Many people are confused by this, and it is easy to understand why. There are various types of lofts in Dallas, ranging from extremely industrial to extremely modern with everything in between. Some people start out thinking they want an industrial loft, only to discover that maybe they want something a little closer to a conventional apartment with a few industrial loft features, and then there are other people that do the exact opposite.
Let's talk about industrial lofts first. Industrial lofts are identified by a few key features. First of all, they almost always have some type of concrete or hardwood flooring. It may be stained concrete or it could be polished concrete. It could be real hand-scraped hardwood or it could be some type of laminate flooring that looks like hardwood. Some properties have the original hardwood floors from 100 years ago, while others have been renovated with new hardwood. Another common feature of industrial lofts in exposed brick or concrete walls. Since most industrial lofts have a history, at some point they were used for industrial types of things like an old factory or an old mill. For this reason, if the walls are left intact they can make for a great interior feature. Old doors or old elevator shafts are often kept in place as well, giving you the feeling of stepping back in time when you enter one of these lofts. Sometimes the properties will only expose part of a wall, allowing the current tenant to paint or customize part of the space to suit their own personal style. Another really interesting feature of some industrial lofts are concrete pillars throughout the space. In a traditional apartment, these support structures are covered up by walls, but in a loft they are left out in the open to really add character to the room. Most industrial lofts also have exposed duct work and plumbing fixtures, especially on the ceilings. Again, in a normal apartment these would have been covered up, but the different shapes, colors and dimension these bring to the room are all part of the draw to these spaces. Finally, traditional industrial lofts are one big open room. There is no division between any of the areas except the bathroom. It is up to the individual to divide these spaces up with their furniture if they want to have different areas such as a bedroom, living room or dining room. This can be done with partial walls, bookcases, screens, or even curtains. Other people prefer to just leave the entire space open for a more dramatic feel. For these reasons, sometimes these spaces don't work in a roommate situation where each person may want privacy at some point. Additionally, because some of the features of an industrial loft may be really old, you could have issues with things like insulation, noise levels from the surrounding units or even from outside, draft issues with the windows, and increased electric bills as a result of the things just mentioned.
Next we will talk about soft lofts. Soft lofts are very similar to traditional apartments, only they incorporate some of the features of an industrial loft. In a soft loft for example, you will have some division of the rooms, specifically the bedrooms. The kitchen, the dining and livings areas are typically open to each other giving that feeling of living in an open loft, but still providing some privacy if you need it. Also in a soft loft, the bedrooms are usually carpeted to provide some warmth to the rooms, however the main areas will have the concrete or hardwood floors like in an industrial loft. There may be some exposed ductwork or plumbing, but it will be very minimal. Soft lofts are usually more modern with contemporary light fixtures and kitchen features like granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. Occasionally you may find some concrete columns in a soft loft as well just to add some character. Many of the higher end soft lofts will have floor-to-ceiling windows giving you expansive views of the city, but because the windows are new, you won't have to insulation issue that you could have in an industrial loft with windows that are 100 years old. If you are looking for something a little more up-to-date as far as functionality, or something that would be more energy efficient, then a soft loft may be a better fit for you.