Question: We are moving into a loft, and the ground floor is one big living space. We have some new furniture - chocolate brown leather sectional, red leather sofa and chair - otherwise, we are open on what additional furniture to buy.

What would be the best location for the above furniture, coffee table, console table and/or bookshelf, TV stand, dinner tables and chair?

We'd like to rearrange the furniture in the future to fit a desk and chair for me (my husband will have his desk/chair in the loft space upstairs). We would also need a piece of furniture to act as an entry closet.

Upstairs, in the bedroom, we have no idea how to utilize the weird little - but long - annex space; the walk-in closet is quite small, so maybe a freestanding closet, but how would we access it? Or what other use can we make of it?

Natalia Lebedeva
Fremont

Answer: Your light and airy loft apartment provides the perfect opportunity to design a home with modern furniture and a clutter-free lifestyle. Maintaining the minimalist feeling is the challenge, but is easily accomplished with good furniture placement, added storage and color.

Let's start with your existing furniture. Placing the largest piece, the sectional, under the double-story windows anchors this large architectural element. And with part of the sectional's back toward the entry, we're able to create a feeling of separation from the place where you come into the apartment.

Behind this side of the sectional is a console table, which reinforces the sense of separation. And under the console is a pair of ottomans that can be brought into the main area for additional guest seating. Facing toward the main part of the sectional is your smaller sofa, with its back used to separate the living room area from the dining area. Perpendicular to the sectional and sofa is your chair. Pulling the whole seating area together is a coffee table. I recommend this new piece be made of glass with a wood or metal frame to maintain an open feeling to the room. In the corner between the sectional and the club chair is a floor lamp. I'd love to see this lamp be a large arcing lamp that places light in the center of this whole seating area. The Arco Floor Lamp at Design Within Reach, for instance, illuminates a large area without being visually intrusive, and its design is consistent with an airy space. The solid wall that runs the length of the apartment is ideal for a full library and media center modular system. It can be made up of sections for flexibility. Given the right combination of pieces, a flat-screen TV and its necessary components will fit nicely into it. With a drop-down desk unit as one of the modules, it can also double as a small home office in the future. Use one of the dining chairs when you need to sit here. Separate the living area from the kitchen with dining furniture. A long, rectangular table with six chairs will fill the space nicely. I would use a translucent glass table with a wooden base to maintain the modern feeling, and then choose a rectangular chandelier that replicates the shape of the table and unifies the space. Use chairs that incorporate the colors of your existing furniture to carry the color theme across the space.

Now for the much-needed coat closet. Under the highest part of the stairs is wasted space that can be used to create a closet. It's a common place to add storage. Be sure to hire a licensed contractor to do the job.

The staircase wall in front of the new closet is a perfect place to put a console cabinet. You can drop your keys and mail here when you come home, and it can also double as a serving buffet for the dining area, and with drawers below you gain additional storage.

Now for the upstairs: To soften the hard edges of the loft feeling, choose an upholstered headboard and bedding that relate to each other. A pair of night tables with drawers provides additional storage.

For a closet outside the small walk-in closet, I've selected a freestanding closet unit. These units come in a variety of styles, but the one shown here is from Ikea. Its modern design is consistent with the loft's architecture and, at $599, it's an affordable solution.

In the awkward space near the front of the bedroom, I've placed a small club chair with its own ottoman and floor lamp. It becomes a cozy reading area. A large potted plant fills the little corner area and, because there's an open area to downstairs and the tall windows are near it, its branches have room to grow, and its graceful lines are visible from downstairs. A fish-tail palm or ficus tree would do well here.

In the landing area in front of the bedroom, I've included several low potted plants to continue the sense of nature in the large open area. I've also added a small demi-lune table just before the door to the bathroom to soften the lines of this area.

The effective use of color on the walls and well-placed art throughout your new loft will help make this space look modern. And with all the new storage areas, you should be able to keep it free of clutter to maintain its elegant appearance.

 

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