chairs and armchairs woven from rattan or wicker;
- deep fabric retro armchairs;
- even simple wooden boxes.
A coffee table can be both large and tiny, as long as it is practical and comfortable. To store documents, working materials, you will need racks, cabinets, drawers, chests of drawers - wooden or metal. The administrative area is decorated with a counter made of glass, chrome-plated metal or polished granite.
Furniture in the office can not only be placed along the walls, but also experimented by placing it at different angles, achieving maximum convenience for all employees.
I like
American industrialists of the middle of the last century, renting out only slightly converted premises of empty factories and plants as cheap housing, hardly felt like the founders of a new style in interior design.
Nevertheless, the gloomy simplicity of smoked shops, warehouses and workshops, contrary to all expectations, appealed not only to poor students and artists, but also to high-society bohemians.
The latter, tired of the invariably chic, as if combed and ironed, environment, at first used the abandoned industrial area for parties and avant-garde shows, and then completely moved here to live, ousting students and artists completely.
The new style began to be called briefly and succinctly - Loft, which means "attic" in English.
In our country, the Loft was “tasted” quite recently, and most of the extraordinary-minded lovers of new and unusual solutions liked it. We will talk about how the Loft manifests itself in various settings.
Following the main traditions of the style, the loft office is transformed from a set of cramped closets into one huge space with high ceilings and panoramic windows.
Such an organization of the workspace is today called Open Office or Coworking, while employees of one or several different companies can be in the joint room.
The maximum that can be allowed in the design of an office loft is the installation of low partitions that delimit the space into “cubes”. In one of these "cubes" worked Neo from the legendary "Matrix".
All the attributes of a classic loft - unplastered brick, beams and cast-iron stairs, as well as powerful ventilation ducts openly laid along the walls - are only welcome in the office.
Restaurant and cafe design in loft style
A non-standard creative environment that creates the illusion of a parallel world is the key to the success of any public institution where people come to relax and have a bite to eat. From this point of view, the loft seems to be a very effective solution.
- space;
- lack of finishing on brick or concrete walls (imitation is allowed);
- communications and load-bearing structures on display.
The loft-style restaurant is not divided into banquet and dining rooms: both areas are part of the same room. To separate them, you can use furniture, translucent partitions or a specially selected type of lighting.
Loft-style restaurant furniture is characterized by functionality and minimalism. But do not confuse these concepts with excessive modesty.
The best way to fit into the loft is ultra-modern or vintage furniture. A restrained and calm color palette with a well-defined accent on one of the tones is welcome.
The most suitable material for loft-style furniture is chrome-plated metal and glass.
Restaurants, bars and the like are nightlife establishments, the bulk of the visitors flock here after dark. Therefore, such a technique characteristic of the Loft as huge floor-to-ceiling windows becomes ineffective here.
The natural in the restaurant is replaced by a set of strict monotonous ones, suspended by means of long strings or brackets at a low height.
The design of the restaurant in the loft style somewhat limits the designer, forcing him to shift the focus towards universal solutions. This is due to the diversity and level of the public visiting enterprises of this kind.
The design of a cafe as a more youthful institution can be much more bold and extravagant.
A stylized and expressive interior prevails here, and the columns, trusses and rough boards on the floor characteristic of the Loft can be purely symbolic due to lack of space.
Apartments
In the apartments of our compatriots, the loft is still rather timidly presented, mainly because most of our city apartments have nothing to do with the concept of space. However, the new style is attracting more and more interest from fans of unusual design.
The standard solution in our conditions is the arrangement of a studio - a relatively large room that combines a kitchen and a living room.
The apartment loft largely contradicts traditional notions of comfort. Instead of bulky luxurious furniture, it is customary to install light functional items that take up as little space as possible.
At the same time, the loft environment is completely opposite to the usual home: armchairs and sofas have a chassis and are installed at a distance from the walls. Sofas with "variable geometry" and everything that emphasizes the inconstancy characteristic of the loft are considered traditional.
A classic home loft, like any other, is considered to be brickwork that does not have a plaster finish. In prefabricated and concrete houses, it can be imitated or replaced with an alternative - a conspicuous rough concrete surface and the same floors.
We must not forget about engineering networks, which, like visual propaganda, are defiantly being laid in the most visible place. Of course, in old houses, such elements will have to be imitated by sections of pipes and ventilation ducts, as if protruding from the walls.
These simple tricks will help you recreate in your home the same loft that has been winning the hearts of millions around the world for more than 50 years.
Modern office space has long ceased to be a simple place to work: today it is a space for intellectual and creative work, for rest and relaxation between them. The place of work must be comfortable, otherwise good employees will leave, and the company will not be able to continue working. It's no surprise that the work environment receives so much attention. An office is a great opportunity to create a multifunctional comfortable space, an open environment for the exchange of ideas. It is this design that is actively used by various coworking centers, as well as other similar organizations.
- a loft-style office must be divided into zones. Usually this includes staff offices, a relaxation area, a space for exchanging ideas, a common area. Between them it is sometimes reasonable to make partitions;
- the entrance group should be located next to the meeting room, and it is preferable to place workplaces further away so that visitors do not distract employees;
- each workplace in a loft-style office needs to be equipped so that a person is comfortable. You can’t place loft-style office furniture so that a person sits with his back to the entrance;
- office design in a loft style should not impose restrictions on the functionality of the space. So, natural light is great (the basic principle of loft), but you should take care of bright artificial lighting;
- the idea of this interior direction assumes that the most modern types of furniture and equipment will be used.
Loft-style office design fits in perfectly with the very idea of open office, which is currently dominant in creating comfortable workspaces. It is this layout that allows you to create a creative and friendly atmosphere for the company's employees.
Office furniture
Office furniture in loft style should be practical and functional. But don't forget about convenience. The following types of furniture are traditionally used:
- work chairs. It is very important to pay enough attention to this aspect, since the comfort of the workplace is the main factor affecting the well-being and productivity of the employee;
- you should take care of sofas or places of rest. Shapeless chairs are often used, sometimes hammock chairs or other unusual types of furniture are suspended;
- the main feature when decorating an office in a loft style: everything should be done minimalistic, but not overly modest. Modernity is the key concept. Suitable samples of "smart" furniture;
- ultra-modern loft-style office furniture is perfect;
- materials: wood, chrome-plated plastic and metal, glass, genuine leather and substitute.
When designing a loft-style office, the choice of furnishings is wider. Often they buy expensive furniture, things made of natural wood. A private office is a personal space, often it has elements of luxury. With this, the loft design is difficult, such luxury should be casual, as if casual.
"Working" colors
Loft-style office design involves the use of the same colors that are characteristic of other interiors of this direction: it is a light palette, calm and restrained. Pastel colors predominate, white is actively used. Gray concrete, terracotta bricks, different shades of brown wood: these are the most common colors that are quite suitable for a workspace.
They often deviate from the canons and make a loft-style office using corporate colors. And here you can get a riot of bright colors: it all depends on the corporate set of shades. If the interior of the office comes out too bright, then you can compensate for this with huge windows and plenty of light. It is very important that color accents are put down in the office, but that this does not distract people from work.
The dressing room is connected to the meeting room.
The author of the project is the architect and designer Alexei Tolkachev.OBJECT PARAMETERS
Property type: Office
Footage: 350 m²
Style: Loft/minimalism
The main idea of the project: Create an office for effective creative work of a marketing agency
Color spectrum: The base is cream, blue and gray shades, which are diluted with bright yellow and pink accents.
Dreamers zone for creative employees. Tables and partitions, Iron Bridge. Lamps, IKEA. The three-color decorative painting on the wall is the work of Bright Brush.
Photo: NATALIA VERSHININA Style: EKATERINA NAUMOVA
The clients represent an agency that solves creative problems every day, so the main goal of the architect was to create a modern office that would set the right mood and inspire fresh ideas. The empty workshop of the former cotton-printing factory, built in 1820, became an ideal space for creativity. High ceilings, large windows, an old rough wooden floor, clinker brick walls became the starting point for creating a loft-style design project.
Reception area. Tiles of the last century remained by inheritance. The slopes are sheathed in oak impregnated with oil. Clock, IKEA. Lamps and chair, Loft design. Table and sofa, Iron Bridge. Skull, Design Boom.Photo: NATALIA VERSHININA Style: EKATERINA NAUMOVA
Barrel-table on wheels with a box, Iron Bridge.Photo: NATALIA VERSHININA Style: EKATERINA NAUMOVA
The clients wanted to emphasize the scale and historical character of the building, but at the same time dilute the vintage style with modern details. “The wall with two large windows was sheathed with drywall. I wanted to “open” it and find out what they were trying to hide there. It turned out that tiles on the wall were preserved, which were often used in industrial premises of the last century. I suggested to the customers that they leave everything as it is, or paint it in a uniform color, retaining only the outlines. We agreed on the first option, and I only decorated the window openings with oak slopes and a window sill to create coziness,” says Alexey.
Kitchen with stainless steel facade, IKEA. Refrigerator, ZIL (restored, he is 40 years old). Tiles, Codicer95. Bar table made of elm wood, Iron Bridge.Photo: NATALIA VERSHININA Style: EKATERINA NAUMOVA
In planning, they preferred the modern open space format. The space was demarcated with the help of glass-metal partitions, shelving and due to the non-uniform finish of the walls - it is different in each zone. Workspaces are interspersed with an informal bar and kitchen area, where comfortable sofas are located for sharing ideas over a cup of coffee.
A zone for informal communication, combined with a kitchen-bar. Sofas and table, Iron Bridge. Pillows, Happy Collections. Bar stools, Loft Design. Lamps, Loft Concept. Wall sconces, IKEA. The painting on the wall is made by Bright Brush.
