When key spaces began to feel too small, the two little bedrooms and living room in particular, the owner of this 1938 brick home gave us a call. He asked us to plan an expansion that would give him more room and also maintain his home’s architectural integrity.

The steep lot made for a complicated ground-up addition, but the unfinished attic was promising. A code-conforming staircase already existed, and there was at least some head height to work with.

Our solution was to finish out the attic with a master bedroom, bathroom, casual living space and wet bar. We installed a shed dormer across the back to maximize livable space, while keeping the nook-and-cranny feel. Mission-style woodwork, a volume ceiling and a bank of windows in the eave turned this storage attic into a striking, welcoming place.