If you’re looking for more space in your home but don’t want the hassle or expense of a major addition, it might be time to look up—to the attic, that is.
Stand-up attic space can be a great spot for an additional room, and it involves no major structural changes to your home, such as tearing down walls or raising the roof. You can leave the pull down stairs permanently down once your attic has been insulated, or install a small staircase.
While attic space is usually limited, there are several rooms that are perfect for such space. Consider turning your unused attic into one of the following sought-after spaces.
A home office. A finished attic is ideal for creating an out-of-the-way quiet office area. A desk can fit nicely under the slant of the roof line, as well as a mid-height bookshelf. Cozy up the area with a colorful area rug and mood-setting desk lamp. Since the attic space is separate from the rest of your home, feel free to get a little creative with paint color as well.
A guest room. An attic area is an ideal, private space for house guests. Position a queen size bed in the center of the space to gain the most ceiling height, and add a low bureau under the roof slant. A bench or settee at the foot of the bed is a nice touch for guests along with a wall rack with plenty of hooks for hanging clothes, jackets and accessories.
An exercise area. It won’t take much to turn your attic into a home gym. Install durable carpeting or wood floors covered with a large area rug. Add a weight rack for free weights and a weight bench, and designate an open area for yoga or other floor exercises.
A project studio. Whether your passion is painting, pottery, writing or sewing, the sky’s the limit once you designate studio space in which to create. Transforming the attic for your artistic pursuits will provide ample room for the tools of your trade and allow you to leave projects and materials out as you work on a creation, as opposed to having to put everything away. Make sure you install proper lighting and easy-to-clean furnishings and flooring so that there’s less worry about mess.
No matter how you put your attic to use, adding skylights will provide natural light and air circulation, a plus in all scenarios.
