Industrial Loft

Where it comes from

Converted industrial buildings in New York and London, where the volume was the asset.

Loft style needs height and length to work — exposed structure, big steel windows, oversized furniture that can hold its own in the space. In a normal-ceilinged room it becomes costume, so the remodel usually has to open something up first.

Lighting

Big fittings hung low over furniture, leaving the upper volume dark. Lighting the ceiling of a loft removes the reason it exists.

What breaks it

• Undersized furniture floating in a big room
• Low-hung small pendants
• Fussy trim
• Too many small rugs

Where to spend

Window and door frames. Black steel glazing is what makes the loft reading credible more than brick ever does.