Before Unsure how to best use the 26' X 14' loft space of the new-construction home, the homeowners of the conventional Tennessee two-story Colonial simply filled it with leftover college furniture until deciding to remodel it as a shared place for their sons to sleep and play. To guarantee the space felt light and bright, they would replace the wall-to-wall carpet with white laminate, paint the walls a cheery shade of sea-foam green, and include custom storage and sleeping solutions.
Architectural Bunk Beds The involved and largest splurge part of the loft's remodel was its habit architectural bunk bed. Created to seem more like a permanent arrangement than the freestanding piece of furniture, the contemporary masterpiece was created from fundamental lumber and decorative pine planks. All in all, the bed took four full days to trim, assemble, sand and paint. To guarantee longevity, it was painted ultra-white in a semigloss finish working with an HVLP paint sprayer. If the palette eventually alter as the boys develop, the ultra-white will operate well with any new color mix.
Integrated Cubby Steps Bearing in mind how important storage is for young boys having massive amounts of toys, steps leading up to the top bunk were installed along the edge of the mattress in the shape of stacked, open-front cubbies.
Pullout Trundle Since the boys grow, their interest in activities is sure to change. And in the future, when one is going off to college, another will still have three years left at the area by himself. To add additional hangout space should the base bunk become no more needed, the mattress of the lower bunk sits on a trundle which rolls out entirely, creating an additional private space for lounging, collecting or doing homework.
Graphic, Preppy Patterns To groom the beds into classic boy fashion with a new, modern spin, blue-and-white gingham pillows were blended using a green-and-white trellis design and a duvet comprising green and white pinstripes.
Integrated Windows The multipurpose room was developed to feel spacious and airy. To make certain that the boys do not feel shut off if lying in bed, windows were integrated along the front as well as the sides. If Mother or Dad need their focus, the boys may view and talk to them via the integrated windows. Additionally, the ledges of the windows were made chunky enough to hold the boys' favorite Matchbox cars and action figures.
Privacy Drapes The multipurpose room has plenty of natural light streaming in through its three windows. To help restrain the early morning rays and offer each brother privacy while sleeping, custom draperies made from army-green linen were sewn, then installed on hospital tracks mounted along the tops of their frontal window openings.
Dutch Door On afternoons and weekends, the multipurpose room is occupied by both boys and their playmates. Since young boys are famous for rambunctiousness and running around endlessly, they are kept at bay securely thanks to a door installed in the room's entry. To keep the children contained inside, the bottom half of the door usually stays closed while the upper half stays open, allowing parents to keep an eye on the children from a space.
Repurposed Toy Hardware For some of the sudden, the existing hardware of the dresser was replaced using habit pulls created by sawing rubber action figures in half, then attaching them into the present holes.
Entry Area Upon entry to the multipurpose room, the boys are greeted with a grassy-green dresser (picked up in a flea market, sanded and sanded) that holds their daily school, playground and gym clothing. Although it may seem insignificant at first, appropriate placement of storage may have a huge effect on maintaining a child's room neat and clean. With regular clothes kept right close to the entry, the boys can seamlessly get dressed then make their way from their room and away to college. While the dresser keeps their casual clothes neatly kept and from sight, a pair of wall mounted hooks was set up along with the bunk bunk bed to keep backpacks off the floor and within arm's reach.
White Laminate Flooring Wall-to-wall carpet, while soft, isn't necessarily the very best flooring option for spaces occupied by active boys. Since the area is used for innovative crafting jobs as well as playtime activities, the existing wall-to-wall carpeting was replaced using a low-cost ultra-white laminate floating floor. When the existing carpeting and padding were removed, a foam underlay was unrolled until the tongue-and-groove boards were attached to one another, cut to size, then staggered. If anything spill on the floor, it can just be wiped up with a sponge.
Midcentury-Modern Globe Pendants During the day the multipurpose room stays bright and cheery on account of the light flowing from its three windows. At night the distance is maintained lit by a trio of oversized midcentury-modern pendants which cast a flattering, diffused glow on the space. When contemplating midcentury globes for your house, keep in mind that most are available in glass and plastic versions. For use in rooms where roughhousing is very likely to happen, it is best to decide on plastic fashions instead of glass.
Three Zones The space program of the multipurpose room is made up of three zones: sleeping, storage and activity.
Felt Activity Wall Space preparation played a big role in the success of this remodeled attic. In other words eight-foot-wide region of dead space to good use, it was transformed to a sensed activity wall. To be able to make this, batting was cut to dimension, then attached with spray adhesive prior to being coated by white felt fastened to the wall using hot glue. Colored felt was subsequently cut to size with scissors to make an range of objects, landscapes and characters.
Closet Reading Nook It's uncommon for many attics to add closets. Considering that the remodeled area was intended to be used as a bedroom in addition to a playspace, proper closets were needed to store apparel shirts, pants and jackets. To add cupboard space and supply the boys an extra spot to read novels, the wall across the front part of the area was styled with 2 X 4 lumber, hinged for 2 doors, then clad with beadboard prior to a central window seat was inserted and all surfaces were sprayed with ultra-white semigloss latex paint. When friends come over, the whole centre of the room could be left expand open for ample area to lay out games and take part in activities.
Wooden Taxidermy For a classic, masculine spin, wooden taxidermy was made for the boys' space by tracing shapes to two-inch-thick bamboo planks with a pencil, then cutting them out with a jigsaw, sanding incorporating a whitewashed finish for a clean appearance. Picture hanging wire is attached to the back for easy, level installation.
Concealed Closet Doors For a sleek appearance, the closet doors are coated in the same beadboard which contrasts the walls of the custom cabinets. When the doors have been closed, each of the 2 closets choose the appearance of architectural focal points. The ultra-white coloring of these closets helps reflect light onto the bold-painted sea-foam walls, leading to a diffused appearance which softens the high degree of wall color. When using minty tones walls, bear in mind that they can really change the colours of other items inside the room. Contrasting minty colours with bright white and natural lighting will assist in a healthier look.
Open Closet Doors Once opened, the closets reveal two hanging rods as well as an inside painted the exact same shade of sea-foam green since the walls and ceiling. Many designers suggest decorating the interiors of cabinets the exact same colour for a room's walls to produce the cabinet feel like an extension of their space. Another thought involves painting the interiors of closets a bold contrasting color, or giving them a separate identity with wallpaper.
Double-Hang Rods To make the most of interior of the two cabinets, two rods were wrapped spaced three feet apart. This allows lots of hanging room for shirts and trousers today, with any extra room eventually being used when the boys become teens and their clothes increase in size. To help keep the structural integrity of apparel and pants intact, wooden hangers were used rather than vinyl styles. By changing plastic or wire hangers out for aluminum or wooden styles, the total look of a cabinet can quickly be awarded high-end appeal.
Window Seat The little window seat between both closets was created with 2X4 timber, paint-grade plywood and beadboard. To be able to generate the seat practical for kids and parents, it's a depth of 20", which is ideal for adult-sized and kid-sized legs to achieve the floor when seated.
Canvas Window Shades To assist with mild control, the 3 windows of the multipurpose area are dressed with green-and-white striped Roman shades made from canvas. Since rooms inhabited by active boys need more durability, the canvas will maintain up to some unpleasant pulls or cluttered fingers as it is wipeable and resilient.
Dormers In its original condition, the inset areas across the dormers were a waste of space. To give these areas a true purpose, they were transformed into two different homework nooks complete with custom floating desks. To make the custom cushions, original 2X4 lumber and paint-grade plywood were both cut to dimension, mitered, attached with a nail gun, then sanded and painted.
Homework Nooks Every one of the two assignments nook's floating desks have been configured with sufficient depth to accommodate books and games in addition to laptop and desktop computers once the boys are old enough to use them for college. Instead of pairing the desks together with themed children's chairs, midcentury-modern Bertoia chairs were added.
Repurposed Play Table For a designated place to work on crafts, draw and colour with crayons, a custom play table has been made from a classic coffee table cut to size using a saw, sanded, then painted green and white. The child-sized chairs were picked up in a flea market, sanded, painted and decoupaged with vintage maps.
Integrated Art Supply Storage Keeping storage in your mind, the table was designed with an integrated bowl for keeping crayons, markers and pencils stored neatly and within arm's reach. To add the bowl, a jigsaw was used to cut out a hole in the center of the table, and a mixing bowl using a lip on the top edge was dropped in. The real key to doing so successfully is choosing a bowl using a deep enough lip to help keep the bowl from slipping through the gap.
