Looking to create a bedroom at the top of the stairs? Remember to play all the angles.
IN GRANDMA’S DAY, attic bedrooms in country homes accommodated servants, children and the occasional visiting relative. Back then, before folks moved around a lot, “Granny’s attic” also was a trove of family history: a place to spend a rainy afternoon sifting through vintage photos or playing dress-up.
TODAY, attics afford both additional storage room and added living space—at less cost than new construction. Says Andy Matlow of The Great Barrington Cottage Company in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, “An attic is a warm, nooky place. Relish rooflines, dormers and odd angles. That’s one of the best things about an attic space.” That idea is a common thread in all of these attic bedrooms, as is country décor that incorporates furnishings from Granny’s era in a whole new way. With some practical know-how, what was old is new again.
Play All The Angles
Under the slope of a hipped roof, yellow and blue walls
emphasize the charm of asymmetry.
Photo: Bill Mathews
Simple Stands Out
The gambrel roof (often used in barns) was an architectural invention to provide head room to the topmost floor of houses. Here, its vertical lines are emphasized by striped wallpaper offset by a small-scale floral print on the slopes of the ceiling.
Photo: Seabrook
MAKING IT WORK: “Lots of old houses were built with the idea that rooms would be added in the attic,” says West Stockbridge, Massachusetts, architect John Fulop, whose favorite attic project was a master suite in a Victorian turret. Permits are usually necessary, and building codes offer guidelines on room size, structural support, access, ceiling heights, ventilation and other specifics.
Things to consider when creating an attic room are: 1. Firm Footing. “The floor is the first thing to check,” says Fulop. Make sure that joists and beams are adequate to support the activity in the new attic room, and that flooring minimizes noise and vibration in rooms below. Newer homes with ‘truss’ roof and attic floor systems may not have the structural strength for an attic room.
2. Headroom. Seven-foot ceilings are optimum where people will walk, but some local building codes allow less clearance than that...and some require more.
3. Heating and Cooling. Keep an attic room cool in summer and warm in winter by using insulation with a high ‘R value’ along the roof, and ventilate it adequately. Baseboard heaters and window air conditioners are popular choices. An HVAC system can cool the attic and be ducted to cool the rooms below, too.
4. Ventilation. Houses, like the people in them, need to breathe. Dormer windows and skylights that can be opened help reduce stuffiness. You’ll also need ventilation that allows for a flow of fresh air at the rafters, soffits and ridge of the roof, especially with fiber glass insulation.
5. Light and Amenities. Welcome natural light with skylights or dormers, which also increase head room and floorspace. Before installing insulation and drywall, install electrical, cable, Ethernet and other wiring, and make desired changes to ceiling lights, air conditioning and fans in the rooms below. If adding a bathroom, check that plumbing for water supply and waste disposal is adequate.
6. Access. For safety, make sure staircases are wide enough and that there are two exits.
7. Finishes. Attics invite time-honored finishes like beadboard, painted floors, light-enhancing hues, and treatments that emphasize architectural features. “What’s nice about an attic,” says Fulop, “is that it’s an interesting space, and you can make it more interesting. What you do depends upon circumstances and budget.” •
Color It Fresh
Hues of persimmon, lemon and apple play against a bright white, emboldening the triangular lines of the gable where this attic bedroom connects to the main house.
Photo: Eric Roth
