Atrium Ideas

Library

• Take advantage of the atrium space in the middle or back of your house to create a library. Build a bookshelf that extends up through the house that you can climb around and explore. Run full length ladders on a track to make it easy to find your favorite books.

  Create built in bookshelves that outline archways and cover all four walls for a larger book collection. Add a wrought iron freestanding staircase to retrieve books.

Garden

• Create an atrium container garden in an enclosed space that leads to your front door. Access the garden from the outside through a side door in one wall. Add paving stones with a drainage system to create a courtyard feel. Leave it open to the sky to let in light for plants. Add columns, beams and benches to define the space. Arrange large planters that hold ornamental trees and other flowering plants around these sitting spaces.

Foyer

• Turn the multilevel foyer entrance into a radiant space that welcomes your guests into your home. Use translucent glass on the roof or skylights that gradually give way to exposed timber roofing. Add gravel and pavers, and benches or chairs to create a place where your guests can sit and rest while they remove their outer garments and shoes. Create a wall of opaque glass panels to separate the foyer from the rest of the house.

Sleeping Loft

• Add an upper sleeping loft area to your indoor atrium. Contain it with a balcony railing or a three-quarter wall for privacy. Add a circular wrought iron staircase for easy access. Add roof skylights to light the area during the day and provide star viewing at night. The exterior of the balcony railing or a three quarter wall can double as a display for large works of art.