Making the Most of Your Attic

Where do you store things that are not wanted anymore. How do you manage the boxes that keep piling up? Where does the undesired stuff vanish when it’s not needed? The simple answer to this mystery is in the attic. The space between your top roof and ceiling is known as an attic. 

Why are attics considered spooky?

Abandoned attic room with an empty chair. 

What keeps you up at night? Is it the silhouette of an old tree that falls right on your window or the scraping pipes that lead up to the roof? Maybe it’s the strange noises in your attic that fill up the space or the creaking of the floor. 

Attics are usually the most dreaded space in the house, and people fail to utilize them to their advantage.

Attics are mostly depicted as frightening in books and movies; therefore, this idea is instilled in our minds. It is understandable why people dread visiting attics alone, from keeping hostages locked away to things that start clattering right after midnight, as shown in movies or written in horror books.

Attics give the directors the perfect opportunity to bring the monsters out of these dark and isolated parts of the house.

Ghosts originate from the old dusty attics that have been abandoned for a long time. So here is another reason for you to start using up the space before demon counterparts take it up. 

Making the Most of Your Attic Space

Attic filled with bedroom interior.  

No matter the size of your house, extra room is always appreciated to meet your needs. It doesn’t matter if you need an additional room, peaceful workspace, or a playroom for the children; changing over your attic space is a perfect way to extend extra space to your home. 

Several changes that can be made to take advantage of your attic fully are as following.

Insulation

Insulating the attic to avoid it from getting cold in the winters and warm in the summers as it stops the air from passing in and out is a key tip to use towards its maintenance.  

Loose-fill insulation can prove to be more cost-effective and gives essential coverage if it is accurately installed. New heating or cooling system can be installed to cope with the varying temperature and creating a comfortable environment. 

Stair adjustment

People looking up the attic.  

Attic stairs can be updated if they take up more floor space in order to utilize that portion for other purposes. Most attic stairs are situated on the low roof side of your home. This kind of flight of stairs will occupy less room in the attic, so you have more space for furniture and storage.

If you can’t seem to make a decision about choosing the best staircase for your home, do go through our guide How to choose the best staircase for your home

Window installation 

A man sitting on the windowsill in the attic. 

Attics are usually dark because either they have tiny windows or none at all. So if you plan on convincing your kids to use it as a bedroom or a playroom, you must lighten up the attic room for daily use. Attic windows are essential as the attic needs a passage for the light to pass through.

Decoration Tips

Attics can be decorated to get the most out of your space. Adjusting can be a bit of a challenge as the layout of an attic is different from regular rooms. 

Following are the tips to decorate the room, from inclined ceilings and weird layouts to low lights and tiny windows.

Add colors

Adding colors will give a finished look to the space. It is important to paint the walls with light colors as natural light in an attic is already low. Dark paint color will make the appearance of your attic dull.

In order to make your room look more spacious, you need to opt for white paint. People usually refrain from using the white color as it gets dusty and dirty easily. But that should not concern the attic as it is on the top floor, which means it’s far away from the house entrance and has less foot traffic.  

White paint is preferred until it appears too harsh or sharp. Then soft shades like peach, beige, or sky blue can add warmth and enhance the comforting aura of the room.

In contrast to the lighter shades, bolder colors can be added in the form of accessories, rugs, artwork, and pillows to give it a more comforting vibe. 

Hire a Paint contractor for a professional touch! 

Assess your space

Looking to make the most out of your attic room? It will help if you take measurements of every nook and corner of the attic. 

Is there enough place to fit a bed/bunker or not? How many shelves can cover the wall? Measure out your space for easier decision-making. These measurements can later be compared with the furniture or equipment you plan on filling up the space with. 

Low furnishing 

Most of the attics have less headroom as they have a low roof. In such a case, an illusion can be created by using low furniture to make the area look more spacious than usual. 

Floor cushions can be used around a small coffee table to give a cozy lounge vibe. Low-rise beds can also work wonders as the lower furniture will make the ceiling look higher. 

Built-in Furniture

Built-in beds prove to be more practical as it has a slim bedside shelf and act as a storage unit under the bed. It can help to maximize the tight space. It fills the nooks that seem impossible to fit. 

Built-in furniture can pleasingly redefine the space. They can be custom designed to meet the requirements, making them more space-efficient. 

If you plan to convert your attic into a bedroom, you might want to consider an entire wall for a customized cabinet and storage as it is more functional and occupies less space. 

Low wall decoration

money plants and decorations kept on a shelf. 

Sloping or low walls can be utilized to the maximum by adding shelves and desks. The storage unit beneath the desk can create more room for accessories and other personal items. More drawers can be added to the desk to carry the load. 

Lavish green money plants can be kept on shelves to enhance the vibe of the room. They can also be filled with items like candles and frames. 

Different types of Attics

A man using a laptop near his window. 

The construction and structure of an attic help us distinguish between the different types and whether they are suitable for living or storing material. 

Scuttle attic

This kind of attic is mainly used for storage as it does not have a permanent staircase and requires a ladder or a pull-down staircase to climb up. 

A scuttle attic is not suitable for a living space.

Partially finished attic

Partially finished attics have a permanent staircase, unlike a scuttle attic. It covers 20%-39% of the main floor area. It has enough headroom and is suitable for living as long as the space is not crowded because the room area is comparatively small.  

Not all of the room can be used for a living space as it has a sloping roof. The area with a sloping roof can be used as storage.

Fully Finished

It has around 40%-50% of the home’s main floor area. It has a steep roof, just like a partially finished attic, making it unusable for the living space. 

Although it is more spacious than the partially finished attic as it has more area. These attics can be converted into a quiet office space or a playroom for kids. 

Full Fin Wall HGT

This label stands for Fully Finished Wall Height with 55% of the main floor’s square footage. It is comparatively spacious and can incorporate many items that improve living standards. 

It has a supply of electricity with other features like skylights and dormer windows.

Conclusion 

To conclude, an attic is way more than just a spooky space where the demons hide. Decorations can enhance the experience of the conversion to give it a comfier vibe. Start utilizing your attic to get the most out of it rather than just abandoning it. It can be converted into a bedroom, gym, office space, or a playroom for the kids.