BRM's Kate Hancock writes...

 

 

 

 

Everything counts in a small space and if your loft has nooks and crannies like mine it can appear even smaller!

I’ve recently moved and inherited a loft conversion. It’s only small, has sloping windows and was painted in some very strange colours. But at Burton Roofing I get to see lots of brilliant attic transformations. Read on

for my answers to some FAQ on how to make your loft conversion feel bigger:

 

  • How do you maximise the natural light ?

With a Velux or two! But what size and how many do you need or can you fit in? – important questions!

At Burton Roofing we're happy to advise, along with offering suggestions on whether they should be top hung or centre pivot.  You don't want the pivot of the window blocking your rooftop view!  You might even have the right space for a cabrio balcony !

Even if you've an old Velux and simply want to refresh it with a blind (as I've done) just call us with the code taken from the plate on the inside of your window and we will work out the new blind code equivalent.

When your window needs a fettle, check out our Velux renovation kits.

 

 

  • What colour ?

The colour you choose isn’t as important as the consistency of colour. Velux have teamed up with Farrow and Ball to explore effects of natural daylight on interior design. They consider how to use colour in your home with stunning results ...and who can resist their fantastic names!

Slanted ceilings creates clutter for the eye, reduce it by following to the 'no - or low - contrast' rule.

I've often wondered myself whether the slanted part is wall or the ceiling when it comes to what colour these sloping parts should be. Using the decorators' trick to deal with these ceilings will make your room look bigger. Keeping the contrast between all the angles of the slanted ceiling and the walls to minimum will make your ceiling will seem higher as a result and the loft conversion feel bigger. Similarly, in a small space it's essential to keep your colours light and use plain continuous carpet.

 

 

  • What blinds or window covering?

Choose your blinds with care. VELUX have some fantastic options available.

Whether you're looking for a Roman, pleated or roller blind you'll find the right one for your scheme on our site. They are available in manual, electric and even solar powered. Blackout is an obvious choice if it’s for a bedroom, but for a particularly bright room you can get a blackout with a pleated shade for diffused light.

Friends often ask me for blind advice and I know designers suggest choosing a similar colour to the walls, again reducing the contrast of colours makes your loft conversion feel bigger.

If your room is large enough for a childs/ teenager’s bedroom you might want to opt for ‘pops’ of colour or clever contrasts in paint colours

 

  • Use A Sofa Bed. ... or keep it in proportion

Keeping the furniture in the room low is a good idea. Low-profile sofas and chairs and sofa beds help make the room appear larger and draw attention away from the sloping ceiling. When bed posts touch the ceiling they draw attention to the fact it is lower and the room small.

A trick interior designers use to expand the size of a room is to pull all the furniture away from the walls 10 cm. This removes the obvious border between the furniture and the walls, tricking the eye into thinking the walls are away. Consider also narrow furniture, under bed storage and seats with storage.

 

 

  • How do you keep the clutter off the floor ? 

...with wall shelves and cupboards to fit awkward spaces. These can also hide unsightly pipework.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you’d like advice on any of the roofing materials mentioned above please don’t hesitate to get in touch.  Our expert staff are on hand to help you as much as we can, just call on 0800 124 4431 or use the live chat in the bottom right hand corner of the screen.