What is a loft apartment?
When you think of a loft apartment, you likely think of something like an industrial studio apartment: high ceilings, brick walls, the works. And you aren’t wrong!
A Brief Overview
In fact, loft-style apartments have a rich history. Primarily popularized by artists in the 1960’s, loft apartments for rent started gaining traction in New York City, where artists would turn old industrial buildings into studios where they would pay little to no rent and where they would both live and work. Of course, this was during a time before New York City became too expensive to be sustainable for artists to really only focus on art, but the groundwork was there.
Around the country, loft apartments started growing more in popularity. People craved the industrial look and feeling, with the high ceiling, exposed pipes and beams, and brick walls. It had a kind of old-world charm that people were really craving for.
Today’s Take
Today, it’s more common for companies to recreate the feeling of a loft apartment, but in a newer building. It’s more of the “vibe” that they’re going for instead of the actual history, since lofts have grown so much in popularity. There are still many, many apartment complexes that offer rejuvenated warehouses to give the true loft experience, but they are becoming more and more rare.
AE Lofts is not one of those companies. Our loft apartments for rent are created from the remains of a 19th century, dry goods warehouse building. We’ve been fortunate to be able to preserve much of the original structure and keep some of the original architectural elements in the building, just with a little bit of a more modern twist and updated amenities.
If you’re interested in living in a loft apartment, here’s some of the really awesome pros:
1.) The architecture and history.
As mentioned previously, loft apartments are created from old industrial and warehouse buildings, and so they retain a lot of the charm that these old buildings give to their residents. Original brickwork, exposed wood and piping, and concrete or hardwood flooring are common features of a loft-style apartment. It gives an interesting and unique feeling to your apartment. And, because many loft buildings are historical buildings, there’s really no telling what you could find if you looked hard enough!
2.) The space: an open-concept blank canvas.
With high ceilings and tall windows, loft apartments offer a unique apartment experience that isn’t like any you’ve likely ever experienced before. Because lofts were previously warehouses, the ceilings needed to be high in order to store all of the products that might have been housed there, that also needed to be in easy access. And, because of the time period in which most of them were built, the large, beautiful windows weren’t just for fashion: they were a necessity. After all, without much electric lighting back in the 19th century, they needed massive windows in order to be able to see.
Fortunately for you as a renter, this makes the space feel warm, bright, and inviting at any time of the day or year. And because loft apartments are essentially large boxes with big windows, this is the perfect blank canvas to truly let your interior decorating creativity shine.
With room dividers, you can essentially create your own apartment structure. If you don’t like where you’ve placed your bedroom, simply pick up your room dividers and move it to another area of the apartment. There are no specific designations of how you’re supposed to design your area. You could even put your bed in the middle of the apartment, and no one can say otherwise!
Because the building is industrial as well, there are so many things that you can do with the neutral tones in the space. You can use as much or as little color as you want, because the space’s natural charm will be able to hold up to whatever it is that you decide to do. The choice really is yours on what kind of vibe you’re going for in your apartment, because no matter what, the industrial style will be able to complement it somehow.
3.) Integrated living spaces for easier mobility.
Because a true loft style apartment was created to be an industrial or warehouse building, most everything on each floor is at the same level to make it easier to move around. It would be counterproductive for workers to have to go up and down a lot of stairs on each floor to move around goods, after all!
Because of this, loft apartments are actually very mobility-friendly. The surfaces are often smooth hardwood or concrete, and there are few, if any, level changes in the flooring, preventing tripping scares or mobility issues. This makes first-floor loft apartments perfect for seniors or those with other mobility issues.
4.) Centrally located because of their previous use.
Because lofts are made from former warehouses, most loft apartments are centrally located in urban areas. After all, it wouldn’t make much sense to have such a massive job-holder to be out of range of its workers! Considering that most of the industrial buildings would’ve been constructed during the 18th and 19th centuries, before the advent of cars, it only made sense to have workers close to their jobs. Which means easy walking distance for you!
AE Lofts
AE Lofts is proud to offer loft apartments for rent that can truly show off the history of the space from which they were created without residents having to sacrifice any of the modern creature comforts that we’ve grown so used to. Our historic building gives you a little glimpse into the past into what could become your new home. Centrally located with the charm of the industrial decor but with no sacrifice of modern amenities, AE Lofts is a great choice for anyone in the St. Joseph area who’s interested in trying out loft living.
If you’re interested in checking out everything that our apartments have to offer, contact us and schedule a tour today!
