We just bought a 100+ year old home and are both excited and nervous to go through our first renovation (with a newborn + two year old in a new city nonetheless)!

Project #1 is tackling the upstairs loft. We would like to convert it to a Guest Bedroom + Office. It is a decent size at 34' x 8', but the stairs and the gabled ceiling cut back on the useable space.

Some of our concerns/challenges incl:
- natural and interior lighting (note: we are considering sky lights or more likely, cost-effective light tubes to bring in more natural light)
- colours and flooring
- storage and lay-out (note: no closet)
- other design features/ideas to jazz up the space
- budget, of course

So Houzzers, I hope this is a fun one. Any ideas?