What's it like living in a loft?
July 2, 2007 9:47 PM Subscribe
What's it like living in a loft?
I recently graduated, so I'll be moving out on my own. One of my options is a loft-style apartment downtown in my city. High ceilings, no partitions, kitchen, bathroom, one level, closet space, large windows, either 740 or 870 sq ft. My question is, what is it like living in a loft? How is it with all the openness? How is it having space dividers, such as screens and furniture, instead of actual walls? Is it bothersome not having defined rooms? Opinions, experiences, advice? Thanks in advance.
I recently graduated, so I'll be moving out on my own. One of my options is a loft-style apartment downtown in my city. High ceilings, no partitions, kitchen, bathroom, one level, closet space, large windows, either 740 or 870 sq ft. My question is, what is it like living in a loft? How is it with all the openness? How is it having space dividers, such as screens and furniture, instead of actual walls? Is it bothersome not having defined rooms? Opinions, experiences, advice? Thanks in advance.
The openness never bothered me, but a general concern is noise - you've really got to do a lot with most lofts to maintain a tolerable noise level. For me, this meant hanging lots of things to serve as "baffles," having loads of rugs everywhere (my floors were wooden) and that sort of thing. Not having a loftmate is a help, too.
posted by Dee Xtrovert at 9:59 PM on July 2, 2007
posted by Dee Xtrovert at 9:59 PM on July 2, 2007
Noise.
That was the biggest problem when I have twice lived in a loft (2k sq ft and 1k sq ft) You can get visual privacy as needed. That's easy. But without walls even a small whisper at one end can be heard at the other end.
posted by vacapinta at 10:08 PM on July 2, 2007
That was the biggest problem when I have twice lived in a loft (2k sq ft and 1k sq ft) You can get visual privacy as needed. That's easy. But without walls even a small whisper at one end can be heard at the other end.
posted by vacapinta at 10:08 PM on July 2, 2007
There's no place to put our stuff! My fiance and I have one little closet for our clothing, and that's it. Anything that normally goes in a garage or a linen closet has to be creatively hidden.
Besides that, I love the openness. As for dividers, our couches and our bar naturally partition the 1000 sq foot space into "rooms". We're also lucky enough to have a separate bedroom space, though there's no door, only curtains. Privacy is definitely a concern if we have guests in town.
posted by changeling at 10:26 PM on July 2, 2007
Besides that, I love the openness. As for dividers, our couches and our bar naturally partition the 1000 sq foot space into "rooms". We're also lucky enough to have a separate bedroom space, though there's no door, only curtains. Privacy is definitely a concern if we have guests in town.
posted by changeling at 10:26 PM on July 2, 2007
We live in a loft when we live in Houston (we've been in Korea for the past 2 years but we still own our loft in Houston and will move back there at the end of the year). At the best of times, it's wonderful. I love the open space, we have windows and natural light throughout our home, it's great for parties, and has an awesome artsy and open feel to it that I enjoy.
At the worst of times it's totally annoying, like when my husband has friends over and I need some privacy or when we get a cool new piece of artwork but can't decide which of our four walls to hang it on and moving anything up or down the stairs sucks. When I'm sick and want a dark room to lay in there are no dark rooms because there are no walls! We have a dog and miss having yard and we know once we decide to have kids the artsy loft will have to go.
In all, though, I'd say we like it a lot. You can find lots of ways to creatively arrange to make "rooms" too. We're currently deciding how to rearrange for when we move back home.
posted by Brittanie at 11:43 PM on July 2, 2007
At the worst of times it's totally annoying, like when my husband has friends over and I need some privacy or when we get a cool new piece of artwork but can't decide which of our four walls to hang it on and moving anything up or down the stairs sucks. When I'm sick and want a dark room to lay in there are no dark rooms because there are no walls! We have a dog and miss having yard and we know once we decide to have kids the artsy loft will have to go.
In all, though, I'd say we like it a lot. You can find lots of ways to creatively arrange to make "rooms" too. We're currently deciding how to rearrange for when we move back home.
posted by Brittanie at 11:43 PM on July 2, 2007
You know how after sitting inside all day and you head outside and say "Ahhh" because of how nice and open it is? I get that in my loft. There are disadvantages to be sure, but that one thing makes it all worth it, and I get to be a bit creative with the disadvantages.
* Pet hair: it can now get into everything, in the closet or not. So brush your pet regularly and get a good vacuum cleaner.
* Solar heating: we use the blinds a lot. I like my free light though, so we open them for a few minutes in the morning and close them before we leave. Around 2pm the sun hits the windows dead on so it'll heat up if they aren't closed. Central air makes this less of a worry though.
* Noise: The floor is carpeted so we haven't had much of a problem here.
* Pet: No place to hide, and the cat really dislikes it when we sleep in. I take it as an excuse to play with her more at night and tire her out.
* Overnight Guests: our bedroom is elevated and partitioned with a half wall, so it's been ok. Guests use the futon in the living room, but yes it's been weird.
That's all that comes to mind really. One of these days I'm going to hook a decent projector up to the TV. 14ft white walls can be broken up a bit by furniture but I've got this crazy idea of setting the projector up and painting a black border around where it hits the wall. If anyone asks I can show them my TV. :-)
posted by jwells at 4:54 AM on July 3, 2007
* Pet hair: it can now get into everything, in the closet or not. So brush your pet regularly and get a good vacuum cleaner.
* Solar heating: we use the blinds a lot. I like my free light though, so we open them for a few minutes in the morning and close them before we leave. Around 2pm the sun hits the windows dead on so it'll heat up if they aren't closed. Central air makes this less of a worry though.
* Noise: The floor is carpeted so we haven't had much of a problem here.
* Pet: No place to hide, and the cat really dislikes it when we sleep in. I take it as an excuse to play with her more at night and tire her out.
* Overnight Guests: our bedroom is elevated and partitioned with a half wall, so it's been ok. Guests use the futon in the living room, but yes it's been weird.
That's all that comes to mind really. One of these days I'm going to hook a decent projector up to the TV. 14ft white walls can be broken up a bit by furniture but I've got this crazy idea of setting the projector up and painting a black border around where it hits the wall. If anyone asks I can show them my TV. :-)
posted by jwells at 4:54 AM on July 3, 2007
I absolutely loved living in warehouse building that had been converted into lofts (very high ceilings, one wall of nearly floor-to-ceiling windows, concrete walls, and sealed concrete floors). The light was wonderful. It was also easy to keep clean, since I could look across the room and see what needed to be done.
It really does help if you can define the space with furniture and area rugs to create “rooms” or at least living spaces, so you don’t constantly feel like you’re hanging out in your bedroom. I lived by myself, and I think it would have been a bit cramped if my s/o lived there as well. Having one large room for two people all the time can be a bit tough if you are used to having some sense of private space.
On the negative side, I second the comments about noise. If anyone is staying with you for the weekend, you’ll hear every snore and whisper. On the other hand, the thick walls in the loft minimized noise from other units, which was nice. I also disliked the lack of storage space: it’s hard to keep stuff out of sight when you don’t have a basement or a spare room. You can fix this with useful solutions like under-bed and vertical wall storage to some extent. Oh, and the air-conditioning bill was a bitch. (I wasn't there in the winter, but I imagine heating would be even worse.)
posted by Mock Turtle at 7:23 AM on July 3, 2007
It really does help if you can define the space with furniture and area rugs to create “rooms” or at least living spaces, so you don’t constantly feel like you’re hanging out in your bedroom. I lived by myself, and I think it would have been a bit cramped if my s/o lived there as well. Having one large room for two people all the time can be a bit tough if you are used to having some sense of private space.
On the negative side, I second the comments about noise. If anyone is staying with you for the weekend, you’ll hear every snore and whisper. On the other hand, the thick walls in the loft minimized noise from other units, which was nice. I also disliked the lack of storage space: it’s hard to keep stuff out of sight when you don’t have a basement or a spare room. You can fix this with useful solutions like under-bed and vertical wall storage to some extent. Oh, and the air-conditioning bill was a bitch. (I wasn't there in the winter, but I imagine heating would be even worse.)
posted by Mock Turtle at 7:23 AM on July 3, 2007
I've only been in mine for a month but I love it so far.
I live alone though so privacy and noise within the unit are not an issue.
The high ceilings (mine are 14ft) are grand. You can have huge plants (I have a 9ft tree), large paintings (I have some 6ft or so), and you can THINK! (there was a post on the blue recently about how higher ceilings promote creativity)
The only "negatives" so far for me are:
1. the building's old and wasn't meant for commercial use when built so the water's a bit weird--it takes a good 2 mins before hot water comes out of the shower (though the pressure is fine).
2. I have a wide open space and then a proper loft for the bed. There's not much headroom up there. I can *just* stand up. However, it means I now have to buy a lower bed as my regular bed/box spring is too high. Fine for sleeping but not so much for fucking.
3. Someone above mentioned no closet space--for some that may be an issue, but I think it's easy enough to find wardrobes and whatnot.
That's it. I don't divide my space with barriers and screens and shit as that defeats the purpose. Properly positioned furniture and rugs can help define the space. There are a gazillion books on lofts filled with just photos--pick up a few at the library and see how others have done it.
As for A/C and heat, I can't comment on the cost as it's built into my rent.
posted by dobbs at 9:05 AM on July 3, 2007
I live alone though so privacy and noise within the unit are not an issue.
The high ceilings (mine are 14ft) are grand. You can have huge plants (I have a 9ft tree), large paintings (I have some 6ft or so), and you can THINK! (there was a post on the blue recently about how higher ceilings promote creativity)
The only "negatives" so far for me are:
1. the building's old and wasn't meant for commercial use when built so the water's a bit weird--it takes a good 2 mins before hot water comes out of the shower (though the pressure is fine).
2. I have a wide open space and then a proper loft for the bed. There's not much headroom up there. I can *just* stand up. However, it means I now have to buy a lower bed as my regular bed/box spring is too high. Fine for sleeping but not so much for fucking.
3. Someone above mentioned no closet space--for some that may be an issue, but I think it's easy enough to find wardrobes and whatnot.
That's it. I don't divide my space with barriers and screens and shit as that defeats the purpose. Properly positioned furniture and rugs can help define the space. There are a gazillion books on lofts filled with just photos--pick up a few at the library and see how others have done it.
As for A/C and heat, I can't comment on the cost as it's built into my rent.
posted by dobbs at 9:05 AM on July 3, 2007
Will you have roommates?
I've lived in four lofts (10k sf, 2 @ 2.5k sf and about 2k sf) with varying degrees of walls/structures and I can tell you that I had a great time in all of them. The 10k sf one was gigantic and hard to cool in the winter, but it also had rooms already built for us (though we had to put in the oven, fridge, water heater, shower, etc) and it had free electricity (space heater city!). It was a very raw space, though, and hard to keep clean. Plus, the landlords were shady and we ended up putting all that work/money into the place only to move out.
The 2.5k sf ones I lived in were both much nicer (more finished) lofts, but also didn't have walls that went all the way to the ceiling. I happen to not have a problem with this, but I think a lot of people would. I also lived with my best friends most of the time, so that helped. I did live with a stranger once and he and my roommate had a bit of a run-in.
If you're living alone (which you might be, given the sizes), then I say go for it. It's a lot of fun and something you should try at least once in your life.
posted by atomly at 9:28 AM on July 3, 2007
I've lived in four lofts (10k sf, 2 @ 2.5k sf and about 2k sf) with varying degrees of walls/structures and I can tell you that I had a great time in all of them. The 10k sf one was gigantic and hard to cool in the winter, but it also had rooms already built for us (though we had to put in the oven, fridge, water heater, shower, etc) and it had free electricity (space heater city!). It was a very raw space, though, and hard to keep clean. Plus, the landlords were shady and we ended up putting all that work/money into the place only to move out.
The 2.5k sf ones I lived in were both much nicer (more finished) lofts, but also didn't have walls that went all the way to the ceiling. I happen to not have a problem with this, but I think a lot of people would. I also lived with my best friends most of the time, so that helped. I did live with a stranger once and he and my roommate had a bit of a run-in.
If you're living alone (which you might be, given the sizes), then I say go for it. It's a lot of fun and something you should try at least once in your life.
posted by atomly at 9:28 AM on July 3, 2007
Response by poster: @atomly: I will be living alone, though my SO will be there often, too.
The buildings I'm looking at are part of the same complex. There are three available lofts, one on the first floor in one building, and two others in another building, one on the second floor, and one on the third floor. Holding all else constant, any advice as far as which floor is ideal to live on?
I would pay a flat fee (based on square footage) for water/sewage/trash pick-up/recycling. I would also pay the power company directly for electricity.
posted by jroybal at 10:18 AM on July 3, 2007
The buildings I'm looking at are part of the same complex. There are three available lofts, one on the first floor in one building, and two others in another building, one on the second floor, and one on the third floor. Holding all else constant, any advice as far as which floor is ideal to live on?
I would pay a flat fee (based on square footage) for water/sewage/trash pick-up/recycling. I would also pay the power company directly for electricity.
posted by jroybal at 10:18 AM on July 3, 2007
Love my open 1200ft^2 loft, but I'm just one person. I can't imagine sharing it with someone, much less raising a family in it. Just seems like we'd be tripping over each other all the time.
I'm on the top (fourth) floor. No worries about noisy neighbors upstairs, although the roof does creak & crack with expansion. (Freaked me out a little at first!) The elevator ride is a little longer, and moving in was a pain, but I love the elevated view.
A few things:
- High ceilings rock. I would probably feel claustrophobic with 8' ceilings anymore.
- Little storage, but most of the stuff I would store is crap anyhow. (You can see I'm spinning this as a "positive"...) I've been able to give away all those old C++ books, the steel-toed boots from that one factory job, many boxes of old PC gear... I'm happier traveling light, but YMMV.
- Huge windows let in lots of light, but I still haven't gotten curtains on them. I'll have to get them custom-made or make them myself. Consequently, I can only watch tv at night (see below)
- Concrete floors are nice looking, easy to clean, but ANYTHING glass will break into a million little pieces if dropped. I was worried they'd be too hard on bare feet or too cold in winter. Nope.
jwells: One of these days I'm going to hook a decent projector up to the TV. 14ft white walls can be broken up a bit by furniture but I've got this crazy idea of setting the projector up and painting a black border around where it hits the wall.
I'm doing this now. I prefer not having a border, because when the "tv" is off, it just *disappears* -- rather than being the obvious focus of the seating arrangement like a flat-screen or rear projection tv. (My wall is actually painted green, but to my surprise it doesn't tint the image noticably.) Be sure you can control your lighting, as I can only watch mine at night because I have no curtains. I highly recommend it though. Projectors are cheap nowadays, and it's pretty cool having a 12' television.
posted by LordSludge at 12:00 PM on July 3, 2007
I'm on the top (fourth) floor. No worries about noisy neighbors upstairs, although the roof does creak & crack with expansion. (Freaked me out a little at first!) The elevator ride is a little longer, and moving in was a pain, but I love the elevated view.
A few things:
- High ceilings rock. I would probably feel claustrophobic with 8' ceilings anymore.
- Little storage, but most of the stuff I would store is crap anyhow. (You can see I'm spinning this as a "positive"...) I've been able to give away all those old C++ books, the steel-toed boots from that one factory job, many boxes of old PC gear... I'm happier traveling light, but YMMV.
- Huge windows let in lots of light, but I still haven't gotten curtains on them. I'll have to get them custom-made or make them myself. Consequently, I can only watch tv at night (see below)
- Concrete floors are nice looking, easy to clean, but ANYTHING glass will break into a million little pieces if dropped. I was worried they'd be too hard on bare feet or too cold in winter. Nope.
jwells: One of these days I'm going to hook a decent projector up to the TV. 14ft white walls can be broken up a bit by furniture but I've got this crazy idea of setting the projector up and painting a black border around where it hits the wall.
I'm doing this now. I prefer not having a border, because when the "tv" is off, it just *disappears* -- rather than being the obvious focus of the seating arrangement like a flat-screen or rear projection tv. (My wall is actually painted green, but to my surprise it doesn't tint the image noticably.) Be sure you can control your lighting, as I can only watch mine at night because I have no curtains. I highly recommend it though. Projectors are cheap nowadays, and it's pretty cool having a 12' television.
posted by LordSludge at 12:00 PM on July 3, 2007
My friend had to install a fan to blow the heated air back down from the ceiling during the winter, and we live in the very temperate Bay Area. Hmmm, so if it's cold where you live, I'd recommend an upper floor, where the heat of those below you would pass up to you, warming your floor.
posted by salvia at 2:00 PM on July 3, 2007
posted by salvia at 2:00 PM on July 3, 2007
Second the temperature issues- lofts can get verrrrrrrry cold in the winter and expensive to heat. Stuffy in the summer too, depending on your window situation and ventilation. Other than this, I find lofts to be some of the most (at least psychologically) comfortable spaces to live in.
posted by stagewhisper at 7:08 PM on July 4, 2007
posted by stagewhisper at 7:08 PM on July 4, 2007
« Older Heathrow to Bath for two faster than a speeding... | What makes this girl so strong? Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by the jam at 9:57 PM on July 2, 2007