A loft conversion is a great way to maximise space in your home. It increases the value of your property by up to 20%, can benefit from sunlight for most of the day and can really boost the kerb appeal of your property.
The chances are that you already know what you want to use your loft conversion for. Most people convert their loft for a specific reason. Whether that is a bedroom, study or even a bar, many of these loft conversion ideas will still be useful.
However, if you don’t know what to do with all this unused space in your home then this article is perfect for you. It’s also worth looking at these 4 ways to upgrade your home for less. See if you can’t combine some ideas. The final product could be an incredibly exciting loft conversion.
Think about what your home lacks
Have you got three children but only two spare bedrooms? Perhaps your daughter is soon to reach her teens and is getting fed up sharing with her brother. A loft conversion is a perfect way to add an extra bedroom to your property without extending out, which is more costly but still only adds 20% of value to your property.
One of the most common choices is to add another bedroom for a growing family with multiple children. If you want some higher end loft conversion ideas in this area, check out these 7 celebrity kids’ rooms for inspiration.
Also, if you work from home but find yourself trying to work from the dining table to no avail, how about using your loft for a study? The large windows often installed in loft conversions will promote lots of natural light and is an ideal working environment.
Think outside the box (or loft)
Designing a whole room from the ground up can be a challenge, not to mention intimidating. Especially with the last tip in mind, it might seem like a prudent idea to focus on adding another bedroom, bathroom or study. These traditional options are certainly guaranteed to add property value. But, for some, it might feel like a wasted opportunity where you could do something more exciting.
If you’re feeling equipped to do so, why not go all the way and create a room that’s vastly different from the rest in your house. This could be a communal area that looks out onto your street, filled with cosy furniture and a bar. Alternatively, why not turn the space into a painting room, filled with canvases, shelves for paints and more.
Another more dramatic loft conversion idea involves removing one of (or most of) one of the walls. Instead, you can replace the whole window with tall windows for an incredible view. This brings a lot of natural light into the room and will make your property stand out.
Just make sure you’re comfortable with having a room that anyone walking by can look into. Given the slanted nature of the walls/windows, you can’t install traditional blinds. Your options are therefore to either leave the windows without a way to cover them up, or invest in more expensive blinds that remain flush with the window frames.
Take a look at the images selected below for some inspiration.
Do your measurements
Take measurements of the whole room and then measure any furniture that you’re planning on bringing upstairs. Check everything fits before you start lugging it up there.
If you measure the room, you’ll be able to work out where different pieces of furniture will work and how you can maximise the space by using built-in and fitted desks and storage solutions.
Make sure to measure the height of your furniture in particular – given you don’t usually have to worry about height restrictions for most rooms it’s easy to forget, but lofts often have slanting walls to contend with. Depending on how sharply they’re leaning, taller furniture like sofas or chairs with high backs, wardrobes or even certain desks can be tricky to fit in.
Also consider how you’re going to get these pieces into the loft. Is disassembly required, or even possible? One loft conversion idea to consider is renovating the entrance before anything else. Widening the entrance and installing proper stairs can help the renovations dramatically. You also want to create something that’s welcoming and inviting, once you’ve finished redesigning.
Customise your storage
Whatever you decide to use your loft conversion for, make sure you look into customised built-in storage. You’ll maximise your space if you use every part available and it will look stylish as well as functional.
Alternatively, you could turn the loft into storage space. You could redesign it as a dressing room or a walk-in wardrobe. This carries the added benefit of allowing you to move your clothes out of your bedroom and create additional space in one of the rooms you spend the most time in, which in turn makes it easier to relax in.
Create the illusion of more space
White is a fantastic colour to help create the illusion that you have more space. Perfect for a study, use white on the walls and even the floors to open out a space and make it feel calming and welcoming to work in.
Another challenge of converting a loft is the potential low ceilings, depending on how your house was built. A few ways to make the room feel taller than it is include: painting vertical stripes on the walls to draw the eye up, erect high wall shelves to create a similar effect or find a way to let in natural light. By eliminating shadow like this, you create the perception that your loft conversion is both wider and taller – wall length windows are ideal for this.
Should I convert my loft myself or hire a pro?
With these loft conversion ideas in hand, you now have a choice. Do you go the DIY route, or do you hire a professional? If you decide on DIY, take a look at any one of the related posts to the side of this one. There should be an array of articles that can teach you a few handy tips, such as what steps you can take to improve the outside of your home, as well as the inside.
If you decide that a professional is more appropriate for what you want, the fill out the form below. Quotatis will put you in touch with a selection of local loft conversion specialists to provide you quotes. Make sure to research what the average loft conversion cost is too.