There's something interesting about a room that has unusual lines. Angled, low ceilings or walls, dormers, cut-ins or jut-outs can all be charming at first glance. When a space is outside of the box it can be inspiring, but also a little daunting when it comes to decorating.
We had this situation in our former house. The loft bedroom was wonderfully unique but daunting when it came time to place furniture. The angled walls made placing our rather tall antique furniture difficult. Even our four-poster bed wouldn't tuck against any wall because it was too tall. We made do but it was never a great layout.
As you can see from our sample photo, courtesy of Sico Paints, the headboard on this bed is lower than most and fits well against the short wall.
If you can plan your furniture to suit the space you may save yourself some headaches. The low profile and straight lines of Mid Century Modern furniture might be a good option if it suits your tastes. Choose dressers with a low profile or use something unique like a credenza in lieu of a dresser. Skip the oversized headboard for something more fitting to your particular situation. Consider a platform bed rather than the traditional mattress and box spring set. A chaise rather than a standard sitting chair might be another option that suits your unique room.
Accessorizing the walls can also be a tough proposition in a unique room. Because the walls are angled there isn't a lot of wall space to work with. Luckily, the unique architectural elements of the room itself will pick up the slack in that design arena. Add in some colour via wall paint, area rugs and floor accessories to give the space dimension. A wall mirror might not be an option, so consider a freestanding Cheval mirror instead.
Floor accessories need the same forethought. Tall floor lamps probably won't fit into the mix so find a fun alternative. IKEA has a neat globe light that sits low on the floor, which could work. The chandelier in our feature photograph is also a fun choice. Bedside table lamps might work but measure the height along with your table height to be sure. Check around to see what great lighting options you can find for your unique space. There are a lot of options out there to discover.
Floor vases with tall stands of flowers or reeds might not be the best fit. Again, look for items that are low profile as well as functional. In a child's playroom, for instance, floor cushions would be a fun option versus standard children's furniture. In a master bedroom a bench or trunk at the foot of the bed makes for a great spot to sit and don shoes etc.
Take advantage of unique traits
Loft spaces offer an array of wonderful architectural elements, which should be taken advantage of. If your room has great windows, ensure that the window coverings showcase them rather than cover them up. If you have decorative ceiling beams, show them off. If the beams are too dark, then paint them out the same colour as the ceiling and upper walls. A small dormer with a window can make a great reading nook, walk-in closet, home office, craft room or toy room.
Where to paint
Deciding where to add wall colour can be tricky. Is a slanted wall part of the ceiling or part of the wall? It can be either. It really depends upon the configuration of your particular space. In our sample photo, the wall colour was added only to the lower portion of the wall while the ceiling was painted in white. This option leads the eye to the lower portion of the room, which is where all of the action is. This is a great option even if the lower wall section is taller. Keeping the upper portion of the room light not only keeps the room bright and highlights the angled portions.
If you want to add colour to the upper section of the room, keep it light and airy. I used a pale yellow in our loft bedroom on the upper walls right onto the straight ceiling. It was light enough to be neutral but had enough colour to be interesting. The lower walls in our space were dark wood so painting the upper section in a light colour was a good choice.
I saw a similar room to the one in our feature photograph where the entire upper portion of the room was painted in dark purple. It was cave-like and gloomy. Don't make the same mistake. The Sico colour in our feature photo is yummy in this setting.
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