So, what is it? How old are the kids? Where is it (home? camp?)? What's down below?

You may have included that in the previous post, but you need to tell us more, here. Need details of what it is and what you expect it to be, now that the crackheads are gone..

This is my year round home. We live in the NYS countryside. We have two teenagers (15&13). Down below is this. Looking for ideas so I can get my creative brain flowing. Perhaps someone out there thinks of something I have not thought of and I’d have a lightbulb moment and be able to run with an idea instead of the same old same old.

Looking up into the loft space from “what is down below”

If you don't know what USE you want from it, neither do we. Forms, follow function. So....it's a sleep s[ace, a study space. a library/reading nook, a who know what and what is "same old" same old"??? Or you don't need it at all and you mop the floor new and then ?

Put a couple swinging hammocks up there, line it with book shelves, and call it the tree house.?

Looks like a good place for the teens to hang out and you can still kinda monitor what goes on. Will it be loud up there? You don’t want to be constantly yelling at them to quiet down. What about a little home gym?

That is a gorgeous space. If you’re using it as a kid hangout, think comfy, casual furniture, a soft rug, and some room to sprawl. I would leave the table for homework and projects in one end, and furnish the other end with a loungy sofa and chair, at least one of which should be leather. Find a colorful super soft rug for the lounge space. If they use a tv, that’s the spot for it. Finish by moving some of the lower light tolerant plants you have up along the railing to both soften the space and add a little sense of privacy.

Love the rustic’ness of this space. I have no suggestions other than if it were my space it would be an office/ lounge area/ library with comfy seating. Gorgeous space.

How on earth is that place insulated???

@GreenDesigns we used SIP to insulation, walls and roof. Works well.

Is this amazing place a converted barn?! The wood is fabulous.
The loft is a great space for the kids and friends to hang out. The loft looks well-supported, but is there any bounciness to the floor that concerns you?
Getting a big sofa up there would be hard, but soft chairs and other lightweight foam furniture, along with a large rug may be good. They will want a music system or just a their iPods (or the newest thing) to play their own playlists. A few lamps to give them light. A table or two for homework and project-building. You will want something to keep them from going through the railing....maybe plexiglass sheets, which can help with sound control and still allow you to see what’s going on up there while not hiding the beautiful structure of the place. They would probably love a dumbwaiter kind of contraption to bring snacks up there, too.

Definitely needs hammocks.

In open unusual spaces like yours the most useful way to furnish is casual. Don't use furniture for barriers or in the traditional way. Drop a couple of chairs. Could be bean bags, mid-century, or reclaimed old stuff. Have a table ready for games, food, or desk-use. Try placing a piece at an angle or two. The kids will be able to rearrange as they like.

Does your kids have any ideas of how they want to hang out and what they want in the space. TV? Big sofa to put their feet on? Single chairs? Game Table? Fridge?

Some inspiration

Take direction from your kids’ interests and hobbies and develop the space around those creative endeavors. You could have a studio on each end with a small common area in the center. Ideas? Perhaps a sewing center; a multi-purpose art center for jewelry making, clay modeling, scrapbooking, painting etc; a computer media center for vlogging/gaming. The room is their oyster.

i LOVE this space-- but if its a second social area the sound will carry - so i would think about some type of folding sound barrier when the kids are up there .