7 decorating tips that will take your modern loft to the next level

Modern loft spaces are the perfect combination of history and modernity. These converted living spaces tell the story of what they once were — an old mattress factory or a former paper mill — through their unique floor plans. But because of their recent conversion into loft apartments, these spaces also feature practical modern touches like metal railing and high-tech kitchens.

Your modern loft house is the ideal place to incorporate industrial-style interior design or to create a boho artist’s retreat. Even if your house isn’t technically a loft space, you can take cues from loft living to inspire your modern home design. Here are seven decorating ideas to help you create a modern loft-style home.

7 tips for designing your modern loft

If you live in a modern loft apartment these decorating ideas will help you create a home design that matches the style of your space and makes the most of your home’s unique floor plan. But you don’t need an actual loft to make these design ideas work for you. Add them to any type of real estate to infuse your space with industrial loft style.

1. Create clear sections

Modern lofts usually come with open floor plans. It makes the space feel big and bright. But if you’re trying to fit multiple rooms — like a living room, dining room, and home office — into one, big, open space, it can start to feel busy.

Keep your living area organized by creating clear sections to serve each purpose. Room dividers are a good tool to section off your space. You might use one to divide your office from the rest of the space, for example. But they’re not the only tool at your disposal.

You can also use throw rugs and furniture to establish sections in an open space. For example, you can place a large floor rug under your dining table and a different floor rug under your living room furniture in order to differentiate the living and dining room.

You can also arrange your furniture to make the divisions clear. If you lay out your space so that your modular sofa is facing toward your dining table, it looks like your living room blends into your dining room. But if you arrange your furniture so that your sofa faces away from your dining table (i.e., you can see the back of the sofa from the dining room and not the front), then it will make the distinction between the two spaces clear.

If you want even greater division between the different sections of your loft space, you can use a short bookcase to create a DIY half-wall between the sections. Using a short bookcase, like the Santos 3-Tier Bookcase, as a room divider keeps the open-air feeling of your loft while adding storage and separating out the space.

You might also lean into architectural features to serve as room dividers. If your loft has large columns running through the middle of the space, act like the columns are a wall, separating one part of your open floor plan from the other. Then arrange your furniture so that one room is on one side of the columns and the other room is on the opposite side.

2. Turn acoustic panels into wall art

We love the open layout and polished cement floors of industrial lofts. They make the space feel bigger and more modern, but … they also make the space louder.

To decrease the echo in your modern loft home, you need to incorporate materials that help absorb sound. Rugs are a good start to decrease the echo off your cement or tile floors. To decrease the echo off the walls, you can use acoustic panels to make an accent wall that adds to your modern house design.

Acoustic panels come in a variety of colors and materials, so you can use them to create geometric patterns that are a perfect match for a mid-century modern space or you can make a solid-colored accent wall. You can even create a DIY acoustic wall with wood slats. The natural wood will add minimalist Scandinavian style to your home for a look that’s fashionable and functional.

3. Add faux bricks

Converted spaces often come with a lot of character. But if your space has less character than you were hoping for when you signed up to live in an old warehouse, then it’s time to add some faux features.

A faux brick wall in classic red or painted white will create the “this building has history” vibe you’re looking for. You could also add shiplap, reclaimed wood, or stone panels. Just be careful not to cover every inch of wall in paneling or your space could start to look dark. Stick to one or two accent walls.

4. Cover the columns

Columns are another architectural feature we love in modern lofts, but sometimes the columns that come in an industrial-style space are all industrial and no style.

If your loft space includes plain plaster columns, try covering them in distressed wood to make them look like classic wood beams. For extra wide columns, you can even cover them with stone or brick panels. There are a lot of ways to make your load-bearing columns more decorative.

And if your home doesn’t have columns but you love this architectural feature in converted lofts, you can add non-load-bearing columns with a weekend DIY project.

5. Consider the height of your bed

Loft bedrooms sometimes have sloping ceilings, which can make it hard to fit a headboard in your space. If you’re dealing with low ceilings or your bedroom is only separated from the rest of your space by a half-wall, then a platform bed, like the Hounslow Queen Bed, will be a good fit for your space because it sits lower to the ground and doesn’t have a headboard.

If, on the other hand, your loft has high ceilings but is more like a tiny house in terms of floor space, you might want to consider a loft bed. A loft bed — like the Avalon Full Workstation Loft Bed — allows you to use the space beneath the bed for a separate purpose, like as a home office or living space. Plus, there’s something so poetic about having a loft bed in a loft house.

6. Look for clean lines

The best interior design moments happen when the furniture in your space matches the space itself. Because loft houses are designed with modern, minimalist features, you should also choose your home furniture with minimalism in mind.

Look for furniture that features clean lines and geometric silhouettes. For example, you might choose a dresser with straight, square sides, like the Genevieve Dresser, or you may pick out an accent chair with a saddle seat and hairpin legs, like the Davina Accent Chair.

Choose silhouettes that are simple and functional, and they’ll match the modern design of your loft space.

7. Choose furniture with metal accents

Metal accents are one of the signature elements of industrial style, especially when they’re combined with distressed wood. Modern industrial design creates visual interest by pairing natural elements, like wood or linen, with industrial elements like metal legs, wheels, or rivets.

For example, this rectangular coffee table pairs a mango wood table top with iron legs in a silhouette that features straight clean lines. It exemplifies modern industrial design with its functionality and minimalist form.

Get the look for your loft

Modern loft spaces offer unique features that sometimes come with unique challenges. The open floor plan can make your space feel big, bright, and beautiful. But it can also make it louder and more difficult to organize.

And yet, with the right interior design mindset, every challenge can become an opportunity. Get creative to organize your space with room dividers and carefully arranged furniture. Then, highlight your existing architectural features or add the ones you wish you had.

To make your home decor match your architecture, choose furniture with modern silhouettes made from industrial materials. You can find the perfect furniture for your modern loft by visiting your local Coaster Furniture store. Shopping in person might not seem modern, but it’s the best way to make sure your furniture matches your lofty vision.

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