How to Refinish a Basement to Look Like a Modern Loft

Paint the ceiling and the exposed pipes and wiring a uniform color. This helps all the piping and wiring fade into the background. You can apply the paint with a brush, but spray-painting is the easiest way to get good coverage. To make your space seem lighter and airier, choose a bright white or pale blue paint.

Clean concrete floors and walls with a solution of trisodium phosphate and water to remove grease and leave the concrete exposed for the industrial look characteristic of lofts. Use throw rugs and hanging tapestries to add warmth and interest.

Arrange furniture to create living spaces within an open floor plan. Lofts have few, if any, interior walls. Instead, furniture defines an area's function: a bed for the sleeping area, sofa and chairs for a conversation or TV area, a table for the dining area. Separate the kitchen with an island, but keep the area open to the rest of the space to make conversation easy.

Choose industrial fixtures and furnishings. Loft decor plays on its origins as factory space with drop lights and metallic shades for lamps, an old machinists' cabinet for the kitchen island and a trunk as a coffee table. Search flea markets, tag sales and even the dump for finds you can use.