The latest prevalent home project becoming very popular is to have a loft living room for additional amusing space in the house. This is the best way possible to add to your living area at your home.
This supplementary space brings along flexibility in having an appealing design and function. This gives you the possibility to have bedroom lofts, or libre loft Conversion Basics compatible with your choice of living.
Lofts vs. Additions
Homeowners might be lenient to have a brand new addition, which sounds like a common approach to adding living space to their homes. However, there are a handful of reasons that loft could be a better solution instead.
The apparent difference is that brand new additions mean involving exterior construction, but loft conversion is solely the work that is done inside of the building. For new buildings, you have to dig the ground and lay a new foundation kind of work that is outside, but building or renovating a loft, is, on the contrary, is the work that gets done inside of the building.
Now by considering inside job or interior project, if you have a loft, any change is a renovation, and if you want to build a new loft, something you are actually adding to your home interior.
Now as far as the cost, obviously your loft would be a lot cheaper due to the simplicity of the project compared to having an addition because you do not have to deal with breaking the ground and laying out the foundation since the base of the structure is already there.
Even though spending a smaller budget pays for a smaller project in a shorter time duration, but you gain the same result as a brand new living space. A shorter timeline, of course, has the benefit of having space quicker in comparison to adding a brand new addition to your house.
Cost of a Loft Living Room
Considering the cost of whether or not to convert a loft into living accommodation, it will depend on your project size and your plan for hiring a structure and contractor. The initial cost for a loft renovation is about one thousand dollars. Of course, there are aspects that can lower raise the price.
DIY instead of hiring a contractor can lower the project cost. Of course, this is an option if you feel confident and have the ability to overcome works like a simple floor installation. Nonetheless to build a brand new loft or to install a window you might need the help of a contractor.
After you settle with budgeting and planning, it is time to start the actual conversion and to build the loft living room of your desire. But before you plan to build your new loft living room, there is some remarkable consideration I suggest paying attention to:
Railing & Walls
The greatest concern you should have before building a new loft space is the safety of you and your family. For that reason, it is recommended that you create a safer setting by designing a barrier between the loft and the floor below.
For the issue of privacy, of course, it is very common to have walls in your design all around your bedroom. But in general living spaces, it is very common to have an open railing in your design.
You can have a wide variety of materials and styles for loft railing.
Now, since minimalist styles are becoming more popular, half glass walls not only render the security of the closed-in space, but they will keep it seamless and undetectable. This gives offers you additional light passing to your loft space and onto your main living area. This gives you the feeling of being in a bigger space and also highlights the high ceiling.
Aside from the railing that you had the flexibility of design, the three other walls could enjoy this flexibility in design that is consistent with your loft design.
The accent wall is becoming well-received in lofts because they deliver a variety of dynamic designs. Painting the walls as traditionally was done, is not the only choice to fulfill the aesthetic design. Wallpapers can give you a broader choice in design in your new space. Ship-laps are also becoming progressively more popular.
You can carry on with any wall in your home by DIY project giving it a rustic charm. You can use domestic wood or any set of wood grain to meet the design you are pleased with. At your convenience, you can pick them up from your local home improvement depot.
Whether you are building a new loft or getting into renovating an existing structure, you need a safe way to access the loft. Your stair design must bear the heavy foot traffic. It should also not take extra space you have designated for the loft.
Loft ladders for being versatile have become very popular in design. Hence, Versatility means a wide range of prices and some degree of aesthetic design which will meet every homeowner’s needs. Due to loft simple framing, with an easy Do-It-Yourself project, you can reach your interesting design. Not to mention that ladders have the advantage of mobility as they can easily be removed clearing your way when it is not needed and to be relocated to another place for usage.
Speaking of drawbacks regarding loft ladder design, aside from all the benefits it offers, the small footprint and mobility are the negative side of it. This is a factor that often makes the design unreliable and unstable. Thinking to bolt the ladder to the wall secure the ladder from swinging, its insignificant frame maintains some risk. The step is not to carry heavy foot traffic and to be used regularly. After creating an attractive space in your loft, you expect to enjoy it and live in a soothing atmosphere free of any worries.
Another loft stair option is traditional ones which are vastly used in loft designs. The frame takes a large space from the entry point. This, of course, features full steps along with handrails.
Interestingly, traditional stairs present the exact opposite characteristic to the loft ladder as far as the benefits and drawbacks they have. On stability, it is very clear that traditional stairs are the safe option. However, it takes a larger space than loft ladders do in your home. Especially the footprint takes away a lot of space in relation to what you could enjoy in your home.
Spiral stairs, on the other hand, are the perfect answer to the aforementioned problems we faced with traditional stairs and loft ladders. Homeowners found a spiral staircase will fit their design requirements.
Due to the small circle of spiral stair footprint, usually, they are positioned in the corner of the house. Using such a location for spiral stairs saves you a lot of space underneath your loft. It also offers you full step features the ones you find on a traditional staircase. Although the footprint is small like loft ladders, it provides safety and stability.
The great advantage of spiral staircases is in design and flexible access points. Since it takes a little space, it gives you the opportunity to get into your loft. You can do this either through a hole from underneath or at the face of the loft. These accessing options give you a broader selection for your design assessment.
Windows
Natural light can enhance any home design, especially in an exclusive space in your loft living room. Making your loft into the living room generates a dynamic design in your home. A combination of appropriate windows and natural lights heightens your home design in general.
To boost your design, skylights are great candidate options for your loft, especially with a slanted ceiling. They provide, not only extra headroom, they will add visual interest to the loft ceiling. With natural light coming in at an angle, you can enjoy the beauty of the sky at night. It also has the advantage over standard windows since they don’t take any space away from your loft.
Now, if the location of your loft is below another room and having a skylight is impossible, Dormer windows are the options before you choose.
Floors
Usually, most designers consider designing loft living rooms entirely from wood frames. These are the frames that you build more on top of it. There are numerous ways to complete the floor while turning the loft into the living room.
The simplest option for flooring your living room loft is to give a nice finish to the wood frame and have the hardwood floor as it is. Of course, in this case, you save some time by hanging on to the original floor in position. Furthermore, simply to finish the wood flooring, the plank is suggested. Also, to give it a contemporary touch, you can use area rugs to cover the overall space to have a softer surface.
Carpets are also a good choice in place of rugs for your living room giving a homelier feel to your loft. For that, you have to install subflooring and then the carpet. This, of course, will take longer than do finishing the wooden planks. It also makes your floor a bit thicker. You consider this when you are planning other features of your loft design, like railing and loft stairs.
Decorating Loft living room
The next phase after finishing building or renovating your space is adding décor which is the last step. This step turns your loft into a pleasant living room. To maximize your space since usually, the lofts are small, you need to hire a home décor to utilize the space.
Built-in pieces are the perfect way to use entire wall space without taking up a lot of your square footage. Entertainment centers though are an excellent piece to blend into your new living room, like a built-in local point there. A one a kind piece that provides storage also is the main console with bookshelves on either side of it.
The crown molding is a budget-friendly home décor material. You could give your living room a built-in look without bearing the cost. You can add height, creating special value to your new loft by attaching the crown to your entertainment centers or your shelving unit.
Seating comfort, of course, is very important to provide as many pieces as possible in the living room. This is regardless of whether this room is traditional or being aloft. Sectional offers sufficient seating without taking up the whole space in the living area. It may sound counter-intuitive, but it helps you to feel that you have a larger space compared to a set with numerous small pieces.
Multifunctional pieces of furniture that provide storage space are a very suitable recommendation for lofts. Benches with storage space or Ottomans offer comfortable seating as well as a storage area.
Now, at last, you are thinking to enhance the final design. You can treat yourself by the addition of smaller accent pieces. These may include such items as simple light fixtures matching a clear acrylic coffee table. Pairing these two items creates a plain space.
It is absolutely pragmatic and a fantastic idea to have your loft living room. This way you will add more space to your home. Economically, you have added lots of value to your property without enduring the high cost of complete addition. This extra living space will suit you well for different functionalities your family can use. This second living room provides additional space for everyone in the household.
Enjoy the new features and comfort you thrived for.
