Before and After: An Attic Turned Cozy Bedroom Has a Stunning $200 Feature Window

If you’ve just moved, you never know what surprising or unexpected items old tenants might leave behind — or what niche features the former home of a hobbyist might include. From homes with giant chess boards to a full-on replica of a space command center, AT readers have seen it all when it comes to bewildering home finds.

For Will Pryor, the quirky attic find in his new home was rock climbing holds — perfect for extremely angled walls and an avid climber — but not so perfect for Will, who’s not into bouldering.

When he moved in, Will knew he could turn the slanted space into a functional bathroom and bedroom combo working with his contractor, Thor Benediktsson. “I decided to make the change not just to increase the property value or to give me a dedicated master bedroom or bathroom, but also to fulfill a vision I had when I toured the house,” Will says.

For example, he wanted to continue the downstairs’ dark hardwood floors in the bedroom. “I figured bamboo was a good alternative, and I’ve loved the Herringbone pattern ever since I saw it in the great houses and castles of Europe,” Will says. He learned something, though: Will hasn’t been pleased with how easily his bamboo floors scratch, and he recommends against them for future projects.

Another major change that took the attic from storage-space-meets-climbing-gym was adding more natural light. Will found the large half round window in his revamped bedroom from a surplus store. Marked down to $200, it was a steal.

The bench under the windows pulls double (triple, even?) duty: It covers unsightly ductwork, provides added storage, and serves as a display shelf for plants and framed photos.

For color, Will decided to go with soft grays on the walls and in his linens to complement the adjacent bathroom, but he did add a pop of unexpected color in an unexpected place: his lightbulbs. “Since I have amazing angled ceilings, I decided to have some fun with different lighting fixtures and color-changing LED bulbs,” he says. (An equally fun upgrade from the climbing gym before.)

Overall, the added lighting — LED and especially natural — is Will’s favorite part of his new bedroom. “Waking up in the space and watching the light filter in through the large windows has become a simple pleasure that I always relish,” he says.

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