Loft Conversion
Gather on the roof Decking isn’t just for back gardens – it’s given this quirky roof terrace a sense of comfort. Just bring out the floor cushions for a perfect place to lounge. Wood also feels lovely and warm in the sunshine. There’s a huge choice of designs, colours and materials out there, as well as widths of planks. When picking decking, choose the best you can afford, and make sure you like the colour; also investigate if this might change over time. Grooved decking like this has a classic look, but it can be harder to sweep clean.
Explore stair options In a really tight spot, getting the stairs in can prove problematic, but there are plenty of creative solutions. These paddle-style stairs have alternate treads, meaning they can be raked at a much steeper angle than a traditional staircase. Ladder-style and pull-down options are also worth considering, but are not really practical in a room that will be used all the time, such as a bedroom.
Flush-fit in alcoves In a contemporary-style space, it makes sense to flatten out and exploit the room’s architectural angles – namely, alcoves. Here, the materials used for the cupboards and chimney breast match the bed to create a discreet, fitted finish. The success of the alcove cupboards is the symmetry and flush-fitting – the deep wood grain is a texture-adding bonus.
Tuck it inside a smart cupboard This is a super-clever storage unit. It has two big toy storage cupboards, each with doors that glide away and shelves that pull out to form a play surface or desk. Look around and see if you could make space for something like this – it doesn’t have to fill a full wall, of course. It would be a good solution either in a playroom or on a wall in any room in the home, and you’ll have great toy storage that can be magicked away with a flick of the wrist. Adjustable shelves in the cupboards will work well, with clear-faced tubs like these a bonus for easy access to toys and small pieces.
Love the open wood beams Dress it up In this open loft room, glass separates the sleeping area from the dressing room. The partition is mounted on a dwarf wall that’s topped with wood similar to the floor and beams for continuity of materials across the space. Clear, frameless glass means the dressing area can be seen, so shelving that keeps clothes neat is essential to maintain the room’s calm atmosphere. Consider this idea carefully if you’re prone to messiness, or add closed drawers or doors to your storage.
GAME CORNER!!! Add a cosy nook Got a neglected corner in your loft bedroom? Try filling it with shelves to create a cosy reading corner. In this child’s bedroom two walls of shelves provide bags of room for books and toys. The corner location keeps everything out of the way, and creates a hidden area to give the space a snug feel.
Surround the bed with storage In this loft room a low bed has been positioned below the sloped windows, and storage has been built to the side and behind. The designers have freed up space for the cupboards to fit by installing plug boards to a panel above the bed. The painted tongue and groove panelling gives the whole area a cosy feel and highlights the light space above.'
Build a false wall Sometimes it’s worth sacrificing a small amount of space to be able to fit more storage into a loft room. Here, the designers have built out the wall behind the bed. By moving the wall forward like this, they’ve managed to add a useful cupboard and a handy shelf at the back of the bed. To add even more storage to a space like this you could add shelves into the area above the headboard ledge.
Streamline your bedsides When you’re fitting a bed under a sloped roof, it’s important the space doesn’t feel too cramped. Free up the floor area around the bed by building bedsides into the wall, as they’ve done here. These handy cabinets fit snugly into the low wall at the back of the bed, providing plenty of storage while keeping the floor space uncluttered.
Highlight shapes Here, a simple grid of shelves under the sloped roof is perfect for storing books, baskets and knick-knacks. By painting it blue, the designers have turned it into a handsome feature in the room. The wall of squares look great against the diagonal ceiling, while the circular rug adds soft curves to the straight edges.
Make an attractive feature The angled cabinetry here is not only practical, it’s also a stunning feature. A standard cupboard is straddled by a drawer and shelf arrangement on the left and a column of protruding shelves on the right. This simple, yet beautifully crafted joinery has been given an extra style boost with a pale grey paint colour, which contrasts with the striking red in the corner.
Pop out some drawers For a brilliantly organised space below the eaves, these drawers are ideal. A grid of squares with discrete cut-out handles opens out to reveal roomy cavities. A job like this requires a really good professional to get it right, but if you want something special it might be worth splashing out.
Move with the slant Maximise every inch of a sloped area by getting a carpenter to build wall-to-wall storage that follows the angle of the ceiling. Here, the white cupboards fit neatly into the area using all the available space. To add interest to the minimal style of doors, the designers have painted the internal joinery a bright magenta and cut out neat rectangular handles.
Channel your inner bibliophile The blank walls and returns of a staircase are the perfect place to inject some interest with shelving. You may not have room in your house for a dedicated library, but slimline recessed shelving alongside stairs adds interest to the walls and is a perfect solution for storing reading matter. Obviously, a design on this scale (complete with glowing lights within each shelf) needs careful planning at build stage, but it’s worth considering whether there’s a spot on your staircase where you can apply the same idea. Often, the half-landing on a turn has extra space that seems unusable – could it be waiting for a colourful array of novels?
Revive with a reading nook Under-stairs space is often strangely shaped and probably a little murky. However, it’s the perfect spot for a hideaway with a purpose. Quite a lot of thought has gone into this neat reading nook, with its built-in shelving and comfy seat. Storage doors underneath provide a good space to stash items, the colourful fabric makes the space feel inviting and all-important lighting is provided with the wall lamp.
Sparkle over the stairs The double-height space above stairs is often an ideal spot for a chandelier, but there’s no need for a lofty ceiling on the upper floor. This home shows how hanging a huge chandelier low turns it into a dramatic statement piece, viewed up close on the first floor and admired from below on the ground floor.
Add a centrepiece A wall-hung rug in warm tones gives this living room a bright boho feel. The owners have kept the look cohesive by choosing furniture and accessories in a similar colour scheme. As there’s a lot going on in the rest of the room, the transparent coffee table keeps the space calm and uncluttered.
The loft was converted into a guest bedroom. The bed sits neatly in the eaves and has a useful storage cupboard behind it. To the left is an en suite, which is accessed via a pair of reclaimed French doors. This, once again, presented a challenge to the team, as they had to restore the doors and make them fit perfectly. The result is stunning and adds real character to the space.
Open up the space If your roof profile allows, you could consider a skylight, as it will allow extra light to enter. A roof facing east, west or south will also trap some bonus and welcome sunlight. Soft colours, such as off-white or pale grey, will reflect light beautifully and help to create a bedroom that’s a joy to sleep in.
Transform a daybed This daybed, tucked under the eaves, would be a lovely spot to curl up on a rainy day. A handy side table for a stack of books, a traditional-style reading lamp above and plenty of cushions make this the perfect place for reading and daydreaming. If you don’t have a daybed or window seat, a comfy chair pulled up to the window would create a similar feel.
uck in a teepee hideaway This cosy and bright teepee would be the prefect place for a young reader to snuggle up in and be transported to a different world. The display shelves in this playroom ensure there are lots of reading choices on offer, while the soft rug and fluffy cushions create an irresistible den.
Surround yourself with books Whiling away long winter afternoons would be a pleasure in a room like this, lined wall-to-wall with books. In this bright space, pale, wood-panelled walls help to maximise every scrap of winter sunlight, while the warm wooden flooring lends further cosiness. The built-in sofas offer plenty of space on which to kick back and relax. If there’s a tome or two you’ve been meaning to read, create a reading nook with a comfy chair, lamp, and space to rest a hot mug or glass of wine.
A built-in window seat has storage underneath. “It’s a great place to sit,” says Walker. “It looks east and the sun blazes in through the window in the mornings.” The window can tilt or swing open. Walker didn’t fit doors to the hanging space tucked into the eaves. “Once we’d put in the floor and the insulation in the ceiling, this all sandwiched-down on the head height. I’m 6ft and would have been crouching to open a door. It seemed a bit of a faff.” Leaving doors off also increases the sense of space, as the floor stretching into the eaves can be seen.
Full length window on the loft
GORGEOUS! Doubling up works well When the ridge of a pitched roof runs from the front to the back of a house, it can often be possible to build a pair of box dormers opposite each other on the roof slopes, resulting in a much more usable space. This creates the opportunity to bring in daylight from all sides, as well as some interesting symmetrical geometry.
You can cut a dormer into a roof slope Rather than forming a dormer entirely as an extension of the roof volume, in some cases it can be possible to cut the face of the dormer below the line of the original roof slope.
You may avoid a planning application In most areas, dormer roof extensions can be added without a planning application, working within the Permitted Development (PD) rules. There’s a number of criteria within which you need to stay (height, volume, set-back, orientation and so on) and for several years now designers have been pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved within PD to stunning creative effect.
People often think of dormers as a modern thing, but in fact they’ve been used on roofs for centuries and, before the invention of the roof window, were really the only way to bring daylight into a loft. Frequently, dormers brought light and ventilation into small roof spaces where servants were accommodated, so it’s not unusual for the windows and dormers themselves to be small in scale. Planning departments (when permission is required) often stipulate that dormers should be no wider than they are high, reflecting this traditional small scale.
Some roof light windows, as well as their blinds, can be remote controlled and can even have rain sensors to close automatically if it starts to pour down. If you have lots of windows, you can programme them to all close at the same time at the touch of a button. We tend to recommend top-hung windows, which open from the top rather than the centre, to give you a clear, full view.
Lots of light, unlimited windows to the back?
Create a combination station This neat design has utilised both sloping ceilings to incorporate a mix of different storage options. There’s a wardrobe, some angled shoe shelves, a few pull-out baskets and even a low cupboard in the corner. It’s a practical use of space that adds an attractive feature to the room.
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