Entertainment Book Film Sydney Sweeney The Housemaid

The Housemaid’s author shares what the real attic looks like, and it’s so different from the film

The movie version was 'way too pretty'

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2nd January 2026, 12:37
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People who’ve read and watched The Housemaid have been left a little divided after seeing what the attic in the story was actually inspired by. And once you see it, it’s hard to look at the film version in the same way again.

If you’ve read the book by Freida McFadden, you’ll know the attic is a huge part of the story. It’s where some of the darkest and most disturbing moments happen. It’s meant to feel cramped, frightening and completely unlivable. However, when the film adaptation hit cinemas this year, the attic was very different.

The movie, starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried, shows the attic as more of a proper room. There’s space, a bed, lighting, and it almost feels… liveable. Creepy, yes, but still far nicer than many readers expected.

As a result, plenty of people online complained that it didn’t match what they’d imagined while reading the book.

So, what does the real attic that inspired the one in The Housemaid book look like?

Taking to Instagram, the author shared a photo of the real-life attic that inspired her while writing The Housemaid. And it’s a completely different vibe.

Instead of a finished bedroom, the photo shows a rough, unconverted loft. There’s a single bare lightbulb, exposed insulation, and barely any proper flooring. It looks cold, uncomfortable and honestly quite terrifying.

Freida even wrote in the caption that she was “pretty sure there was a bat living up there”, adding that she wasn’t joking. Comforting stuff.

Unsurprisingly, people were quick to react. Many readers said this was exactly how they’d imagined the attic while reading the book. One person commented that the movie version was “way too pretty”, while another said Freida was incredible at making readers visualise such a horrible space.

On the other hand, not everyone agreed. A few people said the film attic and the staircase leading up to it matched what they had pictured in their heads. So clearly, imagination plays a big role here.

That said, it’s easy to see why some people were disappointed. The real attic feels far more claustrophobic and unsettling, which fits the tone of the story perfectly.

Still, despite the attic debate, the film itself has been a massive hit, especially the hotel scene.

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