If you’re wondering how to make your attic conversion or loft conversion work with a dormer roof, or how to integrate the stairs, we’ve got the ideas

If you’re thinking of doing a loft conversion, or you’re lucky enough to have an attic that is as yet untouched, we say it’s time to make better use of it. Converting loft space can not only provide much needed extra space, whether it be an additional living room, home office or bedroom and bathroom, but when done well can provide financial rewards, should you ever sell your property. There are various ways to convert an attic, some quite low maintenance, such as simply adding roof lights or building dormer windows into the roof, and others which involve creating a new structure out of your existing roof, known as a mansard loft conversion.

Any way you do it, you’re likely to have some tricky pitched ceilings to tackle, whether it’s a compact city house or a country barn brimming with beams, whether you want a closed off staircase or a more open-plan space. We’ve gathered together some of our favourite design ideas for attics and lofts from around the archive, full of clever ideas for storage, bed placement, window dressings, and much more.

  • A 20thcentury attic conversion by Detmar Blow senior accommodates gallerist Thomas Dane's bedroom with an ensuite...

    A 20th-century attic conversion by Detmar Blow senior accommodates gallerist Thomas Dane’s bedroom with an en-suite bathroom, and a spare room.

  • Studio K Space has installed a custom mirror-fronted sliding door in this attic bedroom, behind which is an en suite bathroom: “It’s a little surprise behind the sliding mirror” says designer Krystyna Martin-Dominguez. The bobbin border on the mirror adds a playful flare.

  • Interior designer Lauren Weiss has created a serene bedroom at the top of her house in San Francisco. A grasscloth wallcovering in a warm earthy shade from Phillip Jeffries lines the walls and ceiling, creating a cocooning feel and echoing the texture of the braided wool carpet from RH. Panelled walls with push-latch doors provide plenty of discreet storage.

  • In this boy’s bedroom, Spencer & Wedekind has made the most of the space available with smart joinery. The narrow shelves next to the sloping wall are ideal for books, while the wider base is reserved for drawers. By lining the wall in House of Hackney’s ‘Dinosauria’ wallpaper in ecru, the designers have turned a potentially tricky feature into a point of interest. A blind in Blithfield’s ‘Beasties’ blue linen creates subtle harmony with the cupboards and shelves, which are in ‘Porcelain V’ by Paint & Paper Library, with Farrow & Ball’s ‘Dayroom Yellow’ below. An ‘Original 1227’ Anglepoise wall light in navy above the desk illuminates the homework nook in the window recess.

  • Salvesen Graham has introduced custom joinery in this townhouse bedroom to provide stylish storage and a comfortable seating area. The walls and cupboard doors are in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Light Blue’ and the fabric panels and seat cushion are all in Ian Mankin’s ‘Suffolk Large Gingham Check’ for a pleasingly coherent look. Architectural details, such as the cornicing and skirting, add character and ensure a sense of continuity with the rest of the house.

  • Making use of what could have been neglected space below the beams, Victoria Gray of Olivine Design has hung a pair of elegant mirrors from Vaughan above the Aston Matthews pedestal sinks at her Cotswold farmhouse.

  • Using a single bold colour can make a compact space feel larger and more uplifting. In this bedroom-cum-workspace in Sydney, Lisa Burdus has installed tongue-and-groove panelling on the walls and ceiling, painted in ‘Alluvial Inca’ by Dulux Australia. This has the dual benefit of masking awkward angles and transforming the attic into a bright and harmonious room. Lisa has also capitalised on the structure of the dormer window to create an inviting desk alcove with concealed storage in the wall space on either side.

  • In this cottage by Laura Stephens, GP & J Baker’s ‘Hawkbury’ wallpaper provides a restful backdrop for a freestanding bath and a bespoke wardrobe, with panels of ‘Floral Medallion’ linen mix from Chelsea Textiles.

  • Not afraid of pattern, Elizabeth Hay has enveloped this cottage bedroom in Aleta’s ‘Pise Sprig’ wallpaper, with more floral fabrics used for the bedcover, curtains and window seat. The overall effect, however, is not too busy, as the patterns and colours complement one another and are broken up by the white beams and the striped dhurrie rug from India.

  • Spencer & Wedekind opted for a compact bathtub from Albion Bath Company for the tight space below the window. Pale tiles and a white ceiling make the room feel light and airy, while a yellow vanity unit from The Water Monopoly adds an appealing splash of colour.

  • Instead of unobtrusively tucking the bed away under the sloped ceiling, Annabel Bevan has transformed it into a theatrical centrepiece in this charming children’s bedroom. Based on a traditional Swedish box bed, it has a wooden canopy painted in ‘Pale Egyptian Blue’ by Papers and Paints and features a pretty decorative arch in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Calamine’ pink, framing the view from the bed. This structure also gives some sense of division between the sleep and play areas, making the room feel much more spacious. Built-in shelving above the window frees up floor space that might otherwise be occupied by a bookcase.

  • This attic bedroom, belonging to designer Harriet Anstruther’s 22-year-old daughter, continues the modern yet rustic feel of Harriet’s restored farmhouse while adding sophisticated elements such as the chandelier and canopy bed. The canopy mimics the shape of the sloping roof, making them a design feature and the effect is clean yet cosy.

  • For the past 17 years, Pierre Frey has made his home at the summit of the sixteenth-century building that is the Paris headquarters of the company bearing the family name, founded in this very building by his grandfather – the original Pierre Frey – back in 1935. With the help of architect Marika Dru, he has transformed the flat’s modest rooms in to an airy, open-plan apartment, pushing up in to the attic area to create an enhanced feeling of space and light.

    A mezzanine gallery was installed which looks down on to the main living room, and serves as a home office for his wife Emilie. Trawling the Paris flea markets, the couple found a vintage spiral staircase designed by Gustave Eiffel to access the mezzanine. It forms a sculptural focal point in the apartment. The original beams were exposed to add warmth and character, while the walls are papered in a classic Pierre Frey palm-print paper.

  • Use the slope roof of the attic roof to your advantage, as Todhunter Earle have in this child’s bedroom. A bed tucked behind a curtain under the eaves makes for a charming den.

  • Decorator Diana Sieff has converted her attic in to a spare bedroom. Clever division of space is key to this design. A dividing wall creates space for an en-suite and storage, while tongue-and-groove panelling ‘weirdly makes the ceiling look higher’, says Diana.

  • Just because the room is small doesn’t mean the bed has to be. We love the elegant four-poster from Guinevere, in this house in Cap Ferret designed by Guy Allemand and Jonathan Tuckey. Furnished sparingly, apart from the fantastically clever storage flanking the door; the lack of furniture makes the view of the sea beyond the balcony doors the main event.

  • Note the positioning of the pictures in this tiny attic bedroom belonging to lamp designer Lucy Cope. Framed embroideries by her mother-in-law accentuate the gabled shape of the room, totally distracting from the low, sloping ceiling to either side. Make the most of wall space where you have it, and use art to draw the eye to the parts of the room you want to accentuate.

  • If you’re desperate for drapes in an attic room, but there is no space around the window to draw curtains back, opt for dormer rods. They will allow curtains to open fully without blocking the light.

    Take inspiration from these in the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall’s Welsh retreat lwynywermod, a former model farm in Carmarthenshire repurposed by architect Craig Hamilton.

  • In the Cumbrian barn conversion of former House & Gardeneditor, Susan Crewe, a bespoke wall-mounted oak ladder – often mistaken for a piece of art – allows stylish access to the storage space above.

  • When considering storage, fitted pieces can work with the geometry of the space for maximum effect. In the West Country home of Victoria Von Preussen, fitted wardrobes are designed to fit under the sloping ceilings and to frame the fireplace.