Mezzanine Loft Addition
Table of Contents
Mezzanine Loft Addition *Example from iStock Photo, not one of our projects.
A mezzanine loft is basically a partial floor or a glorified balcony. As well as being a trendy addition, for many people a mezzanine is a great way of adding living space or an extra room. Mezzanines can be quirky and unusual, and they act as a gallery over the floor below. Rooms with high ceilings can feel vast and impersonal. So a mezzanine is an ideal solution for making a space appear more inviting while also creating valuable additional floor space. Mezzanines have to work on a practical and aesthetic level.
Best Use of a Mezzanine Loft
Mezzanines may serve a wide variety of functions. In most situations you can use a mezzanine space at first floor level for any function, including a living area, sleeping platform, or a kitchen. Mezzanines are great for home offices, reading rooms, comfort nests, and playrooms.
My favorite mezzanines include bed pods and sleeping platforms, often with reduced head height and restricted access. They are fun and children love them, particularly if the staircase feels secret.
Some of the best design comes out of the greatest constraints and in the smallest spaces. A mezzanine can be an enlarged landing area overlooking the stairwell. Or a gallery within the loft space above a bedroom overlooking the room below. Sometimes a mezzanine loft is a great option because the roof space is too limited for a conventional full size loft conversion.
Open Area or Fun Game Room
Interior mezzanine loft addition in San Diego
Adding a mezzanine loft to create a split-level room is a great way to make any open-plan space more dynamic.
Mezzanines are a great way to maximize the footprint of a single story home with a high ceiling. Where this is done, you must not cover more than 50 per cent of the room it sits over. Some great examples are:
- A sleeping loft over a living space can create guest accommodation where a room is not available.
- A gallery library on a mezzanine level adds a restful air to a large reception room.
- Running the mezzanine around two or three sides of the room (depending on window placement) is highly effective as it creates interesting spaces beneath the mezzanine.
- The support structure can include columns and arches, to divide the spaces beneath into activity-specific areas.
- A study on a mezzanine level can add visual interest to a large room.
Mezzanine Loft Access
Access to a mezzanine level is usually by staircase. But if space is tight, options include a spiral staircase. Or for a space that’s only used occasionally, a fixed loft ladder with hand rails. Before choosing a spiral staircase, check where the top step will end up in relation to the bottom. For example, if the staircase is only rising about 7 feet, the spiral may only rotate through 120 degrees. So the exit point won’t be in the same spot as the entry point. This might work out great, and then it might not. It’s best to know for sure before choosing this staircase option.
There are other important things to consider before proceeding:
1) Access to the mezzanine needs to be practical, and not take up too much floor space.
2) Soundproofing is needed if the mezzanine and the floor below are to be used at the same time for noisy activities.
3) The mezzanine must work visually because you don’t want it to look top heavy or out of place.
4) Try to make use of transparent materials to create a feeling of openness and light, especially in a contemporary home. Some examples include: Clear or colored glass or acrylic; metal mesh grids and grills; wooden grills.
5) For safety reasons the edge of the mezzanine loft must be enclosed with a structurally sound half wall (of any choice materials) so there is a feeling of security.
6) Remember that heat rises: having an open-plan bedroom on a mezzanine could mean very hot nights in summer.
7) When mezzanine lighting controls are also found downstairs then people find that very convenient.
Conclusion
Mezzanines are a great way to maximize space inside your home, add a bed up top and have a office below, or a lounge up top and an office below. Loft conversion costs are very affordable too. There are many loft conversion possibilities which are sure to make your home more inviting and enjoyable! So contact us with any question you might have. Or request a price quote on your mezzanine loft project.
Contact
Company: HK Construction, Inc.
Owner: Marc Gieselmann
Location, Poway, CA.
Phone: 858-748-6580
Fax: 858-748-6590
Email: hkc@cox.net
Proudly serving Poway CA and all San Diego County!