Attic renovations: 3 brilliant attic renovation ideas

The pursuit of more space never ends, whether you are building, buying, selling or dreaming. 

The ultimate redundant space is a dark and dusty attic, so instead of extending outward, these home owners and designers used what was already there – up there, to be precise. 

Here are three stunning Australian attic renovation ideas to inspire a new purpose for an often-forgotten area.

1. The Cottage, Surry Hills, Sydney

​This petite sandstone terrace is one of Sydney’s smallest homes. A chic renovation has added space while preserving heritage charm. 

Owners Jesse McCallion and Chloe McCarthy repurposed the attic into a luxury bedroom, with an en suite, secret wardrobe, city-view balcony, outdoor shower and laundry. 

They also extended what became the middle level, which contained the only bedroom in the original floor plan.

McCallion is a builder with his own company, Belle Frederik Projects, and McCarthy is the founder of interior design studio Room of Fire​.

The attic was a major component of a stylish overhaul of the historic property, which is now a soothing, inner-city sanctuary.

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“It was critical to the project,” McCarthy says. “We kept the roof line, but we were able to squeeze a whole other level in there.”

The home’s total area was just 33 square metres.

The attic renovation increased this to 67 square metres, doubling the accommodation and adding an estimated $500,000 in value, McCarthy says.

A perforated steel staircase to the attic, with a skylight above, was chosen to flood the house with sun.

Once dank and dim, the attic is now the brightest level of the house, and it filters light through the whole home.

A well-placed services duct enabled the inclusion of an en suite tucked behind the wardrobe, negating plumbing complexities.

The attic reno also opened up an enviable skyline view.

“My partner has been on the roof before, where you could see city glimpses, like the Centrepoint Tower,” McCarthy says. “We didn’t know exactly what it would be like, but we did have an idea that you’d get a lot more of the skyline from a little balcony up in the attic.”

Once a forsaken space, the attic is now the “best bedroom in the house”.

“We were able to take it from a tiny one-bedroom, one-bathroom home to a two-bedroom, two-bathroom home,” McCarthy says.

2. Attic House, Coogee, Sydney

An arts and crafts beauty blighted by a ’90s extension faced the team at Madeleine Blanchfield Architects, so the studio embarked on a thorough transformation of the beachside property.

In the pursuit of a tranquil zone for the main bedroom suite, the old attic – a “web of timber trusses”, Blanchfield says – emerged as the ideal place. 

“The design prioritises lightness and openness throughout, creating spaces that feel both generous and serene, transforming what was a dark and disconnected dwelling,” Blanchfield says.

The airy height of the attic amplifies the sense of a retreat. However, it called for a complete and meticulous rebuild and the involvement of a structural engineer as they were working within the existing roofline. 

“This required solving complex engineering problems,” Blanchfield says. 

“The new master suite was essentially carved out of the roof, with new windows added to bring in light, fresh air, and water views. The original roof space was inaccessible with no openings to the view of the water.”

The shape frames a sparkling view of Gordons Bay, which Blanchfield describes as an intersection of architecture, interiors and nature.

“The home harmonises with an iconic view to create an unwavering sense of belonging,” she says. 

A sculptural, floating staircase to the new attic suite delineates the old from the new.

“The structure required careful resolution and sophisticated engineering to appear light and effortless,” Blanchfield says.

The result is a harmonious area for rest and relaxation, which pays respect to the original architecture. 

3. Study conversion, St Peters, Sydney

Buyer’s agent Penny Vandenhurk understands the numbers side of property.

As her young family grew, so did her understanding of what was needed in the three-bedroom townhouse she and her husband Luke bought in Sydney’s inner-west St Peters in 2019.

The fix? To convert a cobweb-addled roof space into a 20-square-metre office for her business. 

“When my daughter was born, my study became her room,” the founder of Purchase with Penny says.

“We wanted to keep a spare room, because our families don’t live in Sydney, so that was really important for us.”

First, the couple replaced their inadequate walk-in wardrobe with a staircase to the attic, replacing a pull-down ladder, and installed a larger IKEA robe in its place.

Quotes for the attic work were in the realm of $85,000 to $95,000, and it was tricky to find trades willing and able, because of the strata complexities related to townhouses, Vandenhurk says.

After enquiring on the Renovating Mums Sydney Facebook page, she found an affordable licensed builder who was a master project manager.

The job required reinforcing the attic floor, plasterboarding the walls, relocating the air-conditioning duct, painting, and installing floorboards, powerpoints and skylights.

The total bill came to $57,000 – a price that was the result of mindful budgeting and planning.

“It’s not a bedroom, but it’s a fab home office, and I’d conservatively say it added $120,000 in value,” Vandenhurk says. “At a return on investment of 210 per cent, I am pretty pleased.

“This is very much a third level of our townhouse, and it’s completely functional.

“If we had to move home, we would spend $70,000 just in stamp duty to buy something of the same value, so all up I consider $57,000 a very good investment.”