Finishing the attic. Part 1.
When we started this house, we began on the third floor.
I do not have one single photo of the attic that is a true “before” picture. Part of that is because this was my very first project, and I did not understand how quickly things would change.
Part of it is how I was still trying to find the coffee pot, and Paul was already ripping and gutting and tearing and throwing out of windows.
Part of it is how I did not understand that I needed to take a picture of the whole project.
When I did take pictures, I took them of the exact thing we were working on. A corner, a wall, a hole in the floor… I have 1,000 photos of walls being gutted, and not one where I stood back and took a picture of the entire room.
If you’ve looked at my about the house page, you’ve seen that our previous owner painted every room in this house a different color.
A different blindingly-bright-vivid-neon-color.
I guess he felt this somehow compensated for the repairs he wasn’t doing.
Sort of like – yes. The house is falling down. But isn’t it snazzy?
Paul and I had two goals in the attic.
One – seal it up: fix the holes, insulate…
Two – make it mine. All MINE.
My place to make uncontrolled piles of paper.
My place to start projects that I will not finish.
My office, my library, my tower, my castle.
The only thing I am missing is a moat.
And a dragon.
Originally you would have been able to look from the third floor all the way to the foyer. But at some point, someone enclosed the stairway to the attic.
That enclosure is what I labeled “box” in the drawing above.
When you are in the attic, you can see that it is just a squared off box. And since they kept it level with the ceiling on the second floor, the top of the box is raised above the attic’s floor.
Even though I would love to see the stairway restored, the box does serve a purpose and we decided to keep it… It seems likely that a future owner might use the third floor as a master suite, and that those people might expect bedroom-related amenities. Like doors.
Although, hopefully they will not be too picky about things like closets…
It looks “fine” from the second-floor hallway.
Right? Doesn’t this look fine?
But the real reason we kept the box is something you do not know about me:
1. I have super sonic hearing.
Like Batman.
Or a mole.
2. Noise makes me want to gnaw my own face off. (I realize that makes me sound like some overwrought crazy woman from a Jane Austen novel… Which we will get to in a minute.)
Noise-induced face-gnawing is a foreign concept to Paul. Or, rather it was… After he married me, he got a lot more familiar with the phenomenon.
Chainsaws, leaf blowers, unloading the dishwasher, dogs barking, the kid who sat next to me during the SATs with a runny nose AND NO TISSUES.
I spent all four hours fantasizing about leaning across the aisle, plunging my pencil into the side of his neck, and hissing – STOP SNIFFING.
I am fairly sure I would’ve gotten into Harvard if I sat next to someone else.
So even though we talked about removing the box, it was never a real option.
If anything, we might have replaced it with a steel vault.
A SOUNDPROOFED steel vault.
With a laser-tracking system that would allow me to target the noises that were irritating me and annihilate them with rockets.
Hopefully soon, something like that will be available at Home Depot.
I will love you EVEN MORE… if you share me with your friends.
November 13, 2013 @ 10:02 am
I am TOTALLY with you on the whole noise thing. When the dog rolls over in the middle of the night, I wake up. And I am married to a guy who can sleep through Absolutely Anything, which is so unfair. Loving your blog, loving your house! 🙂
November 13, 2013 @ 10:03 am
I share your distaste for annoying sound. Your post has cracked me up. And how wonderful to have a room of one’s own!
November 13, 2013 @ 10:04 am
I very much get you about the noise. I am the same way. So is one of my children. We’re so susceptible to it, we lose our minds. Face it, the rest of the world is crazy for not understanding our need for SILENCE! The very first night living in our brand new, built to our specifications house? A whirring noise. One which is like a miniature storm siren. The kind that goes around and around, getting louder and waning. The worst part is I hear it ALL. THE. TIME.
Everyone else? Pretty much unaffected unless I force them to stop everything they are all doing and listen… “Don’t you hear that!?” I ask them. “It’s maddening!”
Finally, when they admit they do hear a faint little something, I am exhausted. Drives me batty. And do not get me started on the kids in this ‘neighborhood’ and how they scream all the damn time. (sorry for saying damn in your comments, but if you were here with me you would understand)
November 13, 2013 @ 10:06 am
When it’s finished I’m sure it’ll be the perfect haven. I have one attic room, & it’s everyone’s favorite. My 4-year-old marched up the stairs to it the other day announcing, “I’m going upstairs where it’s cozy.”
November 13, 2013 @ 10:06 am
Oh my god, we have a whole thing in our family about people not being allowed to empty the dishwasher early in the morning. It just should not be allowed by anyone.
Also? The buzzer on the dryer. These things are all just designed to taunt you. “I’m up and doing work while you lay around.”
It makes us all cranky.
November 13, 2013 @ 5:36 pm
My husband disconnected the buzzer on our dryer; it was so loud it made me jump when I was upstairs! I’m sure you can find someone to do this; it can’t be that hard… One can hear a dryer stop on its own for goodness sake!
November 13, 2013 @ 10:09 am
No, Darling, the box has to go. The ceiling is too low over the door, distracts from the beautiful casing and is out of character from the rest of the ceilings in your beautiful home. There are plenty of products which will diminish the sounds you anticipate.
November 13, 2013 @ 3:36 pm
I totally agree. Sound proof–yes!! Ugly box–no!!
There must be something else you can do.
And I get the noise thing. I stay up ’til the wee hours for the sake of silence.
November 19, 2013 @ 4:30 pm
I Know! The box is hideous. Totally out of place and it looks like you could hurt yourself on that corner. Let her stairwell go!
November 13, 2013 @ 10:09 am
I couldn’t see your drawings. Might be a Crome thing? Sound does not bother me at all. In fact, having grown up in a large family, I need a certain amount of background noise in order to complete any task I am given. However, I would leave the box as well, to lock children up there when they were being annoying. Isn’t that the primary use of an attic anyway?
November 13, 2013 @ 10:09 am
I love your description of the room as your tower. Josiah calls our 3rd floor the “tower” (which is a bright pink and a disgrace as well).
November 13, 2013 @ 10:23 am
I suspect Steve was instrumental in your third-floor color.
November 13, 2013 @ 10:27 am
I think perhaps both former neighbors have stock in a company that make primer and it is all part of a conspiracy to force us to buy it in massive amounts. Though I suppose if you have to tear apart the walls there is no need for primer!
November 13, 2013 @ 10:10 am
My husband MUST read this. He swears I am the only person on the planet who is incapable of completely finishing a project. And his engineer mind cannot understand how I know exactly where everything is in my voluminous stacks of paper. Drives him crazy. After 24 years, you’d think he would be used to it…
November 13, 2013 @ 10:13 am
Oh Victoria, another way in which we are a twinset! I totally appreciate and understand your supersonic hearing. Imagine living with a man who plays the drums with enthusiasm albeit amateur skill, has a chronic throat-clearing habit, and enjoys TV in surround sound – AT ALL TIMES, God love him. And then imagine a commuter bus filled daily (one hour both ways) with a Cacophony (with a capital C) of sniffling, slack-jawed snoring, music-coming-through-their earphones, exaggerated conversing, situationally-unaware populous.
Really, for me, it’s the homicidal fantasies that keep the suicidal ones at bay.
November 13, 2013 @ 10:37 am
Let’s add utensils scraping a bowl – particularly by my coworker who must get EVERY single drop of yogurt out of the container and who also seems incapable of using a Kleenex. When he’s not scraping yogurt containers he’s suck snot back up his nose.
I need this cross stitched on a pillow
Really, for me, it’s the homicidal fantasies that keep the suicidal ones at bay.
November 13, 2013 @ 10:59 am
I may have to steal that line – you could probably make a fortune selling those pillows!
November 13, 2013 @ 11:29 am
I call copyright!
(Actually, I am about to launch a business. That could be the company motto.)
November 15, 2013 @ 4:47 pm
I’m sorry but I must steal that cross stitch statement. Never have I not met someone before yet I felt knew me completely. Thank you for that tear inducing, stomach hurting laugh
November 13, 2013 @ 11:37 am
really; your last sentence cracked me up too!
it’s the homicidal fantasies that keep the suicidal ones at bay….. If ever I should use it (and I might have to!!!!), I shall quote your name 🙂
November 13, 2013 @ 6:39 pm
Inspired line. Perfect. Actually, you’d better copyright it immediately.
November 13, 2013 @ 10:32 am
I love the house to be quiet. Which is usually only when I’m home alone. I am mostly only bothered by the constant background noise of the TV which my husband needs on whenever he is home. In our previous house I would often find TVA on in 3 different rooms as he moved about he would turn them on and on they stayed. In our new home we have less TVs. Yay!
I also have an attic room in this new house which I am working to make my space. My teenage daughter has agreed to allow me to take over her hang out space in order that dad might be happier not seeing my piles of papers and projects. My sister’s idea. She’s a neat freak. I am not.
Once I’m up there I’m sure my little guy will want to hang with mom and bring his toys up which will also make dad happy not to trip over them.
We may never come down…I wonder if he will miss us.
November 13, 2013 @ 10:51 am
Sniffing should not be allowed. Ever.
November 13, 2013 @ 6:41 pm
A law should be passed. Or guns issued. Maybe dart guns.
November 13, 2013 @ 10:52 am
charming as ever. funny as ever. had me dying laughing over the noise, i so get it. ex. just this morning, my husbands spoon again the bowl…irrrr.
back to what the house, your attic will be fantastic! i am happy for you.
xo jody
November 13, 2013 @ 10:54 am
Agree. Noise is the worst.
November 13, 2013 @ 10:54 am
The box will keep the heat from rising instantly to your attic. I advise you retain it. Every girl has to have a room of her own. That distinctive single-paned vertical gable window? It is a signature feature of a local architect working around 1890-1920s named Milton Bean. His work is quite recognizable once you fall in love with it. Montoya’s the guy: http://www.montgomerynews.com/articles/2012/03/30/perkasie_news_herald/news/doc4f74d146b7c50920085769.txt
Love your blog!
November 13, 2013 @ 10:54 am
I would love to have an attic all to myself, and I can’t wait to see how yours turns out.
November 13, 2013 @ 11:04 am
You must have a room of ones own!
But free the stairwell…it has been waiting for some one to see its’ original beauty and design…
November 13, 2013 @ 11:05 am
Honey bun, get rid of the box. It is ugly, and it blocks the pretty. Besides, can’t you imagine the sparkles dancing around three stories of bright open space??
November 13, 2013 @ 11:15 am
You’ve left me in suspense. I’ve always wished for an attic, one that could be mine. Instead of a moat, I’d like a tower with an expansive view. Alas, our homeowners association won’t allow towers. I know you’ve undoubtedly made this space look amazing, did any of your mirrors make it up there?
Sorry about the noise thing…I once had a friend that swore she could hear the fork touching someone’s teeth when she was having lunch in a restaurant. Bummer.
Karen
November 13, 2013 @ 11:21 am
I understand wanting a door for heat issues, noise control and privacy, but there has to be a better more aesthetically pleasing way to block off the attic. Tear it out and get creative! I have heard you can be very creative. 😉