From Production to Custom: Transforming an Attic Into a Luxe Roof Terrace

Interior designer Ryan Austin Hagood fell in love with developer/builder Hedgewood Homes’ newest community in the Morningside area of Atlanta but couldn’t move into a production home without making at least a few tweaks.  

Hagood, owner of r.a.d. Interiors, in Atlanta, worked closely with the architect and Hedgewood Homes co-founder Pam Sessions to take the soon-to-be-built production home and turn it into a custom home fully reflective of Hagood’s personal style and needs. “The builder's openness allowed me to take the home in a unique direction,” Hagood says.

With wants for natural light and an inviting flow in a flexible floor plan, Hagood set eyes on the attic as one particular area that required a major overhaul.

THE NEW ROOFTOP TERRACE DESIGN INCLUDES ROOM FOR AL FRESCO DINING. | PHOTO: KRISTIN KARCH

“The original plan felt restrictive. I wanted to fully utilize the space to create an expansive rooftop that would feel like an outdoor oasis,” Hagood says. “The views from the rooftop were unexpectedly breathtaking, so it made sense to maximize that potential.”

The existing plan included an attic with a nearby small terrace and covered loggia. Hagood opted to remove the attic space completely, opening the walls to extend the terrace to both sides of the loggia and removing part of the roof. It became a unique trait in the developed community but still blends well with the community due to the existing small terraces on neighbors’ homes.

THE OPEN ATTIC SPACE CREATES YEAR-ROUND ACCESS WITH A FIREPLACE AND HEATERS. | PHOTO: KRISTIN KARCH

With its changes, the space became an open, year-round rooftop escape, especially so with the addition of a fireplace. The original plan included a centered fireplace, but the terrace expansion required a relocation for a more effective layout.

Hagood used the newly found space to design an outdoor kitchen and dining area, with both a lounging space under the former attic’s roof and outdoors on the terrace.

The new design includes an abundance of greenery, most notably the artificial turf covering the terrace.

THE OUTDOOR LOUNGING AREA ON ONE SIDE OF THE COVERED OUTDOOR SPACE. | PHOTO: KRISTIN KARCH

Water drains through the high-quality turf easily thanks to the roof’s slope and then filters through a sand layer below, draining to scuppers on each corner of the roof.

“This not only looks great but functions perfectly in an outdoor space,” Hagood says.

THE REIMAGINED ROOFTOP SPACE NOW HAS ROOM FOR AN OUTDOOR KITCHEN. | PHOTO: KRISTIN KARCH