We are proud to announce that during November a Birmingham city centre loft apartment renovation was completed by us and fully successful. We can showcase this at http://creamandbrowne.co.uk/projects/loft-apartment-design-build-birmingham/ and we would encourage you to view this for design ideas and inspiration.

The purpose of this blog post is to take the concept of loft apartment design a little broader and give you some tips on things you may want to include if you are undertaking a similar project. For individual ways to enhance a room, please see our previous postings which give further ideas.

Light and space.

When it comes to renovating a loft space this is one of the most important things to consider, To some extent this is a given – you have to work with what you have and extra windows etc. is really an architect and builders area of expertise.  However there are certain things you can do which will help the cause:

* Don’t block up any windows with arrangements or objects etc. Allow what natural light there is to flow freely. This is especially essential in areas of what are perceived as limited space.

* Think about artificial lighting (i.e. lamps, ceiling lights etc) to add or enhance to the natural light. It can often be this that makes or breaks a lofting area.

* Don’t go for dark colours which will simply make the area look more concealed and closed. Instead opt for a light, fresh and airy look. The above picture is a good example of this.

Sloping beams?

This is one of the quirks of a loft type area as generally other parts of buildings do not possess these features. Use this unique feature to your advantage. Why not decorate the beams with something fancy? How about using the beams to conceal off a certain part of the loft area? Maybe if you have children this could be their den area for example. Fancy lighting against dark beams can also work really well.

Style.

When it comes to designing your loft apartments think about what impression you are trying to make. Loft apartments are often associated with class and elegance therefore you might want to think about a style which reflects this. This can come across in the furniture, flooring and wall coverage which you decide to use, so be mindful of this.

Storage.

Having room is key with loft apartments and depending on how big yours is the need for space can be more or less pressing. Nonetheless having effective and practical storage is always a plus. Think about ways you can incorporate this into the design. If you have high ceilings there is nothing wrong with using that ‘empty space in the air’ to your advantage. If your lofting area is wide in length then you can choose to lay things out more naturally.

Nothing is the limit.

Where loft apartments are concerned, you sometimes need to think outside the box, so just because something doesn’t look traditional or what you might have in an ordinary house, this does not matter. We have seen designs of people having bookcases which expand out into beds, or fold away table and chairs. The choice is really yours.

Comfort.

Whether your loft apartment is an addition to your home or you are in a penthouse style loft apartment, you want to make the area comfortable. It is likely that being so high above the ground you will have some fantastic views and be able to see wonderful skylines both by day and night. There is nothing worse that not being able to appreciate this, so ensure you have a range of chairs or sofas which not only look good but allow you to relax and enjoy the atmosphere.