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Changing
Spaces
From
a Stairless Attic to a Skylit Guestroom
By Rachelle
Wojciechowski
When Dave Gatesman was
hired to create a roomy game room/guest suite in a Peters Township
attic, he knew the house was missing something that would make the
job much easier.
There were no stairs
to reach the top floor.
Up for the challenge,
Gatesman, owner of McMurray-based Gatesman Home Improvement,
ripped out a hallway linen closet, replacing the space with a set
of steps that appear as though they’ve always been there. Now
the family can reach their finished attic with ease.
The driving reason
behind the remodeling, says the homeowner, Julia, was the need for
additional space and an area where visiting family members could
comfortably stay. She also anticipates her three young children
will use the room for playing board games and watching TV on rainy
afternoons.
The finished
900-square-foot space lends itself to all of the above, with its
inviting game room, spacious guest bedroom, tasteful bathroom and
abundance of storage closets.
Ascending the stairs,
one walks through a short hallway into a homey game room, complete
with built-in shelving unit, tables perfect for playing games, and
comfy couches. Though the space has the expected slanted
ceiling of an attic, any feeling of confinement is relieved by the
several skylights placed throughout the room.
Down the hall, the
bathroom is simple, with the same shade of pale ecru that coats
the walls in the rest of the space, and brushed nickel light
fixtures, which are consistent with the decor of the home’s
other bathrooms. “We tried as much as possible to keep it
the same throughout,” Julia says.
“We weren’t sure
about putting holes in our roof, but it would be very dark
otherwise,” Julia says.
The guest bedroom
offers visitors a view of the property through a cozy window seat
tucked into the wall — Julia’s favorite project detail.
 Often,
when homeowners remodel a room previously used for storage, they
find themselves pressed for space. Gatesman addressed that problem
by adding several closets perfect for stashing all of life’s
ancillary items. The homeowners opted to carpet these areas, to
avoid stepping on exposed beams every time they needed to get
something.
Another factor to
consider when renovating a third floor is noise, says Gatesman, as
the space is directly above the home’s bedrooms. Several forms
of insulation in the floors solved that problem. 
“This is actually
the quietest space in the house,” Julia says.
The three-month
project was the second attic renovation Gatesman did, though the
contractor isn’t sure these types of projects will ever become
an industry trend.
“Not every house is
capable of doing an attic,” he says. “especially because of
the stairs situation.”
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