A Book Lover's Nook - Swanville, Maine.

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An above garage space can be awkward to utilize, generally long and slim and built without much thought, other than for storage and this space was no exception, however, by opening up a wall into the main house and creating access, this room could become a self contained rental suite with it's own entrance, mudroom, bathroom, living space and bedroom. 
With that plan in mind, we got to work. 

The mudroom had a huge closet that took over the space and created a long dark hallway to an awkward bathroom, so that came out and I patched the floor tile in to open up the entry space and shorten the hallway. A glass door was added to allow light into the hall and privacy to the suite. The bathroom had a mini overhaul, updating the vanity with a coat of paint, new fixtures and lighting, and the plastic shower surround replaced with a gorgeous slate tile and sliding glass door. The wall was opened up at the end of the shortened hall and a staircase added to access the garage loft space.

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It seemed that the one of the many previous owners of the house had added closets with a view to using the room as a bedroom but that was as far as it had gone. Most recently it had been a room for a large family dog, resulting in damaged floors, doors and walls and lots and lots of hair. 

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The room itself however had lots of redeeming features. The uninterrupted view of the evergreens and hills beyond from the elevated windows inspired a restful retreat. The gable roof gave the room an A-frame vibe, making it possible to make it cozy and private and the weathered wide pine boards could easily be cleaned up and add warmth to the neglected space.

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I began by centralizing and widening the door in the middle of the room. These jobs are always a lot of work to do, but SO worth the results. Adding the repurposed double glass door opened up the room so dramatically and framed the incredible views beyond. 
I removed one of the closets to make space for the King bed instead of cramming in a Queen with an awkward pathway around it and that also made a huge difference.

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Refinishing the floors was a filthy task, scraping years worth of dirt from between the floorboards wasn't any fun at all, but, once I had sanded out the scratches and cleaned it up, all it took was a can of stain and the floor became a warm, welcoming hug. The floor in what was to become the bedroom had previously been painted, so it also got a deep clean, an updated color and a fresh lick of floor paint.

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Click below to see the 'Before & After' galleries. Get in touch and tell me what you think of the transformation.

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Painting the whole space white, including the ceilings, created a zen-like space and made the ceilings feel higher which I think is important in such a physically tight space. 

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Next, it was down to dressing the room. It suddenly felt so fresh, clean and calm and all I wanted to do was sit and read a book or daydream whilst staring out of the window. So it was decided that, instead of adding a TV and the usual draws of a rental suite, the space would be dedicated to peaceful pursuits such as reading, writing, playing board games or jigsaw puzzles, drinking coffee and daydreaming.

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A couch and a chair to lounge on, a table to play, a surface to pile up books and make coffee, blankets and a fluffy rug to sink your toes into were on my list. I picked up several pre-loved pieces and refinished them and used 60+ year old apple carts to make the bedside tables, giving the room some personality and softening off the new furnishings. Adding plants, some real, some fake, added life to the room, as did the thoughtful artwork. Gazing into a painting while daydreaming is so peaceful.

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The view from the window inspired my color palette and it was fall in Maine as I dressed the room. Yellows, oranges, blues and the evergreens were pulled into the room and framed by the almost black glass doors. 

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The result of the remodel is astounding. An unloved end of the main house has been transformed into a relaxing haven that encourages rest and creativity, daydreaming and soaking in the surroundings and a way to maximize revenue from a previously unused space.