Attic anxiety has been put to rest, and now we can rest easy as well

 Lucy is back to sitting under her favorite skylight—reading, relaxing, planning—with no fear of woodworms or mites. Three years ago, our attic was uninviting and difficult to access, to say the least. It was dark and full of junk, dirt and even rat droppings. The roof leaked in dozens of places. Paint constantly flaked off the beams. When sunlight filtered through the single tiny skylight, we could see dust swirling like a mini-blizzard. Tarli and acari infested the ceiling.

Now our roof is watertight, even insulated. Our creaky metal pull-down ladder is obsolete, replaced by a shiny and permanent oak staircase. And as of this fall, our ceiling beams are treated for bugs, cleaned and painted. Our cement floor is covered in faux wood linoleum. The filthy spaces under our eaves are cleaned and walled off, with the walls and ceiling painted bright white. A radiating heater has been installed.

It’s technically still an attic, but previously it was just a cluttered, untidy storage area. Now it’s an extension of our living space, another 250 square feet of home, with a view to both the east and the west.

 

Eating breakfast and reading Tex to improve my Italian.

When we left Italy last spring, we barely had time to talk to Juri about what we wanted done. We were almost afraid to go upstairs when we arrived this week, fearful that our last-minute conversation and communications by e-mail had been misunderstood and the work would be less than what we envisioned. For the most part, our fears were misplaced. The work is excellent, and Lucy and I look forward to spending many happy hours upstairs together, alone and with family and friends. We can pull mattresses out of storage, lay them on the floor and easily sleep a half dozen people. We can gather around our large wooden table and play games. We can open the skylights to enjoy views of hills and valleys by day and stars and moon by night.

 

Our new overflow bedroom.

One feature we had asked for we didn’t get. We had wanted one or two sleeping nooks under the eaves, and even though I sent Juri sample photos, these went by the wayside. I didn’t bother to ask why. It would have been nice, but they were not essential. If we want them badly enough, they can be added later. My only other regret is that some uneven parts of the cement flooring were not leveled before the linoleum was placed. I hadn’t communicated this desire specifically, but I had hoped for the best. Still, the uneven places are not centrally located, and they will be covered with mattresses when that area is used.

After a busy summer of work and then four action-packed weeks of travel in New York, Maryland, England and Amsterdam, we’re ready to kick back and relax. We have no specific plans to go anywhere or see anyone, and since the work on our attic was completed in our absence, we’re free to experience that famous Italian phrase dolce far niente, the sweetness of doing nothing.