How to Create a Loft Without a Designer: 5 Secrets

A loft can be made minimalist and brutal, or you can add colors and decor to create a more cozy atmosphere. Also, such an interior is easy to create on your own, without the help of a designer — here are several tips.

If possible, make an open-plan layout

Of course, a typical Khrushchyovka can also be decorated in a loft style, but it works completely differently on a large area without unnecessary partitions. For example, you can avoid dividing the kitchen, dining room, and living room areas as the designers of the studio did. But keep in mind that this is only possible if you have an electric stove — a kitchen with a gas stove must be separated from living spaces.

Another successful solution is glass partitions that define zones but do not consume space.

Design: Artpartner

Design: Victoria Smelnytska

Design: Olga Rayskaya

Design: Marina Bocharova

Design: Dasha Ukhlinova

Focus on material textures

Modern loft is not only red brick. Today, the industrial style implies a rich variety of finishes: this can be concrete, microcement, textured plaster, stone — especially effective is combining several textures.

Design: Daria Avdeenko

Design: Andrey Popov

Of course, using concrete for finishing is quite expensive and labor-intensive: you need to clean and degrease the wall, apply primer. We recommend choosing a cement imitation. For those who like modern loft but also want more warmth in the room, we recommend art concrete with a soft touch effect from Volare Loggia. It looks like real concrete but feels soft and not as cold for living spaces.

Finish: Loggia Volare

Another modern trend is using art concrete in the bathroom, both for the shower area and the sink. For such finishing, you need original microcement Loggia, not an imitation: it must not only be water-resistant but also specifically designed for zones where water hits directly. Especially effective is combining microcement in the bathroom with other materials — tiles, wood, or stone-like finishes.

Design: 2artstudio

Design: Kidz Design

If you prefer brick and have enough space, you can cover the walls with bricks. If you need to save square meters, use brick tiles. You can even do a cladding with real old bricks — it looks very beautiful but is also expensive.

Budget option: cladding walls with MDF or PVC panels that look like brick. They are easy to install, hide wall irregularities, and can last up to 15 years. The downsides: these panels may deform after installation, and they can also emit harmful substances for health, especially in hot rooms.

Affordable and original solution — Loggia Infinito decorative plaster. It is produced in cooperation with MAD (Association of World-Class Decorators), easy to use, and allows creating any effects, including brick masonry, granite, concrete blocks, or natural stone.

Finish: Loggia Infinito

Another advantage of this finish is that you don’t need specialists for it. To learn how to decorate walls using decorative coatings, just attend one free masterclass — Loggia regularly holds them.

Finish: Loggia Infinito

Design: Dasha Ukhlinova

Finish: Loggia Infinito

Don’t be afraid of vibrant shades

The trend of decorating loft interiors exclusively in dark gray and black tones is already outdated. It will look natural with bright but complex and deep tones: burgundy, muted blue, pistachio, mustard. Or you can play with contrast: add soft tones like pink to a gray concrete interior.

Design: Alena Gorskaya

Design: Dmitry Bolydrev

Plan lighting scenarios: different setups, exposed wiring

Creating several lighting scenarios is a traditional way to zone a loft interior. For example, in the kitchen, place a large pendant over the dining area, several small lights above the work surface, and spotlights around the ceiling perimeter.

By the way, you can choose almost any kind of lighting fixtures: with minimalist metal shades or without them at all, or more classic ones that will contrast beautifully with the brutal atmosphere.

Design: CENS Architects

Design: Andrey Popov

Design: We Create Studio

Another easy-to-implement trick without a designer is not hiding wiring in the walls but leaving it exposed: it can serve as decoration.

Design: Evgenia Razuvayeva

Design: Geometrium

Add original decor

Loft doesn’t have to be minimalist. Interesting details, natural fabrics, items with history, and art objects will give the interior individuality and make it more “lived-in.” Additionally, decor is an excellent playground for experiments if you want to bring something new into the space but aren’t ready for radical changes yet.

Design: Yuri Zimenko

Cover design: Daria Avdeenko project