By Sarah Van Arsdale
In case you think of a "loft space" as being a huge urban space with exposed pipes, sawdust on the floor and a view of the rooftop ducts across the parking lot, we're here to present to you the May Room of the Month. This elegant loft space puts the lie to the idea that all lofts are industrial and unkempt.
Applying the Sheffield Guidelines of Interior Design to this loft - function, mood, and harmony - let's look first at the function of the room.
Any loft space has more pressure on it than any other kind of room, because it must fulfill more than one function. Ordinarily, a bedroom is just a bedroom, a living room only a living room. Here, we see that this loft is both bedroom, living room, and - what you can't see - is that behind the photographer is the kitchen and dining space.
This multi-functionality is part of the charm of having a loft, and isn't something to be fought by the designer. Here, the designer doesn't work against this, but instead works with the idea that each area should flow into the next, seamlessly. However, because you're fulfilling several functions at once, you must have each area function separately from the others.
In this photograph, we're looking primarily at the bedroom area of the loft, which of course must function as any bedroom does. There is a big, comfortable bed, with reading lights on either side of the bed, and end tables on either side for the lights, books, and anything else needed.
At the foot of the bed, we see a long bench which serves as a shelf for books, and which can also double as a place to drape an extra blanket.
We can see that this room also functions well as a living room. To the right, we see the living area, framed by two white sofas. We can see that the living area is strategically placed near the wall of windows, allowing the bedroom to be in the darker area of the room.
In terms of the mood of this loft, it's simply elegant, with a definite wild influence. The sisal rugs, faux zebra-print spread on the bed, and the African-influenced textile on the wall give this room a wild feel, as if we could be in a camp on the African savannah. The heavy dark wood of the bench at the foot of the bed and the tall plant in the far corner contribute to this feeling.
But elegance is also brought in here, with the high bed, white sofas, and beamed ceiling.
Finally, everything harmonizes in this room, even though the designer has chosen to use elements that ordinarily may not go together. The white brick wall, the polished wood beamed ceiling, and the tensor bedside lamps all bespeak a style that is decidedly modern, whereas the other elements - zebra print, hanging textile, floor coverings - are from an older period. To prove this point, just imagine those elements in a Victorian home, with heavy furniture, lots of lace, and walls painted a dark maroon. You can imagine how these pieces could also fit in there.
Therefore, you can see that as the room is designed now, it's the blend of disparate elements that make it work. The modern with the old-fashioned, the wild with the tame, are brought together in a seamless loft space where everything harmonizes.
In part, the elements here harmonize so well because they incorporate the same tones: note how the cream is a factor common to the sofas, the throw rug, the zebra print, the brick wall, and the sheets. There is also great attention paid to texture, with the textured floor coverings echoing the texture of the brick wall. It's by working with texture and color that the designer of the room has achieved this high level of harmony.
All in all, this is a loft space that works on many levels: it's functional, and serves as both a bedroom and living room, and it also looks great, providing a fashionable place for entertaining as well as for more private, restful moments.
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