Written by: Aleksandar VrtariæPhoto: VELUXLoft ApartmentsLofts are, for sure, especially attractive dwelling ambience, cosy and alluring, if they are carefullydesigned and adequately furnished, they could be noble and enchanting at the very first sightLight and colours have a magical impact on the humaneye, and a nicely designed loft is a place wherewarm and pleasant colours come together with alarge amount of day-light. Notwithstanding whetherwe are talking about smaller or bigger spaces, lofts aresurely especially attractive ambience for residence. Loftapartments are cosy and attractive, and if they are carefullydesigned and adequately furnished, they could beelegant and enchanting at the very first sight.About LoftsAlthough today various materials are used for buildinglofts, wood is still the most beautiful and the most attractivematerial. The very structure of the loft apartment determinesits final look, that is, the way it will be furnished.Wood has special characteristics and apart from that itlooks very cosy and attractive and it is also a very goodheating insulator; heating is the primary issue of loft spaces.The heating insulation, if poorly performed, is the big-85
InteriorsIako se danas za podizanje potkrovlja upotrebljavajurazni materijali, drvo je ipak najljepši i najatraktivniji materijal/ Although today various materials are used forbuilding lofts, wood is still the most beautiful and the mostattractive materialgest problem of these flats. Namely, during the summerwhen the surface of the roof heats up to high temperaturesso there must be an air conditioner in these rooms.Due to poor insulation it is quiet difficult to heat the spacein the winter, while in windy areas the wind literary blowsthroughout the apartment. Hence, the heating insulationmust be well performed, which means that rooftop eavesshould be well closed on the inside. Today, there are variousmaterials available to perform this task, but the mostimportant thing is to make sure that the eaves are firmlyclosed. The heating insulation is made of mineral threadsor appropriate boards which are based on Styrofoam.The final image of the loft depends on the material forcovering the wall and it can be panelling boards, plasterpanels or wall panels made of artificial materials. As faras floors are concerned, the same rule is applied, whichmeans that not only appropriate heating insulation isnecessary, but also sound insulation, because in facilitieswhose structure is made of wooden beams and boardsone can hear every step. Of course, this procedure is nottoo demanding so it can easily be solved fairly painlessly.The Size of the LoftRegarding the size and the construction of the entire edifice,loft apartments may be smaller or bigger, comprisingone room or they can be real flats of some eighty ormore square metres.86Smaller loft apartments are particularly nice, althoughthey have many shortcomings. Of course, such spacesare easier to renovate, heat or cool, but when it comesto furnishing, sometimes it is literary necessary to “reinventthe wheel”. Roof surfaces made of wood are not recommendablefor small loft apartments because they mighthave a poor impact on the whole ambience. The reasonis very simple. The wood has darker shades, and althoughit looks warm and pleasant in big rooms, in small roomsit has quite the opposite effect. Wooden surfaces makesmall rooms even smaller and block the atmosphere, soit would be much wiser to put appropriate plaster panelson the walls. When panelling, it is good to think aboutthe lighting and place installations for small halogenlamps under the panels which will illuminate the spaceand make it pleasant and attractive even after the sunset.Halogen lamps can be arranged in various imaginativeways so it is good to have a clear vision of what thespace should look like. Also, the furniture should be carefullychosen car.First and foremost is rationality, but still one should becreative and imaginative so that each thing finds its ownplace in the apartment but also to make the space fullyfunctional. Various folding tables, kitchens made especiallyfor loft apartments and beds which could be hiddenduring the day, are an excellent choice and it is alsoimportant to mention that empty spaces within roof in-