This is adapted from a comment I made a long while ago on An Exacting Life’s blog.
Yes to the following traits:
- To be renovated from industrial or commercial space – TICK was once a technical school, and there’s all sorts of weird ceiling levels cause of it
- To give the illusion it’s funky and real, and hasn’t always been chic real estate – TICK (well not entirely sure what was meant with this one!)
- Industrial elements such as concrete floors or a garage door – TICK (but darn cold in winter, I have carpet on the stairs and in the loft bedroom)
- A row of windows at least as tall as you are – TICK (though not as ‘character’ as I’d hoped, though I did just frost them… just glass sliding doors to my itty bitty balcony which is not common with a loft)
- Wooden beams, and/or plumbing/heating pipes overhead, or commercial ceiling fans –
NO (they’ve boxed in all the pipes, but every morning I shower ‘with’ my neighbours… as I hear each of them!)
- Open floor plan – except for bathroom, I hope – TICK – only door other than the front door is for the bathroom (and living alone, I feel odd when I shut it (for company))
- Room to hang massive artworks – TICK (not for the $$ to buy some! I have hung a scarf that’s almost a metre squared)
- Pendulum lighting – TICK (I think… I changed from wall mounted, which is common in lofts, to two ceiling mounted pendant lights, looks great imo!)
- Obligatory sounds of traffic and sirens, and ever-present light from street – YES! I have drug addicts and crazies bickering at all hours… but it’s all part of the charm!
And I have a car space (underground, luxury in the rain!). You made me feel oh so proud with my purchase (I sometimes still have buyers remorse!)
No to
- Exposed brick on at least one wall – NO… could a ‘cover’ a wall in brick faces? Or wallpaper?
- Salvaged materials such as glass block or bathroom tile – NO
- Huge scale custom-built furniture such as bookcases or dining table – no… though the bookcase idea tickles me a little… The Dining table is just IKEA, but it’s stainless steel, like the kitchen!
- Ladders or a metal spiral staircase (if there is an upper level, i.e. an actual “loft”) – NO, though I did try to source a ladder for deocartive purposes (old, wooden). I have a staircase, shown in the photo above
- View of a fire escape and the wall of the next building – No – I have a large playing field… which is lovely. Exposed/external fire escapes are uncommon in Australia
- Mid-century modern furniture (e.g. 1950s/60s/70s retro) – No, just not my style, though across the road from my building there are many vendors of exactly this kind of furniture and homewares