How to turn a non-residential attic into a furnished attic

In old-style private houses in the attic, old rubbish was stored, which it is a pity to throw away, carpentry tools, sports equipment, in extreme cases, they dried clothes. The modern design of the attic assumes its full use as a place for work, rest, sleep, practicing your favorite hobbies.

Bright interior of the guest room with dormitory windows

Attic design in a private house

In the countries of Europe and the West, it is called the beautiful word “attic”. This additional floor in many houses is elite housing – there are high ceilings, an open plan, all communications are summed up, panoramic windows are equipped with a wonderful view..

But in Russian reality, not every attic will turn out to be residential, especially when it comes to private houses of the middle of the last century. The ceiling height here is most often low – it allows you to walk normally only in the very middle, the floors are not always designed for installing massive furniture.

Ceiling beams can not be hidden under the cladding, but on the contrary, they can be highlighted with dark accents on a light background.

Design solutions for this room are used almost the same as for all others. To make it residential, no special documents are required. It is important to make a strong staircase, organize sufficient ventilation, take care of insulation, supply the necessary communications – light, water, heating.

The walls are finished with plasterboard, wood, pasted over with wallpaper, thermal insulation is required for the floor, the roof is equipped with soundproofing so that you don’t hear the noise of rain, sounds of birds’ footsteps, etc..

For small windows, use light colors for decoration

Important: sometimes for arranging the attic floor, it is required to strengthen the structure of the entire building.

Planning the interior of a room in the attic

Depending on the area of the attic, one or more rooms are equipped here. For large spaces, the installation of additional partitions is a very labor-intensive business, therefore zoning is done with the help of screens, light screens, a few pieces of furniture, curtains.

The main thing is not to clutter up the interior with unnecessary details, but to rationally use every corner

The ideal shape for the arrangement is a round, five-pitched roof. At the stage of drawing up the project, all measurements are made, if the configuration is complex, this is also indicated in the plan. The attic rarely occupies the entire attic – the comfortable height of the room is at least 160-200 cm, which greatly limits the field of activity if the roof is flat. The maximum height is made arbitrary, up to the ridge of the roof – usually 2.5-3.5 meters.

Advice. The attic is quite suitable for organizing a multifunctional space: a study with a library, a bedroom with a dressing room, a hall with a place to sleep.

Attic insulation

A room intended for life at any time of the year must be insulated without fail. Warm air tends to rise up, the insulation will not let it “go away”. Insulation material is selected:

fireproof;
vapor permeable;
environmentally friendly;
thickness from 10 cm.

Many people prefer mineral wool

Adequate thermal insulation will significantly save on heating costs. For the roof, floor, polystyrene foam, mineral wool are suitable. The ideal solution is a combination of rigid, semi-rigid insulation, which is placed between the outer wall and the inner finishing material: clapboard, drywall, plywood.

Advice. On request, warm floors are installed in the attic..

Arrangement of windows, entrance

Windows allow you to save on lighting during the daytime. They are made at the ends or directly on the roof. The size of the windows is made at least 10-15% of the entire area of the attic. It will be very hot here in summer, so be sure to install an air conditioner..

There will be much more light if roof windows are installed between the rafters

Windows need to be supplemented with roller blinds

The staircase should not be too steep, a slope of 35-45 degrees is preferable. It happens:

marching straight or with a turn;
curvilinear;
helical.

It is installed along the wall, sometimes in a niche. On the second floor, the opening is closed with a hatch, fenced off with a handrail, which is necessary as a security measure. Sometimes a PVC window acts as a hatch. The staircase is made outside the house, along the outer wall, if there is not enough space inside. The material for the staircase inside the room is glass, wood, on the street it is appropriate to make a staircase of stone, concrete, with forged railings. For very tight spaces, an attached, foldable.

Classic one-flight staircase made of natural wood

In what style to arrange the space

The stylistic design of the attic space largely depends on its area, purpose. A cramped loft or baroque attic does not look very good, but minimalism, modernity will be appropriate. A small room is decorated in light, warm colors, especially if it is not possible to make large windows. A spacious room with a high ceiling is finished in colder, darker tones.

The interior of the attic room can be decorated in any style

The following styles are most commonly used:

Minimalism – there is a lot of space, little furniture. A folding sofa of a strict geometric shape, a small table, large windows. A maximum of two colors are used at the same time, one of which is white, almost no accessories are available.
Loft – open plan, bare ceiling beams, brick-like walls, metal accessories. The windows are very large with no curtains. Antique furniture, artificially aged, made of dark wood.
Environmental – wood trim, furniture, often houseplants, a whole winter garden. Natural colors, natural fabrics – linen, cotton, silk.
Scandinavian – stylish plain furniture, bleached wood, laminate, metal. The colors are predominantly light, individual color accents are acceptable, there are not many accessories.
Provence – pastel colors, plant prints on textiles, wallpaper. Light, light furniture, “cozy” accessories – rugs, pillows, wardrobe trunks.
Oriental – a low table, a bed or sofa is a mattress on the podium. Light wallpaper with hieroglyphs, cherry blossoms, a lot of light.

Scandinavian minimalism will allow you to create a cozy and calm room with a homely atmosphere, using a minimum of funds

Rafters and supporting racks are the best fit for interior decoration in the loft style

The classic design will require a lot of money, and it will look only in a fairly spacious room

What room to make in the attic

The attic floor is used to equip both one room and a full-fledged apartment, if there is enough space. It is advisable to consider the purpose of the premises even at the planning stage in order to know what communications to carry out.

Children’s room on the site of the old attic – miracles of alteration will allow you to organize a fabulous space. Above all here is safety. The most environmentally friendly finishing materials are selected. The staircase is as flat as possible, always with strong handrails, the hatch to the floor is securely closed. Good lighting is needed throughout the room. An indispensable attribute of a nursery is toys. They are placed on shelves, in drawers.

Nursery in a marine style

The bedroom in the attic is practical, comfortable, aesthetically pleasing. In the center there is a double bed, if it is a matrimonial bedroom, two single beds along the walls – for a guest bedroom. Places for storing bed linen and other things are done under the bed. The overhead light is soft, diffused, but if it is supposed to read or work in bed with a laptop, local bright lighting is made. Dressing table, wardrobe also have their own local lighting.

Cozy bedroom in a small attic of a country house

The design of the living room in the attic room has its own characteristics. Everything that is necessary for a family vacation, friendly gatherings is located here. Furniture should not be excessively bulky, heavy, or high. The TV is placed on a narrow console, attached to a main wall, and if there is a good speaker system, a home theater is arranged. Panoramic windows will allow you to admire the view of a blooming garden, river, flower beds. The faux fireplace in the living room also looks good..

Large sofas with lots of pillows will be the best place for a friendly pastime

The arrangement of the office presupposes a well-lit workplace. Additional sound insulation, remoteness of the room from other rooms, will allow you to fully concentrate on the tasks at hand. Office equipment will be placed on the table, shelves, lighting directly above the table is made bright.

Natural light is best for a home study

A workshop on the attic floor should have enough storage space for materials and tools. The number of work surfaces depends on the intended activities.

The attic room can be an ideal place for organizing a home workshop due to its isolation.

The attic library offers numerous shelving units. The reading corner is located by the window – in the brightest part of the room. Artificial light is made enough to find the right books; reading in the evening should also be comfortable..

The reading area should be well lit

The dressing room is equipped with hangers, rods, pantographs, hooks for belts, ties, umbrella stands, shoe racks. Hanging shelves and a chest of drawers are made for storing small haberdashery. Some things are stored in cardboard boxes, plastic boxes. In addition to clothes, small household appliances are often stored here, which are not often used, an ironing board, and sports equipment. Here you can easily use every centimeter of the attic area..

Ceiling bevels impose certain restrictions on the use of store furniture.

A billiard room, a gym, a recreation room in the attic will be very appropriate. Above the billiard table, sufficient lighting is mounted; to equip the gym, additional structural reinforcement, sound insulation, and ventilation are required. A shower will also come in handy..

The atmosphere of the attic room perfectly contributes to the appropriate mood for a measured billiards game

The kitchen in the attic is rarely done, but its arrangement is quite possible. To do this, you will have to conduct water, put a powerful hood. Airing is also done through the windows, and one of the work surfaces becomes a continuation of the window sill. LED lighting on the top and bottom of the headset will bring a modern interior.

Industrial motives in the design of the attic kitchen

The device of a bathroom, a combined bathroom in the attic space is quite possible. It is made out with moisture-resistant materials, water supply and drainage are organized here. The bathtub itself is often mounted under the slope of the roof, the shower stall is placed closer to the middle of the room, where you can stand up to its full height. Often the bathroom is located next to the kitchen or above it. Panoramic windows will create a unique interior.

In a large family, an additional bathroom will not hurt

The highlight of the attic interior

The design of the walls, floor, ceiling, contrasting with each other, bright sofa cushions, poufs are quite capable of becoming a kind of “highlight” of the attic interior. A round bed or a sofa in the shape of a month, hand-painted walls, hanging chairs of an original shape look very original. Numerous, diverse light sources, paintings on the walls, wallpaper, homemade rugs, draperies on the windows, mirrors – what is better to focus on in each case is decided individually.

Hanging accessories highlight sloped walls

Bright wallpaper on the accent wall will help to revive the interior.

Conclusion

The attic space is quite suitable for expanding the living space of a private house. It is easy to organize almost any room here, if it is well insulated, beautifully decorated.

Today, when literally every centimeter of space counts in the house, not using the attic is simply an impermissible luxury.

When problems arise with the self-improvement of the attic, professional interior designers will come to the rescue, who will develop a project “from and to”, in accordance with the wishes of the customer..