Five Clever Uses For An Attic

Your attic could become a guest suite like this one. Photo: The Esplanade Hotel NZ/Wikimedia Commons.In this still-struggling economy, you may find yourself wanting to expand your living space, but without the means to do so. Many families are growing while finding new and innovative ways to stay put, just exactly where they already are. Which is good – we could all do well by learning to make more do with what we’ve got. And one of the easiest ways to increase your usable space, is simply to look up.

The attic is to this generation of designers what the basement was in the 70’s and the garage was in the 80’s – i.e., a big blank canvas of potential expansion and creative remodeling. But let’s emphasize the “creative” part, yes? Your attic can become so much more than the typical renovation into master bed/bath or quirky craft room or beautiful-but-boring storage space. That’s just the tip of the iceberg! If you really want to spice up that space above your head, try these clever uses for an attic:

1. Personal Library

Are you one of you book people? No, I don’t mean someone who likes books (who doesn’t?), I mean someone who loves books. Who would rather spend an entire day curled up in a window seat reading than doing pretty much, well, anything else? Well my friend, then may I suggest that you head on over to Pinterest and search “attic library” for some seriously jaw-dropping bibliophilic inspiration. Yes, this is definitely the remodeling project for you.

2. Home Theatre

Or maybe you’re a movie person? You know, the one who always throws the all-out, no-holds-barred, costumes-required Oscars party. The one who can rattle off trivia from films spanning the old “talkies” to the newfangled technological marvels they make today. If you’re a committed movie buff, then a home theatre is just the thing for you. Search for “attic home theatre” on Pinterest, and prepare to have your socks knocked off.

3. Dressing Room

Oh girly girl. Shopaholic. Glamazon. Always on trend, always done up, always looking like a million bucks . . . and closets overflowing, shoes spilling out everywhere, never enough space! You know how it goes. But girl, it doesn’t have to be like that. You could have your own personal walk-in closet and full-scale dressing room. Mirrored walls. Racks and racks of hanging space. Floor-to-ceiling shoe shelves! For a true fashionista, if that’s not a clever use for an attic then I don’t know what is.

4. Play Room

If you’re a parent then you understand this: your house used to be clean, cool, and modern. Now, your house is full of brightly colored light-up noise-making objects that seem to be strewn about like an unending sea of plastic sensory stimulation. Am I right?

But what if you could sequester the cacophony to one defined space: a play room. A room that’s just for kids, just for playing, where they would be free to wreak whatever messy havoc they saw fit, whenever they wanted. Think of how your living room might look again.

5. Guest Apartment

If you’re not a bibliophile or a cinema fiend or shopaholic or a parent or any other kind of hobby enthusiast, if you have no need to stash your extra stuff away, then hey – why not make space for guests? A little creative remodeling and you might be able to get a whole small apartment out of that attic. Of course it depends on the size of the space, and the zoning/building codes in your city, so make sure you do your due diligence before you begin such a project. But if it’s a possibility, it sure would be nice to have a little extra space for the in-laws, eh?

No matter what you decide to do with it, the bottom line is that an attic is always an asset. If you’ve got one just waiting to be finished, then you’re in luck. If you’re looking to buy a home, try to find one that’s got the raw space up there. Then all you have to do is come up with your own clever use for the attic – whatever you can dream up! Of course, finishing an attic involves insulating it and ventilating it, but the investment can really pay off in additional living space.

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