Room Tour: A Loft Bedroom and Bathroom Packed With Storage
This loft space has been turned into a smart bedroom suite that can be restyled repeatedly as the young occupant grows
Sarah Alcroft
13 December 2020
Houzz UK Editorial Team
The family who own this house had been looking for a bigger property for quite some time when they decided instead to extend the house they loved.
One of their solutions was to convert the loft into a bathroom and bedroom for their teenage son, so when they saw projects they liked by designer Kate Whitfield of An Artful Life on Houzz, they got in touch.
Kate’s suggestions led to a loft room that can be adapted as the young man grows and used as a guest room when necessary, too.
One of their solutions was to convert the loft into a bathroom and bedroom for their teenage son, so when they saw projects they liked by designer Kate Whitfield of An Artful Life on Houzz, they got in touch.
Kate’s suggestions led to a loft room that can be adapted as the young man grows and used as a guest room when necessary, too.
Room at a Glance
Who lives here? A family with two boys aged 13 and 10
Location Chelmsford, Essex
Property An Edwardian terraced house
Room dimensions Bedroom, around 4.6m x 4.7m; bathroom, 2.8m x 2.3m
Designer Kate Whitfield of An Artful Life
The bedroom was designed for the couple’s oldest son, 13, who was previously sharing a room with his brother. “Although he’s still quite young, they wanted it to be somewhere he could grow into, so there’s nothing childish in here,” Kate says.
“I created the cubbyholes as somewhere he can put his things and, depending on what he puts in there as he grows up, he can make it to his taste,” she says. “It’s quite neutral, so he can live in the space as he wants to.”
Who lives here? A family with two boys aged 13 and 10
Location Chelmsford, Essex
Property An Edwardian terraced house
Room dimensions Bedroom, around 4.6m x 4.7m; bathroom, 2.8m x 2.3m
Designer Kate Whitfield of An Artful Life
The bedroom was designed for the couple’s oldest son, 13, who was previously sharing a room with his brother. “Although he’s still quite young, they wanted it to be somewhere he could grow into, so there’s nothing childish in here,” Kate says.
“I created the cubbyholes as somewhere he can put his things and, depending on what he puts in there as he grows up, he can make it to his taste,” she says. “It’s quite neutral, so he can live in the space as he wants to.”
There’s plenty of storage in the room, including a run of wardrobes opposite the bed (not seen) and drawers in the bed base, but the star of the show is this open shelving unit that wraps around the bed.
“All the shelving, as well as the panelled bedhead, was bespoke,” Kate says. “There are secret drawers at the bottom, so any messy toys can go there.”
The shelves are made of oak-veneered MDF, with the forward-facing ends and the panelling behind the bed painted in a warm off-white.
Lola storage bed in soft linen cotton in Dolphin, Love Your Home.
“All the shelving, as well as the panelled bedhead, was bespoke,” Kate says. “There are secret drawers at the bottom, so any messy toys can go there.”
The shelves are made of oak-veneered MDF, with the forward-facing ends and the panelling behind the bed painted in a warm off-white.
Lola storage bed in soft linen cotton in Dolphin, Love Your Home.
The desk is also in oak-veneered MDF. “It’s quite a long desk, so good for studying,” Kate says. “It made sense to put this into the eaves, where the headspace is lower.” This also took advantage of the skylights above. “It’s a really nice, light space,” she says.
The flooring is pale grey oak boards.
Ercol Butterfly chair in Black, Heal’s. Alsace Pureplank engineered oak flooring, Havwoods.
The flooring is pale grey oak boards.
Ercol Butterfly chair in Black, Heal’s. Alsace Pureplank engineered oak flooring, Havwoods.
There are spotlights in the ceiling, and Kate added some to the sides of the skylights, so the desk is always nicely illuminated, whatever time of day it is.
“Because the ceiling is quite low up here, the general illumination is spotlights in the ceiling, but layered with the wall lights and a desk lamp,” Kate says.
The wall lights are on a dimmer for night-time reading.
White brass switches and sockets, Buster & Punch.
Cast sconce wall lamps, Monologue.
“Because the ceiling is quite low up here, the general illumination is spotlights in the ceiling, but layered with the wall lights and a desk lamp,” Kate says.
The wall lights are on a dimmer for night-time reading.
White brass switches and sockets, Buster & Punch.
Cast sconce wall lamps, Monologue.
The bed is a standard double, so a new one could be slotted in when this one wears out.
The room can also function as a space for guests. “I think the idea was that [the son] would move back downstairs with his brother overnight if they had guests,” Kate says.
The room can also function as a space for guests. “I think the idea was that [the son] would move back downstairs with his brother overnight if they had guests,” Kate says.
Kate’s original design shows the two skylights and the window on the opposite side, creating a lovely light space.
You might also like How Much Does a Loft Conversion Cost?
You might also like How Much Does a Loft Conversion Cost?
The plan of the room shows the wardrobes opposite the bed, running along the staircase wall and tucking into the alcove. The bathroom is just seen to the left of the stairs.
The bathroom is next to the bedroom, but each space has a separate door, so any member of the family can come up here and use this room. Looking through this door, the stairs are to the right and the bedroom is on the left, with the cubbyhole shelving to the far left.
The frameless glass shower screen keeps the room feeling open.
Find bathroom designers in your area in on Houzz.
The frameless glass shower screen keeps the room feeling open.
Find bathroom designers in your area in on Houzz.
The concrete-effect tiles and black tapware in the shower are perfect for the teenager.
Large-format faux-concrete porcelain tiles, Topps Tiles. Tapware, Crosswater.
Large-format faux-concrete porcelain tiles, Topps Tiles. Tapware, Crosswater.
Kate warmed up the grey scheme with a midcentury-style chest of drawers, which she converted into a vanity unit.
“I had a bespoke top and basin made from Carrara marble,” she says. The builders had to cut into the unit, but five of the six drawers are still usable.
Kate chose geometric tiles as a decorative splashback. The silver fitting on the right is a shaving point.
A pendant light hangs over the right-hand side. “It brings in a bit of lower lighting and adds a nice feature in the corner of the room,” Kate says.
Mid-Century 6-Drawer chest, West Elm. Escalier encaustic cement tiles, Popham Design.
“I had a bespoke top and basin made from Carrara marble,” she says. The builders had to cut into the unit, but five of the six drawers are still usable.
Kate chose geometric tiles as a decorative splashback. The silver fitting on the right is a shaving point.
A pendant light hangs over the right-hand side. “It brings in a bit of lower lighting and adds a nice feature in the corner of the room,” Kate says.
Mid-Century 6-Drawer chest, West Elm. Escalier encaustic cement tiles, Popham Design.
The mirror contains additional storage, and the chunky black rim chimes with the tapware.
A door in the far wall leads to eaves storage that goes into the outrigger at the back of the house.
The family are extremely happy with how the project turned out, not least the young occupant, who finally gets a room of his own.
Round Box mirror, Cielo. Walls painted in Cotton V, Paint & Paper Library. Marble basin and countertop, fabricated to Kate’s design by Natural Stone Installers.
Tell us…
What do you like about this loft conversion? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
A door in the far wall leads to eaves storage that goes into the outrigger at the back of the house.
The family are extremely happy with how the project turned out, not least the young occupant, who finally gets a room of his own.
Round Box mirror, Cielo. Walls painted in Cotton V, Paint & Paper Library. Marble basin and countertop, fabricated to Kate’s design by Natural Stone Installers.
Tell us…
What do you like about this loft conversion? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
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Not many loft conversions look roomy and light. This conversion is both. This is also beautifully done. What a lucky teenager!
Interested to know how much does a loft conversion like this cost?
Carefully consider what part of Australia you live in before undertaking loft conversions - most ceiling spaces are too hot in summer in Australia - even if they have insulation. If you are sure you want a loft, make sure you face windows to capture the sea breeze. Also make sure that your trusses/rafters are suitable to support live loads before considering a loft conversion. If you have high ceilings in your home, another viable alternative is to create a mezzanine area - this might end up much cheaper in the long run. Also if you are going to have a bathroom in a loft area, you can save $ on the plumbing by making sure the new bathroom is directly above the lower storey bathroom or kitchen area.