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Dusty to Dreamy: Ultimate Attic Renovation

October 8, 2024 by Liza Leave a Comment

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stylish attic with four built in beds and window seat

Witness the complete transformation of this dingy attic as it goes from Dusty to Dreamy: The Ultimate Attic Renovation!

Does your attic look similar to this?

Follow along to see this room transform before your eyes into an unbelievably awesome Playroom/Home Theatre/Sleepover Central!

Designing the “Best Room Ever”!

In my opinion, this room is by far the greatest room we have in our house. It is a project that we completed right before the covid “fun” started, and boy am I glad that we did this! Our two girls were 6 years and under at that point, and we didn’t have a playroom. All of their toys were scattered throughout the house, and it was driving us crazy.

Of course, when the room was completed we saw a huge difference right away as toys now had a place of their own. It also has become the highlight of our week to go up together as a family, make popcorn and watch a movie on the “big screen”! Friends come over for movie nights, and kids don’t ever want to leave playdates partly because of this room! I know if I was a kid I wouldn’t want to leave it either!

I feel like this space has just gotten better with age. It’s grown with us, and is continually evolving. It is currently filling up once again with baby toys!

Initially when we were first designing the attic, my husband asked if we should only do two beds built into the walls. He said there was room for four, so I said “go for it”! We host a lot, and sometimes we have entire families staying with us so I knew this would serve us well as a great guest room, especially since we would put a bathroom up there as well.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.

First step: Framing and Insulation

Built-ins, Built-ins, and more built-ins!

After doing the initial framing and then hiring out the insulation/electrical end of things, Jesse got right to work with an insane amount of built-ins. Four beds, each with their own personal shelves and charging stations. For in between the beds he made deep shelves for storage baskets. Underneath one window, a large window seat complete with even more storage underneath and shelves on either side!

Lights, Carpet Install, Mattresses & Baskets

We chose to carpet most of the room, but left the top of the stairs, little nook area and over by the bathroom hardwood floor. We also had to order a lot of baskets for all of the cubbies Jesse created. These would serve mostly as toy bins.

Attic renovation built-in beds and shelving

Our (Almost!) Completed Renovation – A Cause For Celebration!

After months of Jesse’s hard work, we were finally getting to my favorite part of the project – being able to put the beds together, pick out cute pillows, and all the fun little design details! But just before we did that, it was time to celebrate that the hardest parts of the renovation were done! Cue the music!

Jesse installed a movie projector and pull-down screen for movie nights, and LED strips along the trim of the beds with a little DISCO light which was a surprise that my he planned for the kids so we could have dance parties! Below is a video of their first time ever experiencing the attic “dance floor”!

Design Details

To complete the look with our attic renovation, we ordered a custom cushion for the window-seat. We decided to stick with lots of whites and neutrals to keep things light and bright! Simple white bedding for all four beds. We took a trip to At Home and picked out a ton of fun pillows. More recently, we invested in this awesome Bean Bag Chair because we were sick of buying ones that would just fall apart. This is one we really love!

Attic renovation with built in beds and cubbies, windows eat
Attic window seat, built ins
Attic window seat with pillows and other decor
Attic window seat with decorative pillows
Attic windowseat with book and built ins

Favorite Little Nook

This little nook at the top of the stairs is the sweetest little play area and perfect for little ones cuddling up with a good book!

Little reading/play nook at top of winding staircase in renovated attic
Cozy reading nook top of attic staircase with toy baskets and bean bag chair
Attic staircase and reading nook
Built-in beds and staircase in attic

Chalkboard Door

We thought it might be fun to paint one of the little storage closet doors with chalkboard paint so kids could have fun doing chalk art. It’s always fun to write personalized greetings on the board for different guests that come to stay with us!

Chalkboard door with scripture Hebrews 11
Attic Built-in bunk bed with light turned on
Attic built-in bed
Attic built in beds and tons of built-in drawers

Beautiful Wrap Around Spiral Staircase

Attic top of winding staircase and bathroom door with window
Attic wooden staircase view from the top
Attic winding wooden staircase

Personal Reading Lamps, Bookshelves & Charging Stations

Each of the four beds has its own reading lamp, outlet for charging devices, and two little handy bookshelves.

Attic built-ins with storage baskets, built-in bed
Attic built-in beds and storage
Built-in beds and drawers in renovated attic
Rocking horse in attic renovation with built-ins
Built-in beds in attic renovation
Built-in shelves in bed attic renovation

Home Theatre, Sleepover & “Party Central”

For years now, this has been our go-to room for movie nights, sleepovers and playdates. It serves so many purposes, and I can’t imagine our home without it! I also love that we also have so much storage worked in throughout the entire space.

Home theatre in attic renovation with projector screen and built-in beds
Attic renovation home theatre movie night kids with popcorn

I hope you’ve enjoyed The Ultimate Attic Renovation, and that perhaps it has inspired you to re-think your own attic or unused spaces! As always, you can find more Fern Design inspiration here!

Filed Under: Fern Design Tagged With: attic design inspiration, attic remodel, attic reno, attic renovation, bookshelf, bookshelves, built ins, built-ins, bunk room, chalkboard paint, custom built ins, custom cushion, cute little nook, design inspiration, DIY attic renovation, dreamy attic, guest room, home decor, home design inspiration, home remodel, home renovation, home theatre room, kids playroom ideas, movie night, movie projector, nook, pillows, playroom, playroom ideas, remodel, renovation, spiral staircase, spiral stairs, storage ideas, ultimate attic renovation, window seat ideas

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Life on Fern Barn Family

Welcome to Life on Fern!

Welcome to Life on Fern Acres. I’m Elizabeth! Homeschool mom of 3, certified health coach, and lover of making beautiful things! Whether I’m planning a themed party or designing a kids bedroom, creating brings life to my soul! It’s my little break in the busyness of mom life. I love to find beauty in the mundane, and then to capture it with my camera! Read more

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