How to Style an Insanely Cool Loft Bedroom (Even If You Don't Live in One)

It’s a common misconception that styling a loft bedroom is all about having good bone structure. Sure, high ceilings, industrial finishes, and open layouts create striking spaces (ones that we’re happy to let dominate our Pinterest feeds). And there’s no denying that these more urban-inspired features create a sense of downtown cool using that gritty, rough-around-the-edges texture that reminds us of Brooklyn before it became the new Manhattan. But in reality, those edgy architectural features are just the tip of the design iceberg that creates an insanely cool loft bedroom; in fact, there are myriad ways to get inspired by real lofts to create your own loft-life bedroom space in any location (and with a smaller price tag, to boot). Simply put, you don’t need high ceilings to go high on style.

It’s time to make your lofty aspirations come true. Scroll for eight lessons learned from the chicest loft bedrooms we’ve seen.

Create Height With a Canopy Bed

A hallmark of loft living is showing off what you’re working with—high ceilings, in particular, often complemented by large floor-to-ceiling windows with abundant natural light. Tall furniture like canopy beds reinforces the height of a space, ideal for making any room feel loftier.

Keep It Cool With Concrete

You don’t have to live in a loft to infuse your bedroom with industrial touches. Let cement and polished concrete surfaces inspire décor, furniture, and lighting choices with the same finishes. From there, soften the industrial elements with a gallery-inspired mix of eclectic modern art.

Lighten Up With Shades of White

Whitewashed spaces always feel more open, so layering white textures in a room is a great way to give it a more expansive, loft-inspired appeal. These days, a cool, minimal space is pretty much as downtown as it gets… even when you’re uptown or rockin’ the suburbs.

Leave Brick Exposed

Exposed brick is practically synonymous with urban loft spaces, giving many a loft bedroom and living room some distressed, well-worn texture in spades. The more inconsistencies in chipped paint and colors that have faded or deepened over the years, the better. The good news: When it comes to exposed brick, you can also fake it with a little bit of wallpaper.

Highlight Unfinished Business

Loft bedrooms often leave structural and functional elements exposed, inclusive of support beams, rafters, and ducts. One of our favorite signature details to emulate a more rustic loft look is wood beams with a natural finish (real or faux). Warm wood tones provide an important balance to cool neutral tones, helping otherwise stark spaces feel warm and well loved.

No Pane, No Gain

We should all be so lucky as to live in a loft where a glass factory wall separates the bedroom from the rest of the space. Instead, we suggest mimicking the structural details of floor-to-ceiling factory windows and walls with furniture that combines metal and glass (bonus points for the windowpane pattern).

Get a Little Messy

One secret to making an open, minimal loft bedroom space look more carefree is to leave certain details a little undone. A perfectly imperfect messy bed is a great way to give any bedroom an effortless aesthetic. Be sure to start with textural fabrics (linen is always a good choice) to build maximum visual and tactile interest into the space.

Lean Into It

One of the best ways to give your bedroom a loft-like, gallery-inspired feeling is to do what curators do: Lean into it. Leaning art or a mirror against the wall gives a bedroom a nod to loft life that makes your décor feel effortlessly collected.