When the UK’s most famous organiser decided her loft needed sorting, she had help from the professionals…
Stacey has built her reputation, and an entire BBC One series, on the idea that every home deserves to be organised properly. She understands better than most that a well-run house is something that takes work: the right systems, the right approach, and sometimes the right professionals. So when it came to making the most of the loft space at Pickle Cottage, her beautiful Tudor-style home in Essex, Access4Lofts was the team she trusted.
The challenge
Pickle Cottage is home to Stacey, her husband Joe Swash, and their six children. That is a great deal of life happening under that one roof and, as any large family knows, the loft tends to end up carrying more than its fair share of the load. Unfortunately, Stacey’s loft suffered from the same problem as so many others in houses all around the country.
Getting into it was awkward, the lighting was poor, and the whole space was barely fit for use, let alone a place you would actually want to spend any time in. A loft you can’t use properly isn’t really storage at all, it’s just somewhere things go to be forgotten about.
On a property that had been renovated with real care throughout, the loft needed to earn its place alongside the rest of it. The brief was simple: turn this neglected, difficult-to-access space into somewhere the family could actually use day to day, safely and without any fuss.
Bread and butter stuff for all our teams, though we’ve never had to do it around a live BBC filming schedule before. Fortunately, our experts took it in their stride.
The transformation
As is often the case with jobs like these, it all started with sorting out the access. It’s hard to overstate what a difference a proper loft ladder makes to the whole experience of having a loft, so a quality wooden ladder was the first priority. What was previously an awkward, slightly precarious process became something you can do on a Tuesday evening without thinking twice about it. The easier a loft is to use, the more likely you are to use it – and to use it safely.
With that sorted, the full loft floor was boarded out, creating a solid, walkable surface right across the space. The boarding sits raised above the existing insulation, which matters more than it might sound: the thermal performance of the home stays completely intact, so there’s no trade-off between having a functional loft and keeping the house properly warm.
We also fitted LED lighting throughout the loft. Previously, finding anything meant balancing a torch while navigating around stored boxes. Now the entire space is clearly visible from end to end, making it easy for Stacey to see what she’s got, find what she needs, and keep things in order without resorting to the system of optimistic guesswork that most unloved lofts run on.
Shelving completed the job, giving everything a proper home, and turning the space into exactly the kind of organised, logical storage that anyone who has watched five minutes of Sort Your Life Out would immediately recognise.
The result
The finished loft is somewhere a busy family home can actually rely on: properly accessible, well-lit, solidly boarded, and set up for real, everyday use rather than the occasional reluctant visit.Stacey shared the transformation with her Instagram audience, giving homeowners across the country a glimpse into just how much is possible when you bring in specialists to unlock the full potential of your loft. The project also featured in her email newsletter, helping to spread the message even further.
We’re incredibly grateful to Stacey for sharing her experience with Access4Lofts. It’s always rewarding to see homeowners discover just how much untapped potential exists above their heads, and we’re delighted that the transformation resonated with so many people. We received a huge number of messages from homeowners inspired by the project and keen to explore what’s possible in their own lofts.
Your loft has the same potential
The work we did at Pickle Cottage is the same work we carry out in homes of every shape and size. A good loft ladder, proper boarding, decent lighting, the right shelving – all of it makes a very real difference to how a home works and how it feels to live in.
Most lofts in the UK are underused, poorly lit and awkward to get into, and most of them don’t have to be.
Find a local installer in your area, or call us free on 0800 909 8967 for a free, no-obligation quotation.
