Carol Murto envisioned her empty attic someday becoming a dual-purpose room — an artists' studio and TV room. "It was such a cool space with high ceilings," she said.
Craig Pier and his wife planned to take their love for entertaining to the next level. "We wanted a great room for family and neighborhood gatherings. Why not use the attic?" he said.
David and Tammy Durant wanted to create a bedroom for their daughter Margaret in their attic. But first they had to overcome her fear of that dark, scary place. "There were big nails poking out of the ceiling," Margaret said.
Converting attics into usable space can be a cost-effective way to add square footage to an older home, said Ali Awad, of Awad + Koontz Architects Builders. Unlike a big-buck addition, an attic is "space that's already built and is like finishing off a basement," he said.
Attic remodelings can be challenging, however, because of ceiling height restrictions, the need to accommodate heating and cooling systems, and figuring out how to draw in more light, Awad admitted. "But the sloped walls and vaulted ceiling make for a real cozy, cool space you can't get anywhere else in your house," he said.
The Durants couldn't agree more. Margaret has a bright, airy bedroom in what used to be unused space.
"We love this attic," said Tammy Durant. "It's hard to think it was empty for 100 years."
Bedroom retreat