Loft

A former warehouse for printing presses converted to a loft apartment on Chicago's Near West Side
A US-style loft; the additional story covers only a few rooms, leaving one or more sides open to the lower floor

A loft is a building's upper storey or elevated area in a room directly under the roof (American usage), or just an attic: a storage space under the roof usually accessed by a ladder (primarily British usage). A loft apartment refers to large adaptable open space, often converted for residential use (a converted loft) from some other use, often light industrial. Adding to the confusion, some converted lofts themselves include upper open loft areas.