Turning Attic Space into Bedrooms

Matt Glewwe and his wife converted an unused, uninsulated attic space into bedrooms for the children. Matt included a special feature for the kids.

"Tim,

Not sure if you are still looking for photos, but if you are, here are a few shots (before, during and after) of a project my wife and I did on our 1939 Cape Cod in St. Paul, MN.

Beyond the knee wall on our 1-1/2 story house, there was just uninsulated and unfinished space that had been used for storage. When we were expecting our first child, we thought these spaces would be fantastic as little rooms for kids to sleep in, play in or just spend time in. We now have four children and they all love these little rooms.

We insulated, sheet-rocked, put in lights and added a small window. There were actually two rooms like this (one on each end of the house) and then there is a tighter spot that connected the two rooms. My wife wanted to just cover it up, but I insisted that we create a tunnel between the two rooms. This is the highlight for our children as well as their friends when they come over to play!

I am sure that actual material cost was less than $500, but there was quite a bit of time invested in doing all of our own labor, including sheet-rocking and mudding spaces that most people would not want to go into!

My wife and I both have Master Degrees in Architecture, from the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. We own a small residential design firm, and would love it if you could link to our website if you use this project on your website. Could you please let us know if you use this?

www.gsqrd.com

Thank you,"

Matt Glewwe

Well, Matt, I used your photos and the project looks great. Had to be fun working on the tunnel!!