Renovation inspiration

My favourite book as a child was, without doubt, "A Little Princess" by Frances Hodgson Burnett.  Possibly because of my love for this story I was rather enchanted by the idea of an attic bedroom with a bed under the eaves.

 

So when we came to renovate our house 5 years ago I was excited about what we could do with the boys' bedroom.  Because we were building on the boundary of our property and putting a garage under their bedroom, we had height restrictions.  This meant the ceiling had to be sloped. 

Some fun creative solutions were in order. 

I collected a file of ideas sourced from magazines.  The English mags had many good examples of attic rooms, as the Londoners are good at making use of all available space in their old houses.

I particularly loved the built in beds.

I also loved the idea of the boys having their own private space within a shared bedroom.  A private little nook that was theirs only.

I wanted them to have their own shelves for treasures.

I loved the little pigeon holes above these beds for their books and toys.

An inviting reading space was on the wish list to encourage a passion for books.

These last two images show what we ended up with.  I got my window seat for quiet reads (above).  The bench the cushions sit on is actually the space the garage roller door goes up into.  We were very tight for space vertically so we had to make use of every spare inch.

 

You can see the pigeon hole idea above Max's bed.  The two beds are separated by bookshelves so they each get their private space.  One can be reading with the bed-light on, while the other sleeps in peace.  You may not be able to make it out, but the ceiling is sloped above their beds.  The central bookcase is divided into thirds vertically.  The first third has shelves facing into the room, the middle section has shelves facing the first bed, and the third section has shelves facing the other bed.

I hope you enjoy all these photos.  I still love looking at all the clippings that inspired our renovation.

Comments

[two little buttons]

i love this bedroom
we are looking at building a holiday house soon and i think that this would be great for my boys. you certainly have amazing taste and a great eye for detail, no wonder you are so talented.

[Tamara]

I am so with you for the attic designs, I have always admired these also. There is something so cosy about all of those angles and it gives so much interest. Your boys' bedroom is so lovely.

I am also loving your botanical drawings. I am almost tempted to do a course myself, but I think I would be sorely dissapointed with my results. Your drawings are beautiful.

[Courtney]

Ohhh, thanks for these! We are in the process of buying an old house and I hadn't seen much possibility in the attic space, but now I do! It has a full set of stairs leading to it (rather than tucked behind a door), so it seemed like a usable space, but the space deep under the eaves was blocked off. I bet we could open it up! Yay. I love blogs. So much inspiration. Your kids' room is lovely.

[kirsten]

absolutely gorgeous, kristine.
i LOVE it.
and so nice the boys get to share a room! will build some precious childhood memories. :)

[fiona]

I love these pics. I actually have the one from your place in my scrapbook, and am planning my reno at the moment! thanks for more inspirations.

[Abigail]

Hi. I love the room. The red & white together is gorgeous. Just wanting to know where you got the doona covers.
I love the old period homes and have just recently purchased a brick edwardian that is over 100 years old. We will be renovating in the very near future. Your house is stunning and looks as though it has some beautiful original features. Is that carpet you have used in the kids rooms?