Tips for Designing an Attic Room Floor Plan

For most Australian homeowners, the loft is nothing more than a glorified storage space. That place is dark, unclean, and littered with castoff furniture. But with a little touch of love, you can spruce up that dingy area and transform it into a fully functional attic room.

Designing an attic room is trickier than anywhere else in your home. The architecture of the attic is complicated, and you’ll need to have a clear attic room floor plan to build around the slopes and angles carefully.

What to Consider in Designing an Attic Room Floor Plan

Converting your attic without a proper floor plan is like sailing new seas without a compass. There are obstacles and complicated architecture that will leave you lost and frustrated if you haven’t mapped out everything first.

Before you get started on drawing your attic room’s floor plan, below are key considerations to make drafting smooth and easy:

The Purpose of Your Attic Room

Turning your attic into a functional living space is not a specific enough reason to paint a clear picture of how it will turn out. You need to have a precise answer to the type of room it will be.

Are you converting it into a bedroom, office, library, or upgraded storage? Is it just a single room or an apartment studio with multiple sections? By knowing what kind of room it will be, you’ll have a better understanding of what upgrades to make, the space it needs, and any other enhancements.

Your Attic’s Size

Most household lofts are small by nature, but that does not mean they can’t be spacious enough to accommodate the requirements of attic conversions. Determining the size of your attic will help you plan out any additional construction or partitions.

Small attics will benefit from the installation of dormers, which must be included in your floor plan. Meanwhile, large attics might have ample space for partitioned sections.

Plumbing and Electricals

Identify all utility connections to your attic. This is especially important if you will install a bathroom in your loft space, which will need access to the plumbing of your home. When planning the positioning of certain rooms, map out areas with the most compatible access to utilities.

Ceiling and Roof Shape and Height

The shape and height of your roof space will also influence any outlines and additional builds in your attic floor plan. Sloped roofs often have uneven ceiling heights, with low headroom in certain areas. Depending on the kind of conversion, you might need to compensate for these lower areas by adding dormers.

Number of People

Lastly, you would want to account for the number of possible inhabitants or users. Not many people will visit bedrooms, offices, libraries, and playrooms, so you don’t have to worry about increasing space. On the other hand, an apartment will house two or more individuals, requiring additional plans for proper space distribution.

Proper Attic Room Floor Planning: Important Tips

Position the Dormers

A common problem encountered in attic conversions is the limited space and headroom. Various factors contribute to the issue, including sloped roofs and lowered flat ceilings. If you need more space for comfortable movement and installation of standing furniture, include dormer windows in your floor plan.

Dormers are roof structures consisting of a window projecting vertically beyond the plane of pitched roofs. On top of increasing space, dormers enhance ventilation and natural light intake, creating a more homely environment. Depending on your need, the positioning of your dormer is best…:

• At the Rear – for maximum available floor space, allowing you to preserve the primary area
• At the Façade – for increased natural light and visual appeal

Open Plan is Best

Homeowners might be tempted to install multiple partitions when working on larger attics. Though it might sound like a good idea, placing too many walls will cause your loft space to appear cramped and claustrophobic.

An open plan is best when designing sizeable attic floor plans. This emphasises the spaciousness of the converted attic and ensures smooth airflow. For example, you can make a living room with an integrated kitchen separated only by glass or partial walls.

Built-In Furniture

All sloped or narrow areas that are unusable (such as places below one meter in height) are ideal for installing built-in cabinets or shelves. You can obscure these using a sliding door or opt for built-in furniture with practical and aesthetic styles that can merge with the room.

Don’t forget to outline possible areas with built-in furniture in your attic room floor plan to avoid wasting space.

Use A Floor Planner

Visualising your attic room’s floor plan is much easier using floor plan software. Floor plan software allows you to create three-dimensional models of your attic, giving you a clear picture of the entire space while leveraging real-life measurements and dimensions.

These programs also enable you to place various partitions, flooring options, furniture and fixtures, colour schemes, dormers, and more.

Consult an Architect

You are free to design the layout of your attic room floor plan as you wish, all according to your needs and preferences. However, it is important to note that converting a loft into a living space will require precision and careful consideration of building codes.

To ensure accuracy and legal compliance with local regulations, it is best to delegate all of the planning to a reliable architect or attic conversion specialist.

Legal Considerations

Construction of any kind to your house must comply with local laws and the National Construction Code. Below are legal factors you must adhere to when converting your attic:

• Height Requirements – For an attic to be a viable candidate for a living space conversion, it must be at least 2.4 metres high in 60% of areas.
• Ventilation and Light – all living spaces are mandated to have adequate ventilation and natural light access. Be sure to include windows, skylights, and other forms of ventilation in your floor plan.
• Stairways and Access – the attic staircase must have no less than two (2) risers and no more than 18 without a 750 mm2 landing area.
• Dormer Construction Permission – construction of a dormer requires a permit or building approval, depending on your area. Remember this if you plan to add extra dormers in your attic room.

Design the Perfect Attic Room with Professional Help

Throughout the years, homeowners have transformed their once dirty and infested attics into the most stunning and cosy living spaces. You, too, can achieve the ideal attic room with the right vision, planning, and design. For quality and world-class attic conversion solutions in Australia, contact Attic Plus at 1300 502 995 or email admin@atticplus.com.au.