The Attic: One Room Challenge Week 1

Here we go again!  This is my fifth time jumping into the One Room Challenge, and it's probably the most important project I've chosen so far!  This round: I'm working on the initial makeover of our attic.  Since the area is largely unfinished, the goal is to get it sealed up for winter.  This has always been a storage attic, and there have already been a lot of adjustments so far.  If I can get one area completely done, I'm looking at the little storage room and the stairs.

The One Room Challenge is an eight-week event that pushes designers, DIYers, and homeowners to do a space in eight weeks!  It is an opportunity to do a project with community, encouragement, and camaraderie.  I also love that the eight week timeline really helps to create achievable goals for every week.  Find out more here, and check out other projects!

The Plan

While I have no allusions to completing the entire attic in this timeline, I know I can do quite a bit to get us going!  My main goals are to get the envelope done: frame in and insulate the eaves, finish insulating the ceiling, and finally restore the window at the front of the house.  It's a very big job, but with it done, we'll really be able to access this space at minimum as storage throughout this winter.  And we'll have far less heat loss through our attic too!  

Since we recently moved the attic access from the kids' bedroom to the dining room, we still have to install the door.  The plan is to modify the old front door to work on the attic.  I'm not sure I'll ever be able to find a 27" wide by 83" tall one- or two-panel door that matches our woodwork... so I'm going to make what already have work for what I need.

Inspiration

Since I've been thinking about this project for seven years, I have a lot of plans and ideas floating around!  I'm thrilled to incorporate "Ruth's Garden" in Midnight from David Quarles IV's collection at Chasing Paper, and to add another strong punch of color to this staircase.  I have stained glass panels, pocket door plans, and reproducing a banister from my youth on my mind as well.  

I'm also planning to reuse some of the original woodwork that we decided to remove from the little kids' bedroom.  Keeping it in their room would have made the woodwork really piecemeal, and using it here keeps it in the house.

It's definitely going to be an interesting -if not very challenging- project this season!  But I cannot wait to see how all these elements come together and set us up for success.