Lofts are truly New York residential spaces filled with history that have become an icon of NYC living. These apartments are very unique in their architectural characteristics and in the manner they are occupied. Loft design requires an understanding of loft architecture, as well as balancing their challenges with their strengths.
I am Jorge Fontan an architect in New York and owner of Fontan Architecture a NYC architecture firm. At our office we work on a variety of project types including loft renovations throughout New York City. In this blog post I will share a few lofts we have worked on over the past few years and discuss some of the key insights from each individual project.
SoHo Artist Loft
In SoHo and Tribeca you can find some buildings with real artist lofts. These are called “Joint Live Work Quarters for Artists” or JLWQA. These are the original artist lofts that were illegally occupied back in the 70s and 80s. The city then made new codes to allow the building owners to legalize them. Today these are some of the most sought after apartments in NYC, and are rarely actually occupied by artists. The certificate of occupancy will say JLWQA if it is one of these original artist lofts.
There are new regulations for occupying Artis Lofts in SoHo and NoHo. If you are interested we have another post you can see on Converting JLWQA in SoHo.
Weather you are a artist or not incorporating large artworks into your loft can really bring the space to life. adding art is also a great throwback to the artists who where the pioneers in loft living.
SoHo Loft Design
Modern NYC Loft Design
This loft has a very modern and simple feel. The details and lack of details are what really make this apartment work. Notice the wood floors below, how uniform they are. This is a select white oak wide plank flooring with a rift and quartered cut. This makes for an incredibly modern space. The simplicity adds a great elegance against the rough brick backdrop and colorful artwork.
Modern NYC Loft Design
NYC Loft Bedroom Design
SoHo Maisonette Loft
This next loft is in SoHo and is a duplex maisonette apartment. A maisonette is an apartment on the first floor that has a private entrance from the sidewalk. These are very convenient and allow for optimal privacy. Side note, contractors love to work in these apartments because they do not have to go through the lobby of the building during the loft renovation.
High Ceiling Loft Apartments
Usually the first floor has higher ceilings and this one certainly does. This loft has a fourteen foot ceiling which makes a truly awesome space. You really feel the height when you stand inside this apartment.
This picture shows the high ceilings accentuated by the verticality of the original cast iron columns. People often ask me if the columns in lofts are really structural or just decorative so just in case you aren’t sure yes these are structural columns holding up the building. Besides the structure you can also see the maisonette entrance straight out to the sidewalk at the front double doors.
High Ceiling Loft Apartment
Exposed Brick Loft
This loft is quite simple but there is one very important issue that must be addressed in all loft apartments. To expose the brick or not to expose the brick, that is the question. The couple that own this loft did not really like exposed brick. They are both from California and told me that only New Yorkers like exposed brick. I am not sure if that’s true but I am a born and raised New Yorker and I like exposed brick. I think lots of people do, but certainly not everyone. In this apartment they eventually chose to go with exposed brick in the end.
Loft buildings in New York have brick exterior walls at the perimeter of the building. It will come down to personal taste but you need to make a decision as to whether or not you want to expose the brick and if so how much of it. You will want to take the quality of the brick into consideration. If it looks really bad this may sway your decision. If the brick is covered up you can expose just a small area and see what it looks like before committing. It does not have to be perfect lofts are gritty and industrial in their history and it is ok if that comes through. Of course I will show you some other projects below with a completely different take.
Of course you do not have to go with exposed brick just because you live in a loft this is all going to come down to personal choice.
We have another post on Loft Design Ideas where we go over more architectural and interior design options.
Exposed Brick Loft NYC
Simple Loft Design
The idea in this loft was to keep it simple which really comes out in this bedroom design. The white walls and black hardware are a simple response to the exposed brick in the living room. The bedroom becomes more intimate and elegant while still feeling like a loft.
Simple Loft Bedroom
White Tribeca Loft
This loft is a bit different than the previous ones in that the owner wanted this to be a much cleaner space by going all white with minimal texture. The loft is in Tribeca and is over 4,000 square feet with it’s mezzanine level.
In the picture below you can see the owner had a lot of colorful furniture and photography. She wanted to strip the architecture down to its simplest state and let the furniture bring the color. An all white apartment is not for everyone but it can be an elegant option for a loft.
White Tribeca Loft Design
In New York the word loft is used to describe an apartment in a building that was originally commercial or industrial use that was converted to residential use. In other parts of the world it is used to identify what we call a mezzanine. A mezzanine is an elevated level within a space such as the one below. Some lofts in New York have mezzanine levels but many do not.
Tribeca Loft Mezzanine NYC
Loft Details
This is an all white loft which becomes very simple, but moments such as these wall niches create great spaces for plants to add life.
Modern Wall Niche
Concrete Loft
This next apartment is a small loft in the Financial District with a very unique design. The original apartment was all white ans very stark. The owner wanted to add texture and we went with concrete as the primary material for the apartment design.
Concrete Loft in NYC
Industrial Loft Interior Design
Concrete Loft Bathroom
Even the bathroom walls and floors are made of concrete in this loft apartment.
Concrete Shower Walls and Floor
Madison Square Park Loft Combination
Below is a project we are currently working on. In this project we are combining two lofts on the same floor to make one four thousand square foot loft. We are providing full services on architecture and interior design.
Loft Gut Renovation in NYC
Below is a before and after plan with the original conditions on the left and the proposed on the right. We have another post on Combining Apartments in NYC if you are interested in reading more.
Combining Apartments Diagrams
Loft Architects in NYC
Planning is key to renovating your NYC loft apartment, one must understand the unique characteristics of a loft and engage in the personal nature of home design to develop a final result that suites it’s individual owners.
Thank You for Reading Our Blog Post on NYC Loft Renovations
I hope this was helpful. If you would like to speak with an architect about a potential project you can contact us at Fontan Architecture directly.
This post was written by Jorge Fontan AIA a Registered Architect and owner of New York City architecture firm Fontan Architecture. Jorge Fontan has earned 3 degrees in the study of architecture including two degrees from the City University of New York and a Masters Degree in Advanced Architectural Design from Columbia University. Jorge has a background in construction and has been practicing architecture for 20 years where he has designed renovations and new developments of various building types.
