To begin with, it should be noted that industrial style is the most natural for electric lighting. For the lighting devices used in the design of the premises in an industrial style, stability, functionality and durability are characteristic first of all. In addition to lighting fixtures in the style of industrial should create a certain atmosphere inherent only in production halls or warehouses. Moreover, these strokes should be quite thin and accurate. For this purpose, both authentic industrial lighting fixtures and stylized industrial modern analogues can be used.
Lighting in the loft style, of course, must also match the general mood of the design of the room. Moreover, not only models of fixtures are taken into account, but also their location in the interior. However, before moving on to the topic of lighting, it is necessary to understand the nature of this style, as well as the principles on which it is based.
The emergence of the industrial style loft
Initially, the loft was not at all some kind of development of fashionable interior designers. It can be said that he was born spontaneously in the 40s and 50s of the last century in the United States, when the premises of the upper floors of industrial enterprises stopped during the Great Depression began to be used for housing. The owners of the buildings, trying to extract at least some profit from the empty buildings, rented them out or even sold them literally “for a penny”. Although most businesses were located in industrial areas, the young generation of creatively oriented but not wealthy Americans took advantage of the opportunity to purchase their own housing. Therefore, the acquired areas were arranged in accordance with the taste and capabilities of the new owners. That is, the interior may contain various color shades, pieces of furniture, as well as accessories that give the premises not intended, in fact, for people to live, a well-lived look and add comfort to it.
As a rule, the spacious areas of the production facilities of factories had large window openings, and this is not an accident. Such glazing, almost the entire wall, giving good natural lighting, helped business owners save on electricity.
Over time, such interiors turned into a style that got its name loft. Today, such premises are often called studios, and they are still very popular.
Distinctive features and design elements of this style, which initially could be attributed to minimalism, are the following interior details:
Classics of this style were features of the industrial direction – it is rough plaster or brickwork, chrome surfaces, plain textiles, glass accessories, metal stairs, an unguarded ventilation system, etc.
Today, decorating the rooms, from all the above mentioned, only some elements remind of this style. That is, if desired, even in an ordinary apartment, it is quite possible to create a mood close to the loft. Especially in cases where funds for the renovation and purchase of furniture are limited.
An important role in creating the design plays the lighting fixtures. Moreover, some modern models simply perfectly correspond to such a style direction.
Classic and innovative lighting fixtures suitable for loft style
To begin with, it is worth considering the types of lighting devices that can be used in the interior of this style, as well as several examples of their external design. It should be noted that the loft lamps are significantly different from other models. If we talk about the place of their placement, they can be divided into ceiling, floor and wall. By the structural structure, devices can be point, hanging, track, widely used floor lamps, chandeliers and strip lights.
Industrial chandelier lighting
These lighting fixtures, made in an industrial style, are not distinguished by grace and sophistication. Most often these are simple forms and roughly processed materials, devoid of decorative design.
However, it is very cool that the loft style allows for “errors”, since initially the interior was assembled from accessories that could be found or inexpensively purchased to equip the room. Therefore, in some rooms decorated in this style, you can see massive chandeliers with numerous horns. By the way, even “industrial notes” slip in them – these can be incandescent lamps made in a certain design. Most often, the lamps have an elongated or drop-shaped shape, which distinguishes them from analogues used in other styles.
If a chandelier fits in the interior, which stands out from the overall design, then it should become a contrasting element, that “highlight” that will soften the general rigidity of the industrial style.
A lighting device that differs from the general design, for example, having a glass lampshade or decorative pendants, should be fixed in the central part of the room if it has impressive dimensions. Or in a recreation area, in the case when the lamp is not large. If you fix a small, even the most beautiful chandelier under the high ceiling of a room with a large area, it will look simply ridiculous.
Industrial pendant lighting
This type of lighting is most often used in the loft style, in a group combination or in individual performance. If a group of such suspensions is used for design and lighting, then they are lowered down to different heights, which contributes to the expression of the interior, that is, makes it less boring.
Mounted on ceiling beams, fixtures can be suspended from chains or long cords. Most often they are placed in the “sofa” zone, above the dining or working table. If pendant lighting devices are mounted above the workplace, then their height can be adjusted – if necessary, they fall closer to the surface of the countertop, and in the daytime they rise up.
Suspension lamps can have a diverse design – it can be a laconic lamp with a metal cap or a kind of cage of a round, oval or non-standard shape. The choice of such devices depends on the taste and preferences of the homeowner.
Floor lamps in loft style
This category of loft lighting fixtures includes the floor lamps beloved by many, decorative lamps with various shapes, and, of course, floodlights of various sizes.
The most popular option, as in any interior style, are floor lamps, especially since their assortment in specialized stores is quite large.
A floor lamp can be called a special type of fixture, as it is able to create the mood of peace needed for rest and relaxation. Therefore, for many decades, such devices do not go out of fashion, changing only their configurations and design. The popularity of these fixtures lies in their mobility, texture of shapes and dimensions.
In addition, the floor lamp is able to become an ideal decorative addition to any interior, if you choose its design solution correctly. It is important that the base of the floor lamp is reliable, since the device must not swing or tip over under accidental mechanical stress.
The lamp can be decorated with a shade or lampshade made of metal or rattan fabric. The floor lamp leg can be an ordinary steel pipe, a complex engineering structure resembling building trusses, or decorated with a rough hemp rope.
Industrial track lighting
These models of lighting are also classics of the loft, since almost all of them have an industrial design. The shape of the lighting elements can be different, their number on the track is not limited.
The convenience of such console lighting devices is the ability to regulate the illumination of a particular section of the room. The design often provides for a rail mechanism by which devices move in any direction. In addition, it is possible to rotate the lampshades themselves in the required direction.
Vintage spotlights mounted on horizontally arranged rods (tracks) will perfectly support the style of the interior. They are mounted above any of the zones of the room or along its perimeter, directing light from them to the desired side of the room.
Highlight devices – Industrial led lighting
This group of fixtures includes LED tubes and ribbons, as well as compact linear fluorescent lamps. Such devices are used to illuminate ceilings or individual sections of the walls of the room, which, according to the owners, is desirable to highlight against the general background.
Such backlights look especially impressive in the dark. They not only highlight individual objects, but also bring lightness to the interior, softening the avaricious loft decor. You can not do without lights even if the room is divided into two levels in height, and to the upper floor you have to climb stairs, which, as a rule, in the loft style are made of metal parts. The stairs can be illuminated from the side of the wall, handrails or steps. In any case, the lamps will not violate the style direction.
Another option in which LED strips can be applied or tubes is the bottom illumination of the sofa or the steps of the podium if it is provided for in the interior.
Spotlights in industrial loft style
Spotlights are not so long ago used in room lighting, but designers also began to actively use them when developing projects in the loft style.
Particularly convenient and appropriate are spotlights in the designs of suspended ceilings, which are firmly included in the interior design of any style. LED spotlights can be an excellent alternative to rail-mounted counterparts. Moreover, their individual models can be adjusted in terms of the direction of the light flux.
In addition, point variants are also used to illuminate wall surfaces in order to highlight a relief pattern of brickwork.
Another area of installation, in which such devices are often used, is the illumination of the worktops of the kitchen area. There, by the way, it will also be useful to direct the light to the desired area of the table.
The advantage of LED lamps and tapes is that they do not heat up to high temperatures, have a long service life and are economical in terms of energy consumption. These qualities directly influenced their popularity and widespread use.
Industrial wall sconce lighting
It fits well into the loft – the interior and wall lights such as sconces.
Naturally, they should also correspond to the general theme of design. The sconce can be picked up with pendant lights or you can purchase a fundamentally different in form, creative option. Wall lights can have various shapes, sizes and materials. For their design, coarse twine, twisted cable, chains and other unexpected elements used in factory shops and in industrial production are used.
Lighting in the interior of the industrial style Loft
As in any other interior, lighting in a room decorated in the loft style can be divided into general (upper), zonal (local) and decorative.
If in small rooms made in other styles, you can do only with general lighting, then on large areas of studios, as a rule, all its types are used. This is due to the fact that using only the upper light to create a comfortable atmosphere in spacious rooms with high ceilings will be clearly not enough.
To know how to choose the right devices, as well as distribute them in the interior, it is necessary to consider the general principles of using various lamps for this style.
General lighting
The general lighting in the classic loft interior is significantly different from other styles. But, as already noted, today quite often various chandeliers and spotlights are added to it.
With the advent of LED strips and tubes, they have become an excellent option for highlighting the ceiling while creating the general lighting of a large room. In this case, although the upper light is called general, it is not the main one, but acts as a backlight that supports spot lighting. LED strips or tubes can be distributed differently over the ceiling surface. The best way to arrange them is for the homeowner to decide, as they should give a pleasant, non-irritating light.
If the loft is used to design a small room in a standard apartment, then the upper general lighting can become the main one. And for him, lamps mounted on tracks are perfect. The convenience of this option is the mobility of the devices, that is, they can be moved if desired, or the direction of the light can be set. By installing them around the perimeter of the room and directing it to its center, you can get high-quality general lighting of the room.
Local lighting
A large room inevitably has to be divided into zones. Therefore, the local illumination of each of them most often becomes the main source of lighting, creating a mood and emphasizing the style. To illuminate individual areas of the room, there is a wider selection of options with various design solutions:
Local lighting defines the areas of the interior. For example, hanging adjustable chandeliers are placed above the dining table or bar. A suitable place for sconces is the wall at the head of the bed or sofa, if it is installed near one of the walls.
If the sofa or armchairs divide the room into zones, then they are most often lit using one or more floor lamps.
Another area requiring separate lighting is the desk, and table lamps are traditionally used for this. The design of these devices is striking in variety, which allows you to choose the appropriate option.
Local lighting fixtures, as a rule, perform not only their direct function, but also are additional decorative elements that support the style direction. Therefore, their choice must be treated with special care.
Decorative lighting
The decorative type of lighting has, in fact, only one purpose – to highlight individual design elements. For such purposes, devices with soft, calm light are most often selected. LED lights made in the form of point models, tapes or tubes are perfect for such illumination.
For example, such devices are used to illuminate a single picture or the entire wall. Shelves with decorative accessories can be illuminated in such an unobtrusive way.
Some decorative fixtures are designed to create a special relaxation atmosphere in the room. They can be desktop or floor. Such options in themselves are a decoration of the interior.
Another option for using decorative lighting is to decorate the free surface of the wall with it. A similar method can not only bring a peculiar zest to the interior, but also emphasize the relief wall pattern in the dark.
There are other applications for illuminating various decor items, as well as special models for decorative highlights. Which of these fixtures to choose and where to place it – will depend only on the preference of the homeowner.
What do industrial-style (loft) lighting fixtures look like – Photos
Although the loft style was originally intended for the design of spacious rooms, if desired, it can be used in ordinary living rooms and bedrooms, corridors and kitchens, and even in bathrooms. To do this, it is enough to highlight and correctly apply the techniques characteristic of it, the main of which can be called the decoration of at least one of the walls “under the brick” and lighting fixtures that are strictly designed in this direction.
