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Room Tour: A Calm and Peaceful Loft With a Host of Functions
Redesigned to include an en suite and storage, this loft has gone from dumping ground to super-useful room at the top
Many of us have discovered that, if we’re lucky enough to have a spare room, it can so easily become a dumping ground, especially if it’s lacking in storage and a sense of identity. This was certainly the case in the loft room of this Sheffield house. “In theory, it functioned as a bedroom, but it didn’t really get used as that,” Elizabeth Ennis of Wolfe Interiors says. “It had just become somewhere to chuck stuff.”
So the owners asked Elizabeth to redesign it as a guest bedroom, adding an en suite, lots of storage and some desk space, too. Rather than continue the bold look of the rest of the house – much of which Elizabeth had also designed, including the nursery, bathroom and study (which you can see on her Houzz profile) – she chose a light, pared-back scheme that complements the peaceful atmosphere of this second-floor room.
So the owners asked Elizabeth to redesign it as a guest bedroom, adding an en suite, lots of storage and some desk space, too. Rather than continue the bold look of the rest of the house – much of which Elizabeth had also designed, including the nursery, bathroom and study (which you can see on her Houzz profile) – she chose a light, pared-back scheme that complements the peaceful atmosphere of this second-floor room.
Creating storage was a priority. Happily, the eaves are spacious. There was already storage to the left of the bed (seen in the previous image), but Elizabeth increased the size of the opening to it, got rid of the architraves and fitted a push-to-open catch, so the door is flush to the wall.
This space is now home to boxes, suitcases and things the owners only use now and then.
Oak bed, La Redoute.
This space is now home to boxes, suitcases and things the owners only use now and then.
Oak bed, La Redoute.
This image shows work in progress, with the new opening to the wardrobe and another, to the right, designed to create space at the top of the stairs.
A major challenge of the project was the staircase. “It was really steep with small steps – not practical at all, especially for children,” Elizabeth says.
She redesigned the stairs, pushing back a section of the bedroom wall to create space at the top. “Before, the whole wall had been flush; now it’s stepped back,” she explains. “I then created some new storage at the top of the stairs. I thought we might as well, as we were building the wardrobe, too.”
The wardrobe storage had to be fitted around one of two chimney breasts that run up through this loft space (there’s another on the opposite side). “Despite there being a chimney breast on the right of the wardrobe,” she says, “we still managed to get lots of hanging space and shelving in there.”
Porsa 6-light Brushed Brass and Warm White Porcelain flush ceiling light, Lights & Lamps.
She redesigned the stairs, pushing back a section of the bedroom wall to create space at the top. “Before, the whole wall had been flush; now it’s stepped back,” she explains. “I then created some new storage at the top of the stairs. I thought we might as well, as we were building the wardrobe, too.”
The wardrobe storage had to be fitted around one of two chimney breasts that run up through this loft space (there’s another on the opposite side). “Despite there being a chimney breast on the right of the wardrobe,” she says, “we still managed to get lots of hanging space and shelving in there.”
Porsa 6-light Brushed Brass and Warm White Porcelain flush ceiling light, Lights & Lamps.
Elizabeth chose a soft pink for the walls and woodwork. “It creates a calm, light feel without being bland or cold,” she says. “I used it everywhere, so it’s seamless instead of breaking it up with other colours, and it worked well with the natural-toned carpet.”
Rather than buy new bedside units, Elizabeth used the pretty, vintage-style suitcases the owners already had next to the bed. They double as storage, too.
Walls and woodwork painted in Pink 02, Lick.
Rather than buy new bedside units, Elizabeth used the pretty, vintage-style suitcases the owners already had next to the bed. They double as storage, too.
Walls and woodwork painted in Pink 02, Lick.
The owners wanted to be able to use the loft for occasional work, so a desk they already owned is tucked in by the stairs. “They’re both barristers and sometimes they need a quiet space away from the family to sit and do a little bit of work or take calls,” Elizabeth says. “It’s not the main function of the room and they have a home office downstairs, but it’s useful.”
The en suite was created by using space in the eaves and also building out into the room, using the area above the stairs, alongside the banister (see first ‘before’ shot).
“I looked at different places around the room for the en suite,” Elizabeth says. “The house is so big, and there’s lots of eaves space, so you don’t feel you’re losing much by building into it or by using up some of the floor space in the bedroom.”
More: How Do I Begin a Loft Conversion?
“I looked at different places around the room for the en suite,” Elizabeth says. “The house is so big, and there’s lots of eaves space, so you don’t feel you’re losing much by building into it or by using up some of the floor space in the bedroom.”
More: How Do I Begin a Loft Conversion?
The en suite needed to be a shower room, and Elizabeth was clear that it should look really clean and functional to respect the light, simple look of the bedroom.
Basin; toilet, both Lusso Stone.
Basin; toilet, both Lusso Stone.
“The taps, shower and black accents give it a softly industrial loft feel,” Elizabeth says “and the detailing elevates the room and keeps it from looking too basic.”
Wall and floor tiles, all Mandarin Stone. Shower fittings and taps, Hudson Reed at Drench.
Wall and floor tiles, all Mandarin Stone. Shower fittings and taps, Hudson Reed at Drench.
This black column radiator and the one in the bedroom are a nod to the age of the property and the decor in the rest of the house. “They help the loft feel connected to the other rooms, but it remains a very different feel up here,” Elizabeth says.
The newly designed space has proved a hit with the whole family. “The owners absolutely love it,” Elizabeth says. “It gets used in many different ways now – as a guest room, but for work, too – and with the en suite, you can be totally self-contained.”
The owners also have a new baby, so if someone’s had a sleepless night, they can retreat up here for a rest. As she says, “It’s a very peaceful place.”
Tell us…
What do you think of Elizabeth’s redesign of this loft space? Let us know in the Comments.
The newly designed space has proved a hit with the whole family. “The owners absolutely love it,” Elizabeth says. “It gets used in many different ways now – as a guest room, but for work, too – and with the en suite, you can be totally self-contained.”
The owners also have a new baby, so if someone’s had a sleepless night, they can retreat up here for a rest. As she says, “It’s a very peaceful place.”
Tell us…
What do you think of Elizabeth’s redesign of this loft space? Let us know in the Comments.
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Who lives here? A couple and their three children
Location Sheffield, South Yorkshire
Property A detached Victorian house
Size Five bedrooms (including this loft room)
Room dimensions Bedroom 3.8m x 5.5m; en suite 2m x 1.8m
Project year 2022
Designer Elizabeth Ennis of Wolfe Interiors
Photos by Adam Hunter
The house is Victorian, with lots of original features. “But there was none of that up here,” Elizabeth says. Rather than try to work period details into the loft space, she decided to go for a simple, light look. “I thought, let’s not mimic the rest of the house, but instead go with a minimal style, so it’s a proper contrast when you come up here.”
To keep the owners up to speed throughout the three-month project, Elizabeth used Houzz Pro software. “I save everything – furniture, fittings – to the Selection boards and share them with the clients, who can see and approve it all as we go along,” she says.
“The Clipper tool in particular is invaluable. When I’m visiting any website, I can just click and save products to the board. It means I don’t waste time thinking, where did I see that lamp?” she says.