As new condos come in ever-shrinking sizes, creating a functional home has become more than just maximizing floor space. Rather, can you create more usable room - within those four walls? And no, buying a bigger house isn't a solution.
Thankfully, with the higher ceilings that come with many condominium units today, a loft is one nifty way of adding practical space – without trading up! So look up, not down; these 10 loft ideas can help to 'increase' your small home's square footage:
1. If you think you can’t fit a reading nook, kitchen, dining bar and storage closet all within a living room, this boxy loft is here to prove you wrong. Packing a practical punch, no inch is left wasted; storage niches and shelving are incorporated in almost every corner, from the stair steps to the bookshelves on the mezzanine level.
Interior Designer: Cozy Ideas Interior Design
2. Here’s another way of looking at lofts – rather than building a single platform, this home’s mezzanine level winds about the entire living area, creating a continuous ‘corridor’ that’s able to accommodate a lot more. Expanding beyond, the ‘walkway’ is able to fit in a leisure corner for playing cards (and darts) in.
Interior Designer: Inzz Studio
3. Playing up on its slim, tall layout, this unit manages to fit in two loft spaces, effectively carving out extra functional areas beyond it’s one-bedroom floor plan. A bigger loft perched on top of the open kitchen works as a study ‘room’ for the homeowners. Meanwhile, the second, smaller platform is made into a walk-in wardrobe.
Interior Designer: Prozfile Design
4. Think bunk beds, but on a larger scale. Making use of its extended ceiling height, an otherwise compact bedroom is turned into two, self-sufficient sleeping areas – complete with a bed, study desk and wardrobe each.
Interior Designer: U-Home Interior Design
5. No more arguments with family over who gets to hog the TV in the living room. This stylish home’s got a solution - simply create a private TV corner, on top of your sleeping area! Fitted out with a couple of bean bags and cushions, this bedroom’s cosy, elevated platform is perfect for binge-watching shows in.
Interior Designer: Prozfile Design
6. Working as a centerpiece, this built-up loft serves up both functionality and eye-catching style. Stacked shelves add some well-needed storage (and a visual punch) to the mezzanine floor’s study area, while the two ‘pillars’ holding the structure up double as a striking feature shelf and practical storage cubby respectively.
Interior Designer: Free Space Intent
7. Alternatively, this home’s minimalist, lofted study stands out equally in its own way, using clean lines and uncluttered carpentry for subtle impact. By keeping its construction to simple forms and sticking to the same white-and-wood theme, the tiny study nook manages to appear more spacious than it really is.
Interior Designer: Schemacraft
8. Live in a compact studio? Building a floor to ceiling partition or wall could seriously clog up whatever little space you have. So, if you’re looking for a little privacy whilst keeping an open-plan layout, consider building a loft bed that separates the sleeping area from the communal areas below, like this project.
Interior Designer: Aart Boxx Interior
9. As they say, think out of the box. And sometimes, that means looking beyond the usual box-like platforms lofts usually take on. Following the rest of this home’s angular theme, diagonal lines and jagged edges are combined to form a stunning built-in masterpiece in the bedroom. But, it’s not all about aesthetics – while the mezzanine floor houses the bed, the space below is transformed into an imposing walk-in wardrobe that oozes serious style.
Interior Designer: Metamorph Design
10. Here, this loft doesn’t just combine the bed and study under one roof, it also works as a passageway to the enclosed walk-in wardrobe tucked within. Feels somewhat like walking into Narnia, doesn’t it?
You have the ideas, it's time to get into the specifics. Before you flesh out your dream loft with an interior designer (we can help!), here are some renovation guidelines to take note of when building one.
Ceiling Height: Is your room height tall enough to fit in a loft? According to BCA, you'll need a minimum clearance height (from the finished floor to the underside of the loft) of 2.4m.
Loft Size: As long as your proposed loft area does not take more than 5 sqm, planning permission is not required from BCA. Anything more will require a permit and approval from a Professional Engineer to ensure that the loft structure complies to all safety requirements.
Loft Load Limits: Your loft cannot be too heavy that it affects the structural integrity of the building. Check with your developer what is the maximum allowable load (the amount of additional weight your apartment level can take).
Maximum Gross Floor Area: You'll also need to seek approval from your property's management office whether the maximum gross floor area (GFA) is met for lofts more than 5sqm. If so, no more additional mezzanine levels can be built.
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