Attics can be great places to create much needed additional living space in your home.
Depending upon the style of your house, you may be able to find enough usable attic space to create a bedroom, home office, media room or even just additional storage.
If you decide to venture into this kind of renovation, you'll need to find professionals who can help get the job done right. It might be a more affordable alternative to building an entire new addition to your home. Whether you decide to renovate an attic space or already have usable attic space that is just not being used to its full potential, you'll want to read on for tips and ideas.
Attic rooms are unique by nature. The slanted ceilings and/or walls, dormers and unique layout of an attic space can make for an interesting beginning to what can be a great living area. Imagine a master bedroom with lovely slanted chalet-style walls, window seats in the dormers and lots of large windows. Perhaps a student suite like the one pictured here is what your home needs. Whatever the specific requirements are for your attic space, make sure you plan ahead. Deciding what the area will be used for is the first thing to consider. You may even change the way you use the room over time, so think ahead and consider possible future needs for the room.
Our storey-and-a-half home has a lovely attic space. It was originally intended as a student or in-law suite, with built-in dresser drawers, desk and shelving. There was even a small kitchen tucked into the dormer, along with a half-bathroom. Over the years, the space has had many different uses but has always been a great decor asset. When you want to change things up, it's nice to have that extra room to play with. There are windows on three sides of the large room, so there is a lot of natural light and cross breezes on warm summer days.
Things to consider
Heat rises, so it goes without saying that attic spaces can be very warm during the summer season, especially in an older home. Even with proper insulation, a loft space can still be a few degrees off from the main floor of the house. A window air conditioner worked in our loft during the summer, so consider what your needs might be. As well, loft or attic spaces can also be a little colder in the winter, so plan accordingly. Plush carpeting is a good idea to keep your feet warm in cooler months and will also add to the mystique of, say, a master bedroom. Because the attic space is far removed from the day-to-day foot traffic of the main floor of the house, you can choose to go with a lighter colour that you may otherwise shy away from. So if you've always wanted pristine white carpeting, now's your chance.
Good lighting and proper electrical supply is a must. Hire an electrician if your current space doesn't have sufficient electrical outlets and/or lighting to ensure that the area is safe and efficient. If you are starting from scratch, plan your lighting to include accent lighting as well as task and reading lights. The pot lights in our feature photo would add a soft glow to this bedroom in the evening, I'm sure.
The seemingly unusable crawl space behind the short walls can be utilized for additional storage. As I mentioned above, this space was used for built-in dressers in our loft space. This frees up a lot of floor space. Awkward things like large seasonal items can be stored away until needed. In our photo here, there is a small door that allows access to the storage area. The door itself adds an interesting element to the design of this space. The built-in shelves and desk along the window wall is a great use of space in an attic room. Because of the slanted walls, there is often a lack of wall space available for items like dressers or vanities. Solving this dilemma by installing built-ins adds to the design and function of the space.
A soft-colour palette on the walls and trim keeps the space light and breezy. The two-tone colour palette of soft mauve in our Dulux photograph helps keep the space light and breezy while adding depth and charm to the room. Painting the ceiling white keeps the slanted walls and ceiling from feeling oppressive. As well, medium- to light-coloured flooring will make the room feel large and spacious. Lightweight, simple window treatments will allow natural light to filter through, keeping the space warm and bright.
There is a lack of actual wall space in an attic room, so there may not be a lot of wall area on which to hang artwork. Luckily the room itself probably has enough character to feel complete without a lot of artwork and accessories. If not, you can use accent colour here and there to add some punch.
Attics or lofts can be fun to decorate and make great additional living spaces. Scan decorating magazines and the internet for ideas for your personal space. You may be surprised at just how much more living space you have right under your roof.
Connieoliver@shaw.ca
