Living in the attic: solutions to effectively use every square centimeter available
Attics can be very difficult to furnish: sloping ceilings and awkward angles can make this task quite challenging. However, there are design solutions that allow you to find the space and look you want and need. Let's check out some ideas together:
Living in an attic
For an attic to be livable, there needs to be at least one area of it where you can stand up straight. Everything else you do will hinge on this spot (with sitting areas, for example, being assigned to the lower areas of the attic).
Adapt the furniture
If you can, getting custom-made furniture is the best solution for an attic. Putting up customized shelving for a triangular wall, for example, is a much more efficient furnishing solution than trying to "force" standard shelving to fit.
That said, there are ready-made furnituring models which can be sourced to furnish an attic (and with little or no customization needed). For example, it is relatively easy to cut a standard shelf to a shorter length (or add an extension where there is a gap).
Partitions
If you want to partition the attic, this can be done easily and effectively: use plasterboard for this purpose or, better still, an open-faced shelving unit (as shown here), which will divide the room but not make it feel oppressive.
Attic room types
If the attic is not big enough to actually live in, you can still turn it into a useful room. For example, it could become the "closet" for all your out-of-season garments.
Often, attics are used as a simple refuge area: just a mattress, a few cushions and shelves will be enough to create an "escape pod" you can retreat to when you need a break.
Take advantage of skylights
The windows (if present) are not always large in attics, so consider putting in a skylight. The natural light will help dissipate humidity in winter and will be cooler in summer (when opened to provide ventilation).
Attic bathroom
If your attic is large enough to becoming a living space, why not also equip it with a bathroom? A walk-in shower under a sloping roof, for example, is a stunning feature and easy to construct.
That said, if adding a bathroom, it is always best to have a skylight near it to prevent high humidity levels from developing (which can cause mold to grow, amongst other issues).
Think of attics like under-stairs areas
Given the shape of attics, you can use furnishing solutions you have probably already used in the basement and/or under-stairs areas!
What type of room would you like to create in your attic?
