Country Home Attic Conversion
So I recently took on a new project - an attic conversion at a beautiful country home here in Western Australia.
What makes this project a little unusual though is that the clients are my parents! Yes, I am working for my mum and dad :-)
Country living at its best - a true ‘Rural Retreat’.
After a life of city dwelling, my parents decided to retire to the country when the time came. Lovers of quiet, space and nature, they jumped at an opportunity to purchase 100 acres of absolutely prime land in the south west of the state.
Positioned between a State Forrest and the Blackwood River, my parents property spans hundreds of meters above sea level. The views of the valley from their house are just amazing. Picture postcard beautiful. In winter, the home often sits above the clouds, making you feel as though you are the only people in the world. Talk about peace and quiet.
When my engineer father first designed the home, he drew up a three bedroom home but also created space in the attic over the ‘Studio’ (the third bedroom attaches to the rest of the home via a glass enclosed walkway), with the idea of one day converting that space into a 4th bedroom.
My parents (and our two cats who went to live with them when we moved overseas) have an amazing life at their rural ‘retreat’ but have recently started thinking about changing it up a little and moving from the countryside to the beach.
With that in mind, Dad has been cleaning out the attic ahead of having realtors come in and commence an advertising campaign. On a recent trip to see my parents, my dad and I were talking about how helpful it would be to give prospective buyers a sense of how the space might look if they decide to renovate it.
Queue my offer to help dad out with some 3d modelling and rendering. Really, I will use any excuse, such is my love of doing this sort of work!! Dad was immediately interested!
So over the last few weeks, when I have had time away from other projects, I have been putting together some concepts that might strike the imaginations of buyers when they view the home.
The home itself has a strong country aesthetic, with a touch of French flare (a nod to my mother) and a little dab of Mid-Century Modern (via the glass walkway connecting the studio to the rest of the home).
In keeping with the overall design ethic, I have developed a few options that I hope will fit well with both the internal and external environment of the home - think beautiful wooden floor boards, European furniture and clean modern lines. Nothing too froo-froo, but rather a focus on warm, comfortable living.
The Attic Space
With a large footprint of 16 metres square, there is plenty of room to furnish the space as you will.
One interesting aspect to the room is the angled ceiling. With the vertical walls reaching 1.8 meters, there is still more than enough height for tall furniture.
Assuming that the next owners are looking to maximise the space I decided to focus on two options - one with two single beds, and the other with a Queen/King sized bed.
In either case, there is still more than enough room for a wardrobe, desk and occasional seating.
Modelling the options…
Using both Sketchup to develop 3d models and Coohom for more photo-realistic renders, I have been able to develop some lovely examples of how the space might look with a little work by either the new owners or some of the very capable builders who can be found servicing clients in the South-west of Western Australia.
In the first example below, I have used Sketchup to develop a proposed floorplan and model that easily accommodates two singles beds. Perfect for kids who will love going up and down the pulldown staircase!
In the second option below, I have focused instead on more of an adult’s retreat, with a large bed rather than two singles. What do you think?
Applying the two single beds option to Coohom, I have then been able to develop some gorgeous photo-realistic renders of how the space might look as light streams in through the window.
Need help?
Need help imaging how you too could convert or update a space within your home?
I love working on all sorts of projects and helping people visualise how a blank space can look is one of my most favourite parts of the job. Applying cutting edge design software, I can easily put together some options for how you might go about refreshing or rebuilding a space, leaving you to then make those changes in your own time, and when your budget allows.
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