How to Decorate an Attic

If you're wondering how to decorate and make an attic functional—an area usually used as storage in detached homes, but, if accessed from an apartment with even a small terrace, truly unforgettable—you've come to the right place. Don't miss these tips that make attic life enjoyable.

Attic rooms in duplex or triplex apartments are generally one of the spaces the children of the house fight over and dream of turning into a teen room. But in modern city life, the attic has moved beyond being a single room of the home and has become its own apartment, rented out as an independent living space. If you live in a detached home and want to turn an attic you've used as storage for years into a room—a space to spend time enjoyably—you can start with a deep cleaning. Based on the size of the space and the need for extra rooms in the home, you can organize it with suitable furnishings.

How to make use of a long-unused attic depends on the living space needs of the family in the home. If there are people in the home with hobbies, the answer to 'how should the attic be decorated' may well be 'as a workshop'. You can focus on details like what materials suit the hobby, where any tools and equipment will go, and planning the lighting the attic will need.

By turning the attic in a detached home into a shared area the whole family can use, you can place a projector on one wall and, when you wish, turn it into a cinema room. But if you want to make the attic a teen's room, you can start by checking whether air circulation in the room is good. Since most attics in detached homes don't have a separate window, before starting attic home decoration it's a good idea to review details like whether renovation is needed, whether a skylight should be added to the ceiling, and the soundness of the floor.

How to Decorate an Attic Apartment?

Living in an attic is generally suitable for a single person or a couple, and the focus of decoration is on a functional and stylish look. Attic apartment decoration is a delicate topic because attics can be a bit smaller than a standard apartment and often have a horizontal ceiling. Besides having small interior space, attic apartments often have a small terrace or balcony, which is an important detail that makes them attractive to live in. In this case, while looking at attic decor products, you also need to plan for the attic balcony or terrace.

Considering the height of the ceiling, decorating in light tones will make the space look more spacious—that's why we see light colors most often in attic decor examples. But you shouldn't forget the depth tones like gray offer. Many decorators answer 'how to decorate an attic' with contrasting colors, and most of them are in favor of mirrors.

Since there's usually only one room in attic apartments and they can be built in sizes where both a bed and wardrobe can't fit at the same time, a storage-base bed, trunk system, and storage are very important. Since functionality is unavoidably at the forefront, attic decoration should start with the right sofa, the right bed, and the right wardrobe. Because attics are exposed to the sun throughout the day in summer, temperature is a sensitive issue in attics. So when planning nice decor for an attic, you also need to weigh how to arrange the items to positively affect air circulation.

How to Decorate a Small Attic?

Attic decoration ideas for a home designed as a studio apartment with an open kitchen and a small bathroom will differ from the decor of a multi-room attic apartment. Even in an apartment where a single person lives, it's possible to divide the space into sections using plants or a bookcase to create different usage areas. Since the open kitchen is within the seating area, it can be enjoyable to keep not too many items in the kitchen, use cabinet organizers to fit maximum items inside cabinets, and add movement to the ceiling—which is relatively lower than in standard apartments—with hanging wall decorations.

Among practical ideas and tips for attic decoration that often come up is storage. Using baskets under the sofa like a storage chest, using pocket organizers behind doors, getting a storage-base bed, and putting shelves on the widest wall of the space can make your life easier.