Loosely defined borders are an advantage in a loft kitchen. Without being confined by walls and divided spaces, you can allot as much or as little area to the kitchen as you feel is appropriate for your lifestyle. For a young urbanite who enjoys throwing the doors wide open to entertain friends in his authentic downtown loft, the focus was on styling a sleek, contemporary kitchen able to accommodate an intimate get-together or a big bash.
Any cabinetry you install in a room should be appropriately scaled to the height of the walls. While you may not have need for storage that stretches the entire vertical height of your walls, a single run of short cabinets can look out of place, so stacking your cabinets will create the best overall presentation and undoubtedly offer additional storage that you can put to good use.
Your backsplash doesn’t have to be made of tile or stone, so think what you can achieve with a simple DIY solution. I made this backsplash by purchasing 3-foot lengths of 1/4-inch poplar wood in varying widths. Each board was painted in latex paint colours that referenced the hues in the main room, then lightly sanded to distress the finish and treated with a couple of coats of latex urethane to give a durable, protective finish. A piece of tile trim in aluminum runs across the top and holds all of the boards in place while creating a neatly finished edge, and the boards were glued to the wall using construction adhesive. With a little bit of effort, you can create a unique and dramatic backdrop for your cabinetry, painted in any colours you desire.
When embracing authentic loft style, your choice of materials is key. Sleek, simple, and hard-wearing stainless steel cabinetry doors and gables add that element of loft chic, while antiqued brass cabinetry pulls introduce a vintage industrial vibe (and allow you to see exactly what’s behind each door thanks to handy labels). Backless metal stools tend to be less expensive than fully upholstered barstools and continue on the theme of flexibility and industrial styling thanks to chunky wheels.
When you are trying to install an eye-catching kitchen on an accessible budget, inexpensive ready-made shelf supports are a handy way of installing a wide-open display shelf. Paint the unfinished wood in the shade of your choice, then create an impactful display shelf by topping the brackets with a thick piece of natural, unfinished lumber. The board should be at least an inch thick to provide adequate support and not warp.