Whether you have just moved out of your parents’ house, transferred to a big city or just want a change in your living accommodation – an apartment makes for a great home. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, more Australians are taking up apartment living, be it for convenience, preference or for other reasons. One of the popular types of apartments with the younger crowd is the loft apartment.
When you hear the phrase ‘loft apartment,’ you might think of the modern and cool urban home that every NYC-based movie or TV character inhabits. You’re not exactly wrong to have that image in mind, as loft apartments come with a set of particular architectural and aesthetic characteristics that Hollywood producers seem to love. There’s just something about the high ceilings, exposed beams and exposed pipes that give texture and personality to the space.
In the real world, lofts provide a unique style of living, especially for people who enjoy flexible design options and open space. Aside from the aesthetics, here’s a list of reasons that loft apartments are rising in popularity for city dwellers.
A blank canvas
Residential houses often prescribe a way of living, limiting homeowners to single-use spaces and rigid layouts. Loft apartments, on the other hand, are empty shells that allow owners to remodel them with their own idiosyncratic styles. They can apply their preferences to the area built by construction companies and mezzanine floor manufacturers or leave the space as it is. They can put up walls to separate rooms or enjoy the benefits of open space living.
In addition, loft apartments work well with both traditional and contemporary interior design, providing owners with plenty of décor options.
Creative furnishing
With spacious open areas comes another creative freedom: the liberty to experiment with your furnishing. Ample floor space and high ceilings mean that there are no limitations on scale; you can fill the room with pieces of art and shelves of books to suit your tastes, for instance. From life-size statues to oversized spotlights, loft living allows you to experiment with eccentric furniture pieces that just wouldn’t work in conventional apartments.
Plenty of natural light
Natural light is free and comes with health benefits such as helping our bodies produce Vitamin D. Vitamin D from natural light is known to decrease stress levels and loft living comes with the added benefit of natural light all year round, whatever the season. This is because light falls and flows freely throughout the loft with its large industrial windows and lack of divider walls.
Unusual materials
Properties designed for residential living tend to have minimal variation in their building materials. Walls are often covered with plaster to hide pipes and such from view. Lofts, however, often keep these aspects exposed, creating a more industrial feel. Elements such as extraction vents, unfinished cement or brick walls and water pipes are on full display. These details bring texture to the area and lend your home more individuality and character, but can also be covered, painted or polished as you see fit.
Loft apartments are proof that old industrial buildings can turn into cosy and artistic living spaces. With the advantage of large bare walls and high ceilings, loft living is a dream come true for people who want to unleash their creativity and live in a wider, more open space.
