This is the most extensive project that I have handled to date. The original apartment occupied the bottom floor of an old barn. Upstairs was unused hay loft. The owner wanted to renovate the apartment and make use of the empty space above. We discussed, I cut a hole in the ceiling, and then went to work.
They wanted a simple modern staircase. I suggested running the stringers straight back to the wall to open up more floor space, and also because it would look interesting. They agreed, and the finished piece became the focal point of the new apartment, as well as allowing access to the new second floor. Pieces of the old attic floor were used to trim out the opening.
As with most old buildings there were a number of unforeseen surprises, including extensive termite damage, insufficient insulation, and a rather bouncy upstairs floor. I had to rebuild the footer along two walls, replace one of the main vertical beams which had been completely eaten by ants, shore up the new second floor, add volume below the roof for insulation, run plumbing to the second floor, and much more. The photo to the left shows what the upstairs looked like with only the subfloor installed.
A wall divided the original apartment into two rooms, whereas the new layout is much more spacious and open. in addition two large windows were added to bring in more natural light. In the corners, along the ceiling on the outside wall, and around the staircase we exposed the old barn beams to give the space some additional character.