Victorian Attic Remodel – Madison, WI

New second story floor plan

Added new staircase and stairwell

New windows and skylights

Replaced knob and tube wiring

Used reclaimed, original wood from the house

Custom woodwork on trim, bookcase, closet doors, cabinet doors, and newel posts

Used original techniques and finishes to keep the historic look of the house

The Victorian’s owners wanted to have a finished communal space in their attic as a hang out, office space, or nice reading spot for the family to enjoy. But before we could even touch the attic, we had to create a way to access it. Changing up the floor plan on the second floor, we deconstructed walls on two existing rooms to make room for a new staircase. After demoing the plaster/lathe of the walls we re-arranged and re-framed them, added new electrical, and new HVAC routes.

Once those were complete we started framing the landing for the staircase, as well as the stairway. We then sheet-rocked and plastered the bedroom sides of the new walls so those rooms were accessible again to the family.

Now that the framework was set for the stairs, we moved to the attic and removed loose insulation on the floor deck and demoed an unused chimney to run HVAC and electrical lines straight up to the attic. From here we began work on the floor, prepped for insulation, finished up the electrical, and installed the skylights.

To finish it up we installed the insulation, had plasterboard hung and plastered, installed the remaining windows, finished installing the electrical work, painted, and added trim. The last step was finishing up the staircase. As a special touch we used some reclaimed wood from the house that was still in good condition and did our own custom woodwork and staining including the trim, bookcase, closet doors, cabinet doors, and newel posts to make sure the attic would look and feel the same as the rest of the house.