Ready to wipe away the cobwebs in your attic and transform it into a liveable space? Changing your attic from a storage area to a bedroom or loft is a great way to extend the space in your home without all of the time involved in adding an extension. If you take the time to really look at the space you're dealing with you'll be sure to end up with a room that feels like it fits in perfectly with the rest of your home.
How to Make an Attic into a Loft
To ensure the space is appropriate for converting into a bedroom, you'll need to check the height, piping and electrical running through the space, and the integrity of the floorboards to ensure they can support enough weight. We advise that you have an engineer come in and take a look at the space to ensure that converting the space will be structurally possible. They'll be able to tell you how to go about your renovation according to your local building codes and set you up for success.
Industrial style loft
For an industrial-style loft, you'll want to leave as much of the structure visible as possible (hello, exposed beams!). If your space has brick, leave it exposed and add black accents to emphasize the natural tones in the brick. For something a little more streamlined and modern, consider painting your brick in a neutral tone like crisp white or a soft shade of gray. To keep that industrial vibe going, add in furniture elements like shelving and tables that feature natural wood and metal.
Barn style loft
Looking for a barn style look? The key to achieving this look is wood, wood, and more wood! Keep exposed beams on display and add in other natural wood elements where possible. If you want something a little more uniform but still rustic, try the whitewashed look. This allows you to have a clean all-white look, with a slightly roughed up finish that still lets the natural wood come through. Accessorize with decorative elements that have a country or handcrafted feel to them and you'll create the perfect barn-inspired look that still elegant and polished.
Bungalow style loft
A bungalow loft presents an interesting design challenge-those famous sloped ceilings. They definitely make things a bit trickier to work with, but you just need to get creative! It's a good idea to consider where you'll put all your furniture before you start your renovations. This will give you a chance to get creative with built-in features to make the most of the space.
When it comes to color, pay attention to how the light hits the room. The sloped ceilings can make the room seem smaller, so you'll want to choose a hue that reflects the light in the right way to make the space feel taller. That likely means warmer pastels like blush pink or creamy beige, or cooler pastels like lavender or sky blue.