Before and After: An Attic Becomes a Master-Suite Retreat

Sometimes in the search for more living space there's no place to look but up. When Alan Koch bought this 1933 cottage in Portland, Oregon, he knew he'd be finishing the 600-square-foot attic sooner rather than later. And as a work-at-home educational and marketing consultant, Alan hankered for a light, bright office where he could spread out. By tapping the upstairs, he figured he could carve out just such a space, as well as a comfortable master suite, reserving downstairs bedrooms for guests and TV viewing.__Charlotte Barnard, This Old House magazine

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The existing unfinished attic rose 7 feet to the collar ties. With the structure reworked, the bedroom gained a 9-foot ceiling with a large skylight to brighten the dressing area.

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By apply space saving design techniques in the attic, the homeowners were able to include a home office in the layout. The office opens up to the library in the stairway landing with a large arch to make the two spaces feel like one. A built-in desk runs the length of the new dormer's north wall. Because the room was built from scratch, homeowner Alan Koch was able to run all wiring and cables behind the walls, hooking them up to computer equipment hidden in custom cabinetry.

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