Wood or White?

In one of my previous posts I was praising the use of light-colored wood in lofts, especially in those that can't let a lot of natural light in, which really is most lofts.

I suppose we may as well go all in and pick white as the dominant color. Here are some examples:

(Source: Purekitchen via Materialicious )

I particularly like the simplicity and the use of material in the latter. Other people may argue that you get bored of white, not of wood. Also, this is what I would call a radical choice that (too) strongly reflects someone's personality. I'm not sure it would suit someone like me who lived in Africa and South America and is more used to the warmth of brighter colors.

For now, I think I am more inclined to mix both and, maybe, instead of using light wood, to keep the darkness of our beams and create a contrast with white walls.

And let's not forget the brick wall that I am still planning to restore.

Windows on the world

There is no window at all in our loft and soon we will need to pick some. The question is - roof windows or dormers? Unless we can compromise... apparently yes we can!

Why not choose over-sized windows like here:

I have never seen this before but what a nice way to a) let light in and b) create more space in the room. Not sure Harringay council would let us do that where we are, but why not give it a go?

Tip*1: If you decide to go with roof windows, try to pick the biggest ones you can and remember not to put them too high so the light does fill as much space as possible.

Tip*2: Amongst other roof products - like roof ladders, solar panels, roofing membranes etc. - Fakro offers a wide range of windows from basic roof windows to more eccentric products like balcony windows. If you have used any of their products, please make yourself known.


27/07/2011 Update
My absolute favorite so far, seen on Pure Kitchen:

Fitted furniture for our loft

I recommend this very interactive article on loft conversions on Lovehome.co.uk.

Their slideshow seems to confirm what I've had in mind for a while - we need to think "fitted furniture" and not "fitting furniture" in our loft as long as we can afford it.

I'm totally going for Neville Johnson's Perfect Study Bedroom:

(source: "Your Perfect Study Bedroom", Neville Johnson)

The bookshelf here follows the shape of the roof, something I've always wanted to replicate. We would do something a bit different at home as we have a nice brick wall at one end of the loft that it would be silly to cover with a piece of furniture. I'd like to keep it in sight and find a way to build shelves in. I have no idea how easy this is going to be.

I love the wood here - and this is reminding me that I have to write a post about how calming wood can be. The beams are quite light-colored, ours are a bit darker but I'm even thinking about painting them.

Lighting is a great way to embellish the wood. Looking at these pictures, I'm trying to figure out what kind of lights have been put and where. It would be wonderful if you couldn't actually see them in real life either.

The more I am getting into renovation work and ideas, the more I am thinking that everything is possible, let's be creative and only then see how much it costs.

Loft Conversion - weighing up our options

Our flat is located on the second floor of a three-storey building in a conservation area. On the second floor are three bedrooms, a small living-room, a kitchen, a bathroom and two large cupboards in the corridor. We have a loft on the third floor which we are looking to renovate. At the moment, we can only access it with a ladder and have only used it as storage space. It is an old and dusty room with no windows.

We are still discussing what we'll do. We have narrowed it down to three main options.

Option 1: Master bedroom + small bathroom
Option 2: Large office + home cinema area
Option 3: Open-plan kitchen + living-room

With Option 1, we will have to comply with fire regulations. Option 2 is probably the easiest one and is ideal for people like us who work from home and can have their own space during the day. Option 3 is the most ambitious but would allow us to turn the living room and kitchen downstairs into an ensuite bedroom.