Toys in the Attic

I'm not sure exactly what Aerosmith had in mind when they titled this 1975 cd, but it's a gem. I also don't know what the man who designed the attic in the home I moved into this summer was thinking... but boy did he design it for me.

I've already spent loads of time up there going through boxes of my personal collection of comics, books, and toys to fill out my new hideaway.

I know once I've built in more book shelves--there was already one built into the wall by the stairway-- it will be glorious. I've already drawn up plans to add shelves to the walls which allow for it.

Also, somehow I have to get a desk up there and at this point I'm not sure whether that means building it up there or finding something to take apart and bring up the narrow secret staircase [Ok, the stairway is not completely hidden, but there is a door which simply looks like a linen closet which leads to the attic. Yes, I'm considering making it more like a hidden doorway.]

Here is an early photo of the attic before we moved in, and clearly this woodwork was not the toiling of an amateur. Every angle is accounted for and and as soon as I saw it I knew the room would be perfect for a library and reading room filled with my collection of books.

And as I move box after box, I keep rifling through them to find one piece of treasure after the next. Not to mention I continue to find duplicates of so many books, a side effect of many generous years of free books while working as a book club editor. Ask anyone who ever stopped by my cubicle/office/then cubicle again, and it was packed with books - a joy of the job for me.

So, the built-in shelf went from looking like this...

...to this. Quickly it was filled and as you can see more boxes of books await...I also took advantage of the top to place [from left to right] my: Ultimate Iron Man bust, the Dark Knight Strikes Again statue, Secret Wars Iron Man figure, Mr Freeze snow globe, special edition Boba Fett action figure, reading gargoyle statue, and Dark Horse Hellboy vinyl figure, all on top of the shelf space.

Obviously this is a work in progress. A proud work I would say, a room I've spent a lifetime putting together. And it will change as time goes by and I get rid of non-essentials and purchase more gems for the collection. I look forward to posting progress as more shelves get built and filled.