How dormer windows make best use of your attic space

Home of the Year winner Jennifer Sheahan shares advice on dormer conversions

A good rule of thumb for a dormer extension or attic conversion is to keep it bright.

It is Halloween once again, and so naturally my thoughts are veering towards spiders, bats, and dark scary spaces. I am, of course, talking about the attic, that spooky space full of broken deck chairs, dusty boxes of old school books, and an unwanted fondue set. And spiders. In an economy where buying a bigger house seems increasingly out of reach, it makes sense that many of us are sweeping out the cobwebs to transform our attics into more usable spaces.

A skylight in the chimney breast. Picture: Moya Nolan