Lofty
The loft is in! The pictures above were taken this past Sunday. Shortly thereafter, various comforts were put in their rightful place. I've even started to pull some books out of storage and begin filling the glass bookshelves that I designed in the loft 'nook' - truly the first real move toward comfort since signing the lease on this bloody space last July. Gratifying to say the least.
With each new completed task I become more fulfilled as my designs take shape. I'm really happy with the outcome of the translucent paneled walls framed with steel studs and internally lit with rope light snaking through the bottom track. I ended up using three types of material for the translucent walls: I began the design with corrugated fiberglas for both inside and outside, but quickly decided to seek an alternative for the inside that was flat - mainly for a flush surface on which to mount shelving. I started this with standard acrylic florescent light panels - very difficult to work with - and finished with what are actually polyurethane plastic floor mats (i.e. typically found under a wheeled chair at a computer desk). I doubt that I would have considered this material, had it not been for a visit to the Ikea damaged/seconds area and literally stepped on a stack of them. Got eleven of 'em for $3 a sheet and thought they would at least make good work mats. Alas, they served a much higher purpose, being relatively easy to cut and offering a really desirable diffused light. Like in the kitchen, I've balanced the translucence and steel with the warmth of sanded fir panels on the back wall and shelving nook.
