Not everyone who loves the look can move to New York or custom build a loft-style home, but bringing a minimalist, industrial feel into your home does not have to be hard. If you are building or renovating, raw timber or concrete floors, exposed brickwork and piping, open-plan living and floor-to-ceiling windows all pay homage to the loft look while still creating a modern, family-friendly home.

If building is not on the cards just yet, a few key styling pieces and some clever storage can bring that New York attitude into your existing home.

Whether you are buying, building or simply restyling, here are five of our favourite ways to bring the New York loft aesthetic home.

1. Get creative with storage

The original lofts were spacious, but most New York apartments today are anything but – some of the city’s smallest measure just over 6 square metres. That lack of space has shaped how New Yorkers think about storage.

One popular approach is to turn clothing storage into a feature. If you do not have a walk-in robe, or have more clothes than your wardrobe can hold, an open clothing rack works beautifully.

Choose one with a shoe rack beneath and shelving to one side for folded jeans and knitwear. Add good-quality coat hangers and arrange your clothing by style, colour or category for a display that is as functional as it is stylish.

2. Play with depth, texture and the unexpected

Lofts are often described as minimalist because they have few internal walls, but their decoration has its roots in bohemia. The artists, musicians and writers who first made lofts their homes brought depth and texture into their spaces – and you can too.

Choose statement pieces such as lamps, coffee tables and small sculptural works that are a little left of centre, whether for their form, material or texture. Group them together to play with scale and depth.

Mix textures in your furnishings too, such as a linen sofa beside a suede chair, or a leather pouf on a woven cotton rug. Keep to neutral tones that complement one another so the look does not date quickly.

3. Add greenery

In a concrete jungle, a little green space goes a long way. People have a natural urge to connect with nature – known as biophilia – and an indoor garden is an easy way to bring that connection inside.

Options range from herb gardens, terrariums, cacti and succulents through to larger statement plants such as the fiddle leaf fig and monstera.

4. Think brick

Exposed brick walls are synonymous with the New York loft look, and they are increasingly popular in Australian homes too.

Left in their natural form, bricks need little or no maintenance – no repainting, patching or much cleaning beyond the occasional dust.

New York-style brickwork leans towards traditional colours: reds, greys, whites and blacks. Glossy or brightly coloured bricks do not suit the look.

For an aged, warehouse feel, look for face bricks in vintage-style blends of grey, white, red and charcoal, or bricks with a tumbled or recycled finish. Laid with a slightly recessed or bagged mortar joint, they give the character of an old New York building without the supply issues and cost of genuine recycled bricks.

The team at the Midland Brick showroom can talk you through current ranges with a vintage or recycled look, and how they suit both feature walls and full facades.

5. Let the light in

Large windows and high ceilings are a legacy of the loft’s warehouse beginnings. Big windows let light stream in and give a sense of scale to smaller spaces. For a New York-inspired look, choose matt black frames.

Adding or enlarging a window is not a DIY job, but it is very achievable with the right people. If you are thinking about a new window or skylight, talk to a reputable builder or renovation company and a window specialist early in the process.

Explore more at Home Base Design & Build Centre

Plan your visit: Browse the displays in Bricks, Fibre Cement & Exterior Walls.

Learn more: Find out about the Interior Design Course.

This article was provided by Midland Brick. Visit the Midland Brick showroom at Home Base Design & Build Centre or go to midlandbrick.com.au.