The attic is a space that is located below the roof or that hides the beginning of the roofs or the cover of the façade.
The first meanings of attic mentioned in the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ) allude to what is linked to Attica , a region belonging to Greece whose capital is Athens . Atticus, in this context, is the demonym of this area and the name of the dialect of the classical Greek language that was spoken there.
Currently, however, the most common use of the term attic appears related to architecture . The space located on the top floor of a building, below the roof , is called an attic. Also known as an attic is the place that allows the façade cover or the beginning of the roofs to be hidden.
Uses of an attic
An attic can be an attic , loft or attic . In this case, it is usually intended for storage of items that are not used frequently. For example: "I'm going to organize all my books and notes from the university to keep them in the attic" , "Yesterday, cleaning the attic, I found my collection of magazines from the '80s" , "I keep my childhood toys in the attic»
Faced with a complicated economic situation, attics are often refurbished as rooms for a person to live in: "When I lost my job, I had to go live in the attic of my parents' house," "The child sleeps in the attic since we cannot move to a larger home .
The attic is a common setting in horror movies.
Other ways of use
On the other hand, sometimes using the attic to fulfill a different function than usual has nothing to do with economic problems, but perhaps the opposite or a passion for decoration . There are many examples on the Internet of attics that have been completely renovated to become offices, workshops, craft rooms or bedrooms, among other ideas.
If we do not have so many things to store in the attic, or if we can donate or sell them, in this way we can obtain a more intimate space , which allows us to concentrate or find inspiration, without having to make a large monetary investment.
Neglected or luxury penthouses
Just as with basements, which are also not so common in all parts of the world, order and hygiene do not always reign in the attic, but instead you can see a large number of boxes and furniture covered in dust and wrapped in cobwebs. Added to this are small or irregularly shaped objects that have not been properly stored, all crowned by the poor lighting that a single light bulb can provide.
Penthouses can also be converted into apartments (apartments), which may or may not be luxury. This is possible when, in a new building, the space is used for the construction of a home. In Spain, for example, a home that is located on the top floor of a building is known as a penthouse and, although it usually has a higher price than the rest of the apartments, this is mainly due to the fact that it has larger dimensions and a terrace.
For example, in a building with two apartments per floor, the attic is likely to cover the area equivalent to two homes, with much of the space allocated to an open patio. Among the advantages of the penthouse with respect to the rest of the options is a greater degree of privacy, more light and, depending on the area in which it is located, better views.
The term in cinema
Cinema often uses the figure of the attic as a key element in horror films .
Although in certain countries the presence of this type of room is not very common in most homes, they are easily recognized internationally, and are ideal for generating moments of great tension.