Attic is an attic-type living space formed on the top floor of a house with a sloping ceiling.
Very many of those who have private house, don’t know what to do with the attic. Some leave the attic renovation until last, using it as a large storage room, while others can’t think of anything better than sewing up the “inconvenient” roof slopes with plasterboard, turning the attic into an ordinary small room.
We offer several ideas on how to do it attic design in a private house, which will make the room comfortable and cozy, emphasizing all the advantages and charms of attic spaces of just such a configuration.
DIY attic design
Decoration of attic windows
In order for the attic to turn into a completely habitable room, it needs to be filled with as much air and light as possible. This is easiest to do using windows. Windows can be either ordinary (for flat walls) or special designs that are created specifically for sloping walls in attics. The shape, style and design of windows depends only on your imagination. The main thing here is size, because the larger the window in the attic, the more spacious the room will seem, the less the sloping walls will “press” on you.
Photo of attic window design
Making bevels
Remember how fashionable the style is now? alpine chalet. So sew it under the lining or drywall wooden beams, supporting the roof, would be simply blasphemy. On the contrary, when designing an attic, emphasize them, because wooden beams are perhaps the most interesting decoration any interior. In the attic, aged dark wood beams look especially impressive against the background light walls. By the way, don’t forget about the lighting of the room, because original and proper lighting of the room works real miracles.
Photo of the design of the attic bevels
Decoration of attic walls
Most often, the attic is used as a bedroom, office or place for relaxation and entertainment. Therefore, here it is simply necessary to move away from stereotypes and develop your imagination to the fullest. Match your wall decor attic room get creative: paint them in interesting colors, use unusual combinations of materials, play with textures, apply original decor- in general, do everything to prevent such an interesting room as an attic from becoming boring and dull.
Photo of attic wall decoration
Choosing furniture for the attic floor
Many people often complain that, due to the sloping ceiling, it is impossible to place ordinary furniture in the attic. But you can approach this issue creatively. As an alternative to standard furniture in the attic interior, there can be niches or built-in wardrobes, modular furniture disassembled into pieces, or open shelves adjusted to the height of the walls. And in areas with very low ceilings, a desk, bed or reading couch will fit perfectly. In such a room, you can design an attic room for a teenager, where children's furniture for a boy or girl will fit well. An attic for a child can be decorated in fun and light colors.
Photos of the design of low walls
Attic space
Since the attic often occupies the entire floor under the roof and is perhaps the largest room in a country house, the option of zoning the space in this case is very relevant. At the same time, in order to keep the attic as spacious and not turn it into several small closets under the roof, it is better to zone it not using plasterboard partitions, but by adopting numerous design ideas.
Photo of the arrangement of the attic floor
Attic interior - arrangement options
Below is an example real apartments We propose to take a closer look at how you can decorate an attic room in an interesting and functional way with your own hands.
Ideas for an attic bedroom
In this case, the design is attic bedroom for a married couple. In addition to the bed, the owners placed here low wardrobes and book racks. In addition, there is an opportunity to work in the room: two armchairs, which are located in different corners, allow both spouses, if necessary, to retire to read or work at the same time.
Photo of the attic bedroom
Living room in the attic
And here the attic serves as a living room, where you can work, sit with friends and at the same time engage small children in something. Due to the combination of white and blue flowers in the interior, the room seems larger, and vertical stripes give it height.
Photo of the attic living room
Small living room in the attic
This small attic The owners also turned the rather low roof into a living room, where it is good to gather with family or friends in front of the fireplace. A small glass table in the corner does not clutter up the space at all and allows you to fully work at the computer. Pay attention to how well the furniture was chosen for such a low room. And the ceiling, despite the dense wood paneling, does not “press” with its plane, thanks to the huge windows.
Photo of a small living room
Living area in the attic
And finally, an excellent example of how an entire apartment can be located in an attic room, in which, despite the sloping roof, everyone feels quite comfortable. The attic design was designed specifically for this apartment, built-in shelves and cabinets are not much inferior in convenience to ordinary ones, but how beautiful and cozy the sloping vault with wooden beams of a warm honey color looks in the living room.
Photo of the attic living area
In the desire to reduce the expenditure of the family budget on building a house, owners of land plots choose universal country houses with an attic. Firstly, it saves space, and secondly, it makes the building more presentable in appearance. The remaining area near the house can be decorated at your discretion. There are many ways to do this, the most popular being landscape design.
The attic has a number of advantages over a full second floor, which make it such an attractive structural element of the building. Thus, you can save money on heating and reduce expenses on building materials.
This will save you from the need to build an attic above the second floor, since the attic can also serve this function.
Country houses are built from different building materials, but the most popular in our time are considered to be:
- frame-panel structures;
- wood (, log);
Designing a house with an attic in the country
A superstructure in the form of an attic does not belong to a separate floor; therefore, house designs for summer cottage create with one or two floors. Most often, preference is given to one-story houses above which there is a sloping attic. It is used for various purposes. Here you can place a rest room, a warehouse for different instruments, dressing room, etc. taking into account the fact that the attic is not considered a second floor, such houses are registered as one-story
The structural features of the attic allow construction to begin not simultaneously with the first floor, but much later, if necessary. This is explained by the fact that in order to begin the construction of a full-fledged second floor, it is necessary to carry out additional calculations of the load on it in order to understand whether it will withstand it or not. In the case of a dacha project with an attic, it is necessary to make an additional blind area, since the hay of the house will have a greater load than before.
The most popular are country houses 6 x 6 m. At first glance, it may seem that this is not enough. But in fact, if you approach planning responsibly and install the roof at a decent height, you can expand the area of the house to 60 m². For country house this is quite enough if it is used as a seasonal habitat. In such an area you can place a kitchen, 2 bedrooms, a bathroom and a storage room, for example.
Cottage with veranda and attic
The design of a country house with an attic and a veranda differs from the options we are used to. The design of the future structure includes the results of careful calculations indicating the amount of material required, as well as the load on. The estimate is drawn up at the initial stage of construction, and it is worth noting that a building of this type will cost slightly more than with an attic.
As for the veranda, it can be closed or open, have a common roof with the house or be a separate building. Insulating the attic will have a great effect on a veranda with glazing, as it will help retain heat in winter time and will provide coolness in the summer heat. If an open-type veranda is being constructed, careful design of the ceiling above it is required in order to avoid water penetration. Moving the veranda outside the perimeter of the house will allow you to expand total area buildings.
Advice. In order to visually combine the attic with the veranda, ivy or grapes are planted. As the plants grow, they create a continuous green wall.
The veranda is used not only for a pleasant time with friends and relatives. Closed premises are suitable for storing various things and tools. In addition, you can build a greenhouse inside and grow your favorite plants or seedlings.
Country house with an attic made of timber
Timber is popular in small construction. This environmentally friendly material does not lose its position in the building materials market. Despite the fact that all finished buildings made of timber are lighter in weight than brick ones, it is necessary to take care of something durable and reliable, taking into account the load it exerts.
An excellent choice would be profiled timber, which allows you to assemble houses according to type children's construction set, thanks to special grooves at the ends of each element.
Attic roof
Regardless of the size of the planned dacha, the attic room is arranged according to the same principle. Since the space is located under the roof, heat exchange processes constantly occur there, much more intensely than through the walls. To create an optimal microclimate, you need to take care of proper insulation country house and roof waterproofing. During the winter heating season, currents of moist air rise upward.
To improve microcirculation flows, preference is given to sloping roof, with a complex shape.
To insulate a room it is often used mineral wool, which is laid between the rafters, and a plank sheathing is made under them. It is important to ensure that the material is absolutely dry, only then will it be able to perform its functions. To do this, foil insulation or vapor barrier film is attached to the sheathing. Under the ceiling in the upper part, a film with a vapor-permeable function is installed, which will ensure the evaporation of moisture from the mineral wool. A control and a transverse one are placed on top, on which they are mounted. For the rafters, timber with a cross-section of 150 mm is used, and the sheathing below is laid from 22 mm boards. We must not forget about the front angles.
Appearing for the first time in the capital and major cities of France, in our country houses with an attic floor are the most widespread received in suburban construction. The debate about whether it is advisable to build an attic or choose a full floor does not subside. And it is unlikely that the parties will ever come to a common opinion. Each specific case has its own advantages and disadvantages, so we will not enter into a useless argument, but will take a closer look at these designs.
- What is an attic
- Device methods
- Arrangement (insulation, lighting, finishing)
What is an attic
Speaking in simple language, an attic is a residential or utility room between the ceiling of the top floor and the roof. If we use the definition according to SNiP (2.08.01-89), then an attic is a room in the attic space, the facade of which is created (in whole or in part) by the surface of an inclined (pitched) or broken (hip) roof. Moreover, the line of intersection of the roof and facade planes should be at a level of no more than one and a half meters from the attic floor level.
Due to the specific contours, the area of the attic premises is also regulated by building regulations, and the height to the sloping ceiling depends on the angle of the roof slope:
- 1.5 m – slope of 30⁰.
- 1.1 m – slope of 45⁰.
- 0.5 m – slope of 60⁰ or more.
The usable area of the attic will depend on the angle of the roof. If an elongated, high roof is not the highlight of the project, an angle in the range of 30⁰-40⁰ is sufficient.
In fact, the attic is an insulated, residential attic, since all SNiP standards for height and area, except for this maximum one and a half meters of vertical wall, are advisory.
An apartment of several dozen square meters, when the perimeter of the ceiling is large, and a closet of several meters in a modest house will also be considered an attic. The optimal height from the point of view of comfort is considered to be 2.5 meters at the maximum point of the attic, a minimum of sanitary standards– 2.3 meters. Whether it makes sense to spend money on arranging an attic depends, first of all, on the dimensions of the house - if its width is less than five linear meters, the area of the resulting room will be too small for comfortable use.
In addition, the convenience of attic spaces and economic feasibility their arrangement depends on the type of roof. More living space is obtained under hip structures, especially if it is.
With this device, the share of usable area is almost 90%. However, in terms of costs, hip roofs are in the lead, while under a gable attic, although it will be smaller, its cost will also be lower.
The attic can fit into the alignment of the external walls or protrude beyond it. If the cantilever extension is significant, additional support pillars or columns are required. Also, the attic can be recessed inside, and the free space can be used as a terrace. From the inside of the room they are carried out, either based on the type of roof - triangular, under pitched roofs, broken, under the hips, or without reference to the rafter system. In the second case, “pockets” are formed between the subwalls and the enclosing structures, which can be used to store all sorts of things.
Device methods
There are two main ways to get an attic - plan it at the design stage or finish a cold attic as the need arises to expand the usable area. In the first case, construction is carried out taking into account the specifics of the design, all costs are included in the estimate, and the functionality of the premises is determined in advance. It makes sense to even include furniture at the design stage so that there are no problems with dimensions during installation. But while furniture is a rarity, careful planning of the premises is the norm for portal participants.
PMWoman Member of FORUMHOUSE
The first floor is a kitchen, with a pantry, a living room, a guest bathroom, preferably close to the entrance and a sink in it. The private area is separated from the common area - two bedrooms, a master bath and laundry facility with a separate toilet, in the bathroom there is a shower (construction) and a bathtub (preferably a window in the bathroom), a sauna, a laundry room. Attic - one or two rooms, a simple bathroom (toilet, sink, shower) and a large room for displaying and storing a huge collection of cars. AND workplace to work with them.
In the second option, hands reach the attic when the house becomes crowded, and the dimensions of the attic allow you to equip enough comfortable room. This situation can be complicated by the lack of insulation in the roofing pie, which is vital when insulating the attic floor. Which will significantly complicate the already difficult process of transforming a cold attic into a room suitable for living or running a household.
Lengies FORUMHOUSE Member
The question arose of building an attic in the attic, the attic is not insulated, the residential building is 10 by 8 m, the height of the roof from the attic floor to the roof ridge is 6 m, rafter beams are sheathed with timber and corrugated sheets, there is no wind or vapor barrier on the roof.
In addition, when remodeling an attic, there may be problems with the construction of a staircase, which is simply not included in the project, and for which a place must now be found. If there are difficulties with the free squares, the staircase is made into a spiral one; if it’s too tight, it can be folded – pulled out as needed and removed when not needed. These models create certain inconveniences and restrictions, but provide access.
Arrangement
In order for the attic to be a truly living space in which it is comfortable to live, it must be insulated, lit and finished, taking into account the design features.
Insulation
Whether during construction or during refurbishment, the most important step is the insulation of the attic, even if we are talking about a seasonal house for summer holiday. Without enough layer thermal insulation material In the summer, the attic will turn into a noisy oven, which will be problematic to stay in at night, let alone during the day.
In the attic, all horizontal, vertical and inclined surfaces - floors, roofing, gables - are insulated. Various slab, roll, backfill or sprayed materials are used as insulation, but the most popular is stone wool. This type of insulation is resistant to moisture, fire, insects and microorganisms, has a low thermal conductivity coefficient and a high noise absorption coefficient. Last but not least mineral wool slabs they are chosen because of their relative environmental friendliness - although they contain chemicals, they are in minimal quantities. The absence of shrinkage over time, and, consequently, the absence of the danger of the formation of cold bridges, is also an important indicator. If the ceiling allows the installation of a floating screed, many use EPS to insulate the attic floor.
For most regions, an insulation thickness of 200 mm is sufficient.
To insulate a room as effectively as possible, it is recommended to use two layers of 100 mm thick slabs, laid with overlapping seams - the first layer between the joists, the second on top of the first.
The slabs of the first layer are laid at random; the standard pitch of the rafter system allows them to be laid in such a way that they are in a somewhat compressed state. If this does not work, you need to fill additional bars. However, any insulation will work effectively only with the right “pie”, including protective films– waterproofing between the insulation and roofing material, and vapor barrier - on top of the insulation, before finishing. And so that the moisture accumulating under the roof is freely removed by ventilation, a ventilation gap of about 5 cm is made between the insulation and the roof, and the roof covering is arranged with ridge aeroelements.
Rostika Member of FORUMHOUSE
U mansard roofs there must be its own “attic”, reduced to 5 cm - between the insulation and the roofing, called ventilation gap. Heat always rises from the premises, bypasses the vapor barrier and insulation and seeks an outlet into the atmosphere, and the gap will be this outlet. Ventilation strips are installed in the eaves of the roof (or gaps are left) through which street air will flow. It will run from the eaves to the ridge, pick up vapors and blow them into the aerators (or holes in the ridge). The basic principle of insulation is that the vapor barrier is laid close to the insulation, the amount of insulation should not be less than recommended for a specific climate zone, on top of the insulation is a membrane that allows air to pass through well, or waterproofing.
Lighting
In order for the attic rooms to be fully illuminated, windows are installed not only vertical - in the gables, but also inclined, directly into the roof. Therefore, the length of the window depends on the slope of the slope, and its width depends on the pitch of the rafters. To install a roof window, a vertical beam is mounted between the rafters. The most affordable, but impractical option is blind window structures without an opening mechanism. More expensive, but also more practical windows are not much different from façade windows - they can be opened completely or in ventilation mode, there are window-balcony combinations for hard to reach places release automatic systems with remote control. There are several rules regarding lighting:
- The glazing area should be at least 10%, but preferably more (with an attic area of 10 m², the window area is at least 1 m²).
- The lower the roof slope, the greater the height of the window.
- The optimal distance from the floor to the window is 90-110 cm.
- If you place windows in both the west and the east, you can enjoy both sunset and sunrise.
- For high quality insulation and sealing window design, even at the stage of drawing up the project, it is worth “tying” the pitch of the rafters to the typical dimensions of the window - its width and an addition of 5-7 cm.
For uniform lighting throughout the day in the attic, it is better to make several small windows than one large one.
If the glazing area is more than 1 m², then two windows are made, with an area of 2 m² - three windows, and in increasing order.
As for materials, modern double-glazed windows come in both wooden and plastic frames with a variety of fittings. The choice here is limited by financial capabilities, the style of decoration and the purpose of the rooms - you should not install wood in the kitchen or bathroom. Leaks, which are considered the main scourge skylights, in most cases, is the result of installation errors, and not a property of such windows as a whole. Therefore, how the window will behave in operation depends not on the brand (unless we are talking about a homemade homemade product from small companies), but on adherence to technology and the use of special materials during installation.
Gennady_S Member of FORUMHOUSE
I have been installing roof windows for more than ten years and I will say that the main thing is correct installation, regardless of the company and type of windows.
Finishing
Considering the peculiarity of the attic design, when the main area of the walls is formed by the roofing system, and a layer of insulation is mandatory, the “dry” method is in demand for finishing. It involves creating a sheathing of iron (profiles) or wooden (timber) guides along all planes, on which they are mounted slab materials– regular or moisture resistant drywall, plywood, chipboard or fiberboard, OSB, less often DSP. The pitch of the lathing and the cross-section of the guides depend on the chosen finish - the heavier it is, the more massive the frame should be. Guides for drywall are usually mounted at a distance of 40-60 cm. Most other sheet varieties also fit within these limits.
Matlex FORUMHOUSE Member
Metal frame made of profiles in 40 cm increments, then sheathed in two layers of plasterboard. Ideally, fireproof sheets; only the bottom layer can be fireproof, but not the ceiling. We check with a level all the planes after the sheathing - they must be level, especially the internal corners of the attic. Finishing: primer, putty, sanding, gossamer (fiberglass), putty, sanding, primer, painting. All corners are reinforced with metal tape or tape for internal corners, but the first one is better.
When dividing the attic into several rooms, the partitions are also made of lightweight sheet materials, fixed to the rafters (lintels from the profile) and the ceiling, mineral wool slabs are used for sound insulation.
If lining or stacked panels (PVC, MDF, block house) are used as the finishing layer, then they are attached directly to the sheathing. Regardless of the material chosen, there should be a small air gap between the frame and the trim. Sheathing of the frame begins with the slopes, then comes the gables and ends with the ceiling if it is a hip roof. Theoretically, the ceiling can be sheathed with a rough board and then plastered, but this method is rarely resorted to due to its labor intensity, while sheathing with slabs, clapboard or panels does not require special skills and a lot of time. All used in attic finishing wooden materials must be processed before installation protective equipment, and if they are finishing, then decorative ones will also be required - varnish, wax or oil.
Sleng FORUMHOUSE Member
With 99% confidence, the lining will come apart a little, so it must be painted before assembly.
The free space under the roof of a private house can be used as rationally as possible. The design of the attic allows you to benefit from the non-standard shape of sloping ceilings, turning an unpresentable attic into cozy room.
The attic provides additional space that can be arranged based on your needs Source bg.decorexpro.com
Restoration of the attic
Usually the attic is a fairly large room. Space not used for living becomes a warehouse for unnecessary things and various rubbish. It’s more rational to breathe into it new life, insulate and arrange it so that it is cozy.
Important points when arrangement of the attic:
usage moisture resistant finishing materials;
increased attention window openings;
thoughtful use in the interior unusual designs(beams, sloping ceilings, etc.);
insulation rooms;
presence of all necessary communications;
thorough selection of furniture taking into account the nuances of the room parameters;
organization design, which visually expands the space.
If before the alteration the attic was uninhabited, then to decorate the interior it is necessary to use the services of professional craftsmen who will carry out preventive maintenance of the rafter system, organize heating and ventilation system, they will do the electrical wiring, etc.
In the hands of experienced craftsmen, an old attic can be turned into a cozy room Source pershyj.com
Depending on the purpose of the planned room, various design approaches are used to optimally organize the space and create comfort.
Bedroom
The determining factor in the design of a sleeping room is the angle of the ceiling. If the bevel is not too low, then the bedroom in the attic takes on romantic features. For decoration, you can choose one of the most suitable styles. For example, oriental, eco-style or modern traditional.
For finishing the attic in wooden house best suited eco-style, giving preference to the following materials:
-
textiles
Using lightweight fabrics will help complete the space and create the coziness that is so desirable in a bedroom. Familiar for bedroom decoration light colors walls and ceilings are very suitable for a room not standard size.
The inclined slope of the roof will not allow you to place large pieces of furniture, so it is better to give preference to compact and laconic models. It’s best to start selecting items from the bed. The main thing is not to overdo it with their number and size of furniture.
The bedroom cannot be cluttered with large wardrobes; in extreme cases, you can order furniture individually Source yandex.ua
With a low ceiling, you can also create a cozy bedroom. In this case, the use of light shades in the design of walls and ceilings becomes not only desirable, but also necessary. The bed, the main piece of furniture in the bedroom, is selected low, with a low headboard. One of the good space-saving options is tatami.
On our website you can get acquainted with the most popular projects of houses with an attic, from construction companies presented at the exhibition of houses “Low-Rise Country”.
Living room
The use of the attic space for a living room is chosen less frequently than for a bedroom. With the very modest size of the attic space and low, awkwardly sloping ceilings, it will not be possible to create a cozy living room.
The main condition is a sufficiently large area and ceiling height, allowing guests and owners of the house to sit comfortably. Just as when organizing a bedroom, for the living room it is better to choose light shades in the design of the ceiling and walls.
In the attic you will get a very cozy living room where you can have a good time with friends Source remontik.org
The decoration of the windows of such an unusual living room should also not be neglected. In order for the overall perception of the interior to be light, it is advisable to choose curtains that are translucent and airy, allowing sufficient penetration sunlight. Or turn your attention to the blinds.
Study and library
An attic in a country house can be suitable for arranging an office, a home library, or even serving as an artist’s workshop. The upper floor can be perfectly adapted to create personal space and privacy.
At large quantities For books, a shelving system should be considered. If the slope of the ceilings is small, you can arrange standard-sized furniture. But with a sloping roof, you will have to order furniture according to individual sizes. This will allow you to rationally use the usable space and conveniently arrange books and collectibles.
If you need to arrange a workspace at home, an attic best option, since the room is located remotely from everyone Source behance.net
Depending on the size of the attic, the office can be supplemented with a seating area by placing a sofa, armchairs and a coffee table. Attic lighting should include not only a central chandelier, but also include the use table lamp, floor lamp or sconce in the recreation area.
Bathroom and toilet
If it is not possible to use the attic as a living space, you can install a bathroom upstairs. Multi-level walls and a sloping ceiling will not become an obstacle to creating a comfortable interior. When developing an attic conversion project, the height of the house's occupants and convenience should be taken into account. Including the possibility of installing a shower cabin, the shape and size of the bathtub.
A separate room in the attic can be allocated for a bathroom Source u-mama.ru
Even at the design stage, the organization of sewerage and water supply should be laid down. Small space It is best to decorate it in light colors, in a spacious one - this gives you the opportunity to experiment with colors.
Non-standard solutions
If the house, in principle, has enough rooms for the convenience of all household members, but you want to use the attic space rationally, you can implement several interesting solutions.
Wardrobe
Accommodation dressing room on the top floor will free up space on the first floor. Uneven wall heights and non-standard ceilings will not be an obstacle to creating a comfortable wardrobe made according to individual measurements of the room.
It is rational to use a place with a high ceiling for hanging coats and raincoats, and where the wall height is small - blouses, shirts and other things that are short in length. It is better to place things for the season closer, and for suitcases, spare blankets and pillows you can provide storage systems under the ceiling.
With the attic floor, dreams of a spacious dressing room come true Source woodface.cz
Home cinema
In order not to disturb the existing design of the living room and dining room, in the attic the interior design can be adapted for a home theater. At the same time, on the upper floor there is a sofa with armchairs, a large screen, speaker system. The interior can be complemented with a home bar, coffee tables, chest of drawers
In order not to waste time going to the cinema, you can equip it at home Source sadovayaferma.com
Video description
Children's room, bedroom, home theater or billiard room? A selection of ideas in this video:
Attic interior styles
Selection of finishing materials and color combinations should be based on the design style of the attic room.
Modern
This style combines comfort and functionality. In such a room there should not be excessive pomp. In design modern interior Light warm colors predominate, and dark ones serve as accents to emphasize the grace and simplicity of forms.
Children's room for teenagers - bright and cozy for good rest Source yandex.uz
Classic
The luxury and elegance of the classics should be emphasized by every design element. For an attic with a low ceiling and a pronounced ceiling slope, make a high-quality design in classic style almost impossible.
But for a fairly large room, the classic is one of suitable options. The color scheme should be in calm, deep shades that look expensive and noble:
-
deep green;
-
burgundy and others.
rich brown;
If it was decided to make an office in the attic, then it is advisable to take into account the requirement of the classics regarding the symmetrical arrangement of objects. This can be difficult to do due to the specific shape of the room.
Advice! If you organize a living room in the attic in this style, you can complement the design with a fireplace. Such original item will add aesthetics and comfort to the environment.
Provence
This direction is one of the most popular in recent years. Its use for decoration country house, and especially the attic, will allow you to create a cozy bedroom, nursery or girl’s room.
Bedroom for a girl in Provence style Source pinterest.com
Basic style features:
usage light pastel shades;
old age things;
usage natural materials in design;
sufficient lighting, including natural;
abundance textile elements.
Retro
The design, inspired by the traditions of the beginning of the last century, will create a unique atmosphere in the living room or office. Paintings and accessories characteristic of that time will help to emphasize the style. Design elements can be not only authentic, but also well stylized.
Hi-tech
Young and energetic people often prefer creative solutions. Gray, white, silver are used for finishing. The combination of chrome elements with glass will not overload the interior, but will emphasize lightness and spaciousness.
For your information! Strict forms of furniture and restrained colors go well with household appliances.
A minimum of things in the room and restraint in color Source decor.access.ly
Small attic
The room under the roof often has small size. This circumstance imposes restrictions on interior design. One of the main directions when creating such a design is the visual expansion of space.
Important! The selection of decoration and furniture should be done in such a way that the ceilings appear higher and the walls wider.
A special feature of the attic space of a country house are wooden beams. If the size of the room is already small, then it is best to choose an attic interior design that will benefit from such a colorful inclusion without covering it with plasterboard. In this case, 2 problems will be solved at once: space will be saved and the color will be emphasized.
In attic rooms it is better to avoid large accessories - large furniture, bright prints on wallpaper.
Interior materials
Non-standard ceiling and walls require the same non-standard design solutions. For ceiling decoration Attic materials most often used are:
-
drywall;
wallpapering in light colors.
Interior decoration can be made of different materials Source m.meipic.com
A ceiling made using plasterboard can be designed with a complex unusual shape, involving several levels. No less interesting is wood with pronounced texture and color.
Very often chosen for walls natural wood, bringing special charm in the design. More cheap option– MDF, laminated panels. This option may be good for a library or office, but in the bedroom it is better to combine it with wallpaper.
It is advisable to choose a floor covering for a room converted from an attic that will provide sufficient sound and thermal insulation. Waterproofing will also be important for the bathroom.
Video description
From the rest room to the office - best ideas attic design in the video:
Natural and artificial lighting
Good lighting in the attic should be provided by windows and lighting fixtures. If the upper floor is divided into several rooms, then each of them must have a window. Their size is selected taking into account the characteristics of the slope and the height of the ceilings. It is advisable to install windows with opening sashes.
Advice! For high or inconveniently located window openings, a system must be provided remote control opening and closing the doors using a remote control.
The lighting of the room must be provided at the proper level - this involves windows and artificial light Source imagesait.ru
How many lighting fixtures are needed and how exactly to arrange them depends on the functional purpose of the room, the location of the furniture and its parameters. It is recommended to choose lighting fixtures that will help create coziness and be convenient to use.
The central chandelier should be able to switch to different levels of brightness. If the use of a central chandelier is unacceptable due to the size of the room, spot lighting is selected.
Conclusion
Transforming an uncomfortable attic into a comfortable attic room will not only increase the usable area of the house, but also give it a unique flavor. But we must remember that equipping the attic floor is a rather complex matter that should be handled by experienced specialists.
In conditions where land for construction in the city and nearby suburbs is very expensive, you need to use every meter of free space for living. A well-equipped attic room allows you to slightly expand the usable area of the house, in which you can place an additional bedroom, a nursery or an office.
With the right approach, a room located under the roof of a private house turns into a cozy space, in no way inferior in comfort to other rooms. In this article we will talk about simple rules designing a living space on the attic floor, its design options and methods of use.
An attic is a room equipped under the roof of a house, which is used as residential space on a permanent basis. Its inventor is considered to be the French architect Francois Mansart, who gave the name to his invention.
In 17th century France, students and poor people often lived in attics under the roofs of houses, whose income was not enough to rent a room with windows. The aspiring architect Mansar was one of these low-income citizens.
However, having settled under the roof, the young designer did not fall into despair, but came up with a way to make a comfortable living space out of a cramped, dark attic, favored by rodents of all kinds and pigeons.
He created several standard designs of houses with mansard-type roofs, convenient for arranging a living room in the under-roof space, which became very popular. Now the attic space is used as additional space for furnishing a children's room, office, guest bedroom or wardrobe.
Pay attention! Experienced designers believe that even now the equipment of the attic floor is the most cheap way increase the usable area of the house without large-scale reconstruction, strengthening the foundation and serious financial costs.
Design Features
Layout and interior of the attic room - important points, on which the comfort and ease of use of this room depends. Consider many aspects: the structure of the rafter frame, the angle of the roof slopes, ventilation and lighting of the room. There are several main features of the attic:
- Roof structure. The roof under which the living room will be equipped must be of the attic type. Its peculiarity is the changed angle of inclination of the slopes, which have a smaller slope in the upper part and a steeper slope in the lower part. The variety of roof shapes suitable for attic equipment is not that great. Most best option– broken gable structure.
- Ceiling height. The ceiling in a room, if it is used as a living room, must have a height of at least 2.2 meters. In places with less height, it is advisable to organize storage areas.
- Lighting. When starting to decorate a room under a roof, you definitely need to take care of natural lighting. To do this, it is necessary to install attic or regular gable windows, which allow maximum use of natural light.
- Heating and thermal insulation. To prevent it from being cold on the attic floor, it is necessary to reduce the heat loss that occurs through the large surface of the slopes. To do this, the roof slopes are insulated, and heating is provided inside the room.
- Ventilation. To ensure inflow fresh air To reduce excess humidity and create a comfortable microclimate in the attic, it is necessary to equip forced supply ventilation.
Remember! In order for a room on the attic floor to be considered residential, three conditions must be met: it must have at least one window, that is, a source natural light, the ceiling height in this room should exceed 2.2 meters, in winter period The heating system must function.
Use Cases
Attic – small space, which, however, can be effectively used to increase the usable area of the house. At the same time, it is not necessary to use it exclusively in the summer, because if installed in this room heating devices the required power, and also organize the insulation of the slopes, even in winter it will be warm and comfortable there. If you correctly develop the layout and come up with a suitable design, attic floor can be used for the following purposes:
Interesting! Many homeowners come up with more original options finishing and methods of using the under-roof space. Some manage to place a large home theater in the attic, avid athletes equip a small gym, bookworms can acquire their own library. The attic is a room that we always lack to make our dreams come true. The main thing is to correctly formulate your desires.
Lighting and color solutions
The attic floor is a small room, as a rule, its ceilings are slightly lower than standard, and the lighting is always insufficient. All of these factors cause the space to appear darker and smaller than it actually is. Color in the interior of the attic is of key importance; it can neutralize all negative factors and smooth out corners. Experienced designers recommend adhering to the following basic rules when decorating this room:
- A variety of colors are used to decorate the attic, but light ones are better suited. pastel shades, pure tones. Using light color range helps make the space visually more spacious.
- If you want to use dark or bright colors, one wall can be dedicated to this. The remaining surfaces should be lighter, but suitable in tone.
- To get a more voluminous interesting space, you can decorate a room with 2-3 several pastel colors, only slightly different from each other. This technique gives the effect of a single space, visually making the room larger.
- It is recommended not to block light sources with curtains, blinds or heavy drapes. This will lead to the fact that the room will always be dark, cramped, and gloomy. Light tulle, on the one hand, will hide what is happening from prying eyes, and on the other, it will make the space light, bright, and airy.
- Furniture, especially if it occupies a large area, should be light in color, otherwise it will also visually make the attic room smaller.
Please note that light and color in the interior always go hand in hand. There is a simple rule that must be followed to make the room look visually lighter and more spacious: the darker the room and the smaller its area, the lighter the color scheme of the decoration and furniture should be.
Finish options
When choosing interior styles, colors and finishing methods, you must take into account the ideas of your designer, who will offer the best option for the rational use of the attic floor.
Modern building materials for cladding walls and floors allow you to realize even the most daring ideas, including the reconstruction of a private village house with your own hands. The finishing of attic rooms is carried out in two stages: first, rough cladding of the frame, and then finishing.
- When choosing a finishing style, you should choose the most natural, rustic, rustic design directions. They allow you to fully exploit the charm of the attic and make it truly cozy.
- During finishing works It is recommended to use the most natural building materials, which will emphasize the closeness with nature, and will also “breathe”, creating a comfortable microclimate in the room.
- Storage areas should be built-in to make use of areas with lower ceiling levels where it is inconvenient for a person to be located.
Remember that wallpaper in the interior of an attic room lined with wood is not always a good move. If the chosen style allows, it is better to leave the walls without cladding to highlight the natural beauty of the wood.
Work progress
If you are going to convert the attic into a living space with your own hands, then step by step instructions It won't hurt you. The good news is that it is possible to equip a room under the roof for living both during the construction of a house and through partial reconstruction.
To do this, you need to do the following:
- First you need to insulate the roof slopes. Since the roof is already covered at this point, this has to be done from the inside.
- The attic floor is insulated using backfill material to avoid heat loss.
- Window openings are enlarged or cut into the gables of the house to improve natural light.
- The stairs required to climb to the attic floor are installed.
- Ventilation, heating and electrical wiring are equipped.
Important! Sometimes to equip living room under the roof, you have to move the elements of the rafter frame. It is better to entrust this work to professionals so as not to violate the integrity of the system.
Video instructions