← Mohawk Lake Cottage

Turning the Attic Into Living Space

23 photos · attic

The attic was unfinished storage when I started. I framed and insulated, ran baseboard heat, added a skylight, and pulled a permit so the square footage would actually count when I went to sell. After drywall and paint I rolled out red rosin paper, let the Lifeproof vinyl plank acclimate a few days, and laid it down. It came out as a real bedroom plus a home-office nook with lake views.

  1. Final inspection signed off on the building permit. The attic was now legal living space.

    Final inspection signed off on the building permit. The attic was now legal living space.

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  2. Attic painted out, vaulted ceiling done. Original plank subfloor still spattered before I covered it. During

    Attic painted out, vaulted ceiling done. Original plank subfloor still spattered before I covered it.

    attic
  3. Set up the table saw and miter saw upstairs to cut trim where I was working. During

    Set up the table saw and miter saw upstairs to cut trim where I was working.

    attic
  4. Recessed lights in, walls painted, original floor still exposed before the new flooring went down. During

    Recessed lights in, walls painted, original floor still exposed before the new flooring went down.

    attic
  5. Rolled out red rosin paper and let the laminate boxes acclimate a couple days before install. During

    Rolled out red rosin paper and let the laminate boxes acclimate a couple days before install.

    attic
  6. Underlayment laid wall-to-wall. Boards staged so I could work straight off the stack. During

    Underlayment laid wall-to-wall. Boards staged so I could work straight off the stack.

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  7. Cutting in around the skylight wall. Miter saw set right in the room to keep the workflow tight. During

    Cutting in around the skylight wall. Miter saw set right in the room to keep the workflow tight.

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  8. Floor papered off so I could finish painting without trashing the new subfloor. During

    Floor papered off so I could finish painting without trashing the new subfloor.

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  9. Finished. Vaulted ceiling, vinyl plank, and a window facing the lake. After

    Finished. Vaulted ceiling, vinyl plank, and a window facing the lake.

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  10. Skylight pulls daylight into what used to be dead storage space. After

    Skylight pulls daylight into what used to be dead storage space.

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  11. Looking back across the finished room. Clean lines, no visible seams in the floor. After

    Looking back across the finished room. Clean lines, no visible seams in the floor.

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  12. Baseboard heat run on the knee wall so the room is usable in winter. After

    Baseboard heat run on the knee wall so the room is usable in winter.

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  13. Sloped ceilings worked out cleanly with the trim I cut on site. After

    Sloped ceilings worked out cleanly with the trim I cut on site.

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  14. Long view down the finished room. White walls, gray plank, no surprises. After

    Long view down the finished room. White walls, gray plank, no surprises.

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  15. Vaulted ceiling makes the footprint feel bigger than the framing actually is. After

    Vaulted ceiling makes the footprint feel bigger than the framing actually is.

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  16. Wood-look vinyl plank at the skylight wall. Same plank runs through the whole upstairs. After

    Wood-look vinyl plank at the skylight wall. Same plank runs through the whole upstairs.

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  17. Finished bedroom corner with the lake-view window. This used to be unheated attic. After

    Finished bedroom corner with the lake-view window. This used to be unheated attic.

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  18. Built a storage nook into the knee wall so the dormer space wasn't wasted. After

    Built a storage nook into the knee wall so the dormer space wasn't wasted.

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  19. First bed assembled in the new room. The whole point of getting it permitted as living space. After

    First bed assembled in the new room. The whole point of getting it permitted as living space.

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  20. Second view of the finished bedroom under the slope. After

    Second view of the finished bedroom under the slope.

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  21. Finished attic looking toward the skylight. Real bedroom feel now. After

    Finished attic looking toward the skylight. Real bedroom feel now.

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  22. Set up the second half as a home office with a standing desk facing the lake windows. After

    Set up the second half as a home office with a standing desk facing the lake windows.

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  23. Squeezed an en-suite pedestal sink into the dormer corner so the bedroom could function on its own. After

    Squeezed an en-suite pedestal sink into the dormer corner so the bedroom could function on its own.

    attic
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