This can be done. You are going to have to designate each area, but keep in mind that it is still open. For example, when you choose where your living area will be you are going to want to anchor it down, so when you are sitting, you feel as if you are only in the seating area. Furniture placement will play a big role in this space. To help anchor it down, a rug will do the trick and lighting will help also. It is a little hard to give advice like this online, but we can offer little tips and suggestions along the way.

This is such a cool space! Rugs are great. When I lived in a loft, I used some interesting pieces as room dividers such as a very tall armoire between my bedroom and living room areas which provided some privacy. I used an antique shoe rack (which we used as a wine rack) between the dining & living rooms. The shoe rack allowed you to see into the other spaces but provided some division.. Consider using bookcases or open shelving if you want to keep it open. Chandeliers also do well to designate spaces. I LOVE lofts and hope you post photos when you're finished!

I would choose an area rug for your living room. Target.com has many and more and better quality than their stores. You might want to first decide on what size you want your living room area to be first before purchasing and the size of your couch. A sectional might help to designate the living room too by creating a furniture wall. You can put artwork on walls but you can also place it on an easel too since you will not have as many walls as some apts with walls. I would choose my artwork 1st and pull colors from it for the area rug and furniture- b /c you want something you really love. By all means get familiar with Etsy.com for unique home decor items. Just put what you need in the search engine, high def photography, paintings , pillows. Just so many things and not from China. Many things from all over US and other countries.

For unique flexible room dividers, as well as a plethora of really cool products check out http://molodesign.com/ They are lightweight, sturdy, and extremely versatile!

HI --- Something like this has always been my dream space , lucky you ! The best way to define the areas is with area RUGS and the placement of your furniture . The whole style of loft living is the openess and to not fill it up too much . Big space bigger stuff . Moveable furniture and things that can roll to differant areas to what suits you. Use big closet /storage cabinets to define a bedroon area in one of the corners . Keep the dining area closest to the kitchen and the area of the brick wall looks best for the living room and the other side of the stairs looks like the best area for the bedroom .I like the idea of having a chandelier but how about a collection of several vintage finds . With the beams you could also have a swing ! I saw a big loft wharehouse space before where they had put up a big vintage canvas tent for their bedroom ,which looked very cool. And another had a vintage airstream trailer for a bedroom which was the cutest thing and made for a very interesting feature. So have fun with your awsome place !!!

I'll do this in sections. The success of a loft involves a process of knowing how you want to live, how you want to express who you are, what you collect (if anything) and what exact functions need to be met. Will you be using the first floor as a public area and have bedroom/study, etc. on the second floor. Are you interested in art? Are you modern, ecclectic, Bohemian, totally buttoned-down? Yes, Myrtle, button-down does seek out loft space generally to feel a sense of freedom. I'm going to post pictures. I'll start with one that has everything to do with creating a vignette. That is essentially what you are doing with each designated area of your loft. In this picture, you will note the eclectic furnishings and the potted plant. What is nice is you can always add height with a tall plant and you can really mix it up with a loft, because there are no rules. That's why you chose no walls and a blank canvas with an industrial feel, loads of eye interest, texture, and the industrial aspect just so people don't actually think it's a real home :) and an opportunity to really express what you love. Lofts require that you don't color inside the lines and they like it best if you resist the urge to cordon off areas to pretend that you are actually living in a house. This is actually the playground with the teeter toter that was not so predictable and you now get to revisit that time and place.

Love your loft space! Privacy for the bedroom space will require construction. It is one of the biggest complaints of loft owners. Choose your bedroom location carefully, I am thinking the area to the LH side of the stairs as you face them...

Love the wall of bricks! Another loft owners complaint is noise, in an open living space without enough soft surfaces around to baffle and absorb noise is just bounces off hard surfaces over and over. Headacheville! Guest room space in the living area can be screened off with tall curtains on a hospital track suspended from the ceiling.

I love the room dividers shown above in Paradise Restored as they are moveable. You can screen off your entry hall with the chalkboard divider and divide the kitchen side of the loft as the living area, with the dining off the entry. Carpeting in area rugs can help define areas. Go big in the living room space.

I assume your one bathroom? is next to the kitchen? What is behind the wall going left behind the stairs, closets, storage? Can you send a floor plan, with measurements so we can help further.

In this photo the loft is broken up through use of color, a large piece of art to draw the eye in, a planter and a pedestal in two different areas to serve as dividers, without visually encroaching. The masterful use of color, the sculptural qualities, area rugs, interesting accessories requiring the eye to move about (note the red glass piece in the foreground and the pops of yellow in the background, all make for a well-planned space.

Put the most awesome sofa ever made...possibilities are endless and very comfortable with a low profile...Wright20.com has an auction piece going up October 18th and is featured on Liveauctioneers.com….as seen on The Hunger Games…

Here's a few different room dividers that would look fantastic in a loft. Nice large rugs also help to set invisible boundaries.

Love the space!

As others have mentioned, use rugs and furniture clusters to define the space and control traffic flows. First figure out what activities you want. Tape the intended uses out on the floor and see how it goes, and build mockups with boxes.

It's hard to find storage units with pretty backs - but you can tack fabric over the back of an armoire or bookcase to make it look good from both sides.

Also, you can hang fabric panels from the rafters to divide spaces. Either hang them from the rafter, full height, or drop the rods down on chains and hang shorter panels. It's going to be a lot of yardage ... cheap canvas dropcloths will be your friend here.

You could use the upstairs for a media center, home office, or a quiet conversation and reading area.

Love this space! As Karen mentioned, this will really depend on your style. If you like minimalism or asian inspired design, what you do in your loft will be much different than if you prefer bohemian/eclectic etc from the dividing techniques you use to the furnishings you use etc. I would resist too many actual "dividers" as Karen mentioned and stick with creating vignettes. A loft is a lot like retail space... retailers have been managing to define "departments" and "sections" for years in their open spaces without using actual dividers and you can do it in your home as well. Seeing the pictures you do have, one place I would be tempted to put a long but short rolling bookcase would be at the end of the stairs next to the post swinging out perpendicular to the stairs (to create an "L" with the stairs if viewed in 2D from above) - Just a thought! You could then put a rectangular area rug in that space using the corner you've created and then define and utilize that space based on a function that meets one of your lifestyle needs. Although there are no "rules" in a loft, it may make sense to designate a large dining space to the front of the stairs next to the kitchen, just using your table and chairs and an area rug. It may be nice to have your office upstairs while downstairs is "all play:)" - If you don't ever have to sleep with guests over, your bedroom could be free of actual dividers. If you'd like it closed in however, you could do something like this that would give you some closet space on the reverse side...leaving the rest of the space on the other side open: http://www.ikeahackers.net/2008/04/and-this-is-how-you-should-do-loft.html ... Also remember you can help to designate spaces not only by what you put on the floor but also by what you hang above (pendant lights/paper globes, fabric etc.) ... that behind said, lofts look gorgeous free of ceiling "clutter" also. - 1700 ft is a lot of room to fill!! Congratulations and have fun with this! By the way the nook behind your stairs is very interesting too! If you find a great purpose for it, that would be a fun share! :)

You could put anything in that space, except pottery barn, and it will look amazing! Rugs and suspensions lamps or chandeliers will help create distinct spaces without requiring screens. If you do want more structural divides, hire a closet builder to make something functional as well as beautiful. You can even make it mobile.

The Eames room divider is also a consideration. It's not very tall, only 6' plus, but it will certainly create some privacy. The great thing about it is the undulating curves of it, which is so much nicer than a straight-ahead divider. The down side is the price, as it is a trademarked Eames piece, and is sold by Room & Board. https://www.hermanmiller.com/products/accessories/screens/eames-molded-plywood-folding-screen.html

You have all made great suggestions! Thanks for taking the time!!! I will of course post pics as I create my playground. ;)

Love this space!! Some large high color art on canvas will look outstanding!

Here is a link to our online collection. If you had something specific in mind just let us know we can easily make a few recommendations.

Note - everything on the site is available in a full range of sizes and materials.

Enjoy!

http://bit.ly/NGVmOr

Great space and great input you got from the various contributors. I'll add 2 ideas that I believe were not mentioned yet that deal with creating a somewhat closed space in case you move forward with putting your bed in the same room. Think about using gauze curtains. They create a separation and some privacy without actually being a wall and are therefore not compromising the openess of this amazing space. One other thing I have been quite successful with recently but certainly a matter of taste and surrounding style are shell curtains. Two examples here