Look for blank space where the added level will blend in with what already exists.
An industrial white backdrop inspires our work, and natural light pours in through skylights. Searching for an additional place to perch, we noticed a flat area above and behind our conference room—right under two large skylights. As we began to entertain the loft idea, we realized that the conference room ceiling and new loft floor would need to be reinforced. Joists and plywood were the most cost efficient method. When painted white, they fit in with our existing scheme.
Photo by Joakim Blockstrom.This year, we celebrate 20 years of interior design at my California firm, Kerrie Kelly Design Labs. Each year has brought expansion and growth, but nothing like the transformation we experienced these past several months.
With five ASID designers on staff, we are always looking to give back to the industry by mentoring interior design students. However, that requires space—especially on days with a full house, when presentations, fabrics, finishes, and clients are flying all over our Design Lab. When welcoming two new interns for this past summer, our team had no place to go but up!
Here are five lessons we learned when adding 200 more square feet by building a loft.
