Loft/Gaming Center – A Dual Purpose Space
When were told that our design project would be one of the most challenging spaces in the 2011 Treasure Chest – The Organizational Home. We stepped back that realized “the pressure was on!” We were given the loft. What to do?
You leave a spacious downstairs and climb a wide staircase to the second floor. In anticipation of reaching the top of the stairs for the first time you may expect to see boring doorways, or a portrait on the wall; maybe a chaise lounge, and a floor lamp. Viola. That’s not our style at Closet Factory. Here you find a spectacular bookcase, with a desk and a gaming center. Yes, a gaming center!
As we started this design it was meant to be a fun space and we wanted that to be true regardless of how it was used. We started with the need for a homework and computer station for children and guests. Necessities would be non-scratch work surfaces, individual drawers so children could have personal storage space, cabinets with staggered doors within which printers and other electronics could be kept from sight, and shelves for the storage of textbooks and the display of treasures.
We are innovators of space planning and design. We asked ourselves, why couldn’t this space serve a dual purpose? When homework is complete, or your guest has finished surfing the web what would they want to do with their time? The answer that came to us is video gaming. But we didn’t have anywhere to put a television. It would not be pleasing on the countertop, or mounted on the wall. And doors would get in the way of any attempt to put the TV in a cabinet – unless we used pocket doors, which would create a loss of 9” of usable space.
As we let our minds wander on the hundreds of spaces we have designed the solution became clear. The monitor needed a lift that could be hid under the desktop itself. By mounting this on a vertical lift, it would be out of the way when not in use. But when needed the TV could easily appear up through the desktop and the controllers and games come out of their storage drawer.
Welcome to the loft! By day, it’s a spectacular but mild mannered homework and computer station. But, by night, it’s a family gathering spot. Let the games begin!
Tamra Lenz, Closet Factory Senior Design Consultant – loves to create custom storage solutions that simplify life. She has completed hundreds of projects during her 7 years with Closet Factory. Her specialty is innovative design concepts, and she works with individual clients as well as area builders. Tamra’s ability translates often to multiple space designs inside her clients’ home.
Monica Hart, Closet Factory Design Consultant