By Jamie Wiebe via Realtor.com
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You don’t have to build out to improve your home—just set your sights higher! Lucky homeowners with a roomy attic can add more livable space to their homes without pouring a brand-new foundation. As proof, check out these attic remodel ideas.
A repurposed attic can add value to your home and provide you with extra space to enhance your day-to-day living. These seven real-life rooms are sure to provide you with inspiration and a healthy dose of attic envy.
Playroom
Open-concept homes often lack a separate space for kids to play. Moms and dads eager to keep an eye on their babies might appreciate the clear sightline, but once your tots are old enough to be safe on their own, moving all that banging and yelling to a separate playroom can be nice.
Transform your old attic into an oasis for kids by installing chalkboard walls, playful artwork, and plenty of tables for drawing, homework, and puzzles. Just make sure to keep the staircase kid-friendly with a railing.
Exercise room
Cancel your gym membership and stock up on medicine balls and yoga mats. An attic renovated into an at-home gym might be the perfect way to achieve your fitness goals. Having the convenience of a fitness area right above your head will keep you on track and never give you an easy excuse to skip your workout.
Photo by Candelaria Design Associates
Choose plain, calming colors, luscious plants, and wood accents to create a Zen-like space for yoga or Pilates, or install heavy-duty mats and weight machines for pumping iron. The one downside: getting that heavy equipment upstairs.
Conversation nook
There’s no getting around it, an open floor plan limits your options for places to have a private conversation. Once the kiddos are tucked in bed, it’s nice to have a place where you can speak without a filter and watch an R-rated movie without having to worry about curious eyes sneaking a peek.
Photo by Sea Island Builders LLC
Use comfortable couches to create a cozy, intimate conversation space perfect for a postdinner nightcap. Don’t forget the metal rolling bar cart filled with your favorite spirits—just make sure it doesn’t roll down the stairs.
Media room
If you’ve been known to host “Game of Thrones” watch parties or epic movie marathons, you should consider upgrading your media room. Home theaters are increasingly popular, but it can be hard to find space for your grand cinematic fantasies in a small home.
By keeping the attic mostly as is (with a few cosmetic renovations, of course) and installing plush seating and a retro-style popcorn maker, you may never visit the local theater again.
Guest bedroom
Stop making your mom sleep on a fold-out futon. If your two-bedroom home just doesn’t have room for a guest room, consider converting your attic into a usable sleeping area. Not just limited to out-of-town visitors, a guest room can be great if you need a live-in nanny or are hosting a foreign-exchange student.
With sunny windows, light walls, and an entire floor to herself, Mom will feel like she’s sleeping in a five-star hotel.
Party space
There’s a conversation nook and a wet bar, which can host your next blowout. From a low-key cocktail party to an all-out rager, having a space separate from your kitchen that’s designated for revelry will make every event all the more memorable.
Set up a sweet wet bar in the back of the room, create a few different seating areas, and hone your mixology skills. It’s the perfect place to kick back, relax, have a few cold ones, and impress your friends. And what better location for your vintage globe collection?
Master suite
Dreaming of upgrading your sleeping space? If your home just doesn’t offer enough square footage to build a brand-new master suite, switch your focus to an oft-overlooked room like the attic.
As long as your attic isn’t too cramped, clever renovators can fit a decent-size bedroom and the master bath of your dreams upstairs. And as a bonus, once the space is completed, you can turn your old bedroom into an office, studio, or whatever else your heart desires.