Friday, June 22, 2012

Media room renovation

 
From: Apartment Therapy.com
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After a year's hard labor, Sylt's finally ready to show us his attic media room designed for media gods, made all the more convincing with beautifully crafted mahogany chairs shaped like hands. Sure, he might not have gone IKEA crazy or taken much inspiration from Bert, but sure has created a place we'd love to see ourselves winding down from a long, hard day's work.
 
In his system, we spy him using the OneForAll URC-8206 Kameleon 6 SE remote, a Philips 37PF9830 LCD HDTV, Yamaha DVD-S2700 (DVD player), and a Yamaha NS 5.1 surround sound system.

We love how he's used recessed lamps built into the cross-bars across the ceiling to accentuate the seating area. Combined with the backlighting from behind the LCD screen, the room receives a very much deserved romantic feel, as if you're watching TV in another world - away and above from it all. We imagine computing here in this little here den would feel oh-so-nice as well.
(Images: Syltkrukans)
 




Apartment # 7

From: ApartmentTherapy.com
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We've certainly posted our fair share of open-plan living solutions, but we really love food writer Laura Santtini's attic apartment. While most lofts take advantage of high ceilings and exposed pipes for the quintessential industrial look, Santtini opted for a more comfortable style--even going so far as lowering the ceilings!

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(Images: Living Etc.)

    


Thursday, June 21, 2012

La Banane

La Banane

From: houseofturquoise.com










As if vacationing in sunny St Barths wasn't amazing enough, let me introduce you to La Banane–one of the most secluded hotels on the island. The small, ultra-private, ultra-fabulous hotel only has 9 rooms, each with their own private terrace. I am loving the juicy color palette and cool mix of modern and retro styles. Aren't those bedrooms great?! Ooh AND an outdoor shower! You have to check out their uber-chic website, it's one of the most unique that I've seen!

Monday, June 18, 2012

Bright Attic Suite

A Bright Attic Suite for $2,620


Before: Dark and Dysfunctional
While a bath was already in place and indents in the carpet suggested there'd been a bed up there too, the space was far from restful. Dark wood paneling and space-hogging closets had turned it into a dim, depressing maze. "The hall was 20 inches wide. I don't know how anyone could have gotten a mattress up there," says Bryan.

Shown: Dark wood paneling, too many closets, and worn carpeting made the small space feel dated and claustrophobic.

outdated and dark attic
 

Opening Up

A half-wall behind the bedroom bench, plus a balustrade, replaced full walls that used to enclose the staircase. Now, end-to-end sight lines allow lots of sunlight to enter the space.

attic remodeled into master bedroom with half wall

Smart Storage

The built-in bench provides extra storage for linens. The painted base blends in with the walls, while the beadboard-lined interior ties in with the nearby bathroom.

Homeowner Tip
"Reuse materials wherever possible. I used 2x4s salvaged from the walls I demolished to frame the bench and covered it with leftover drywall." —Bryan Langdeau, Waterbury, Conn.

attic remodeled into master bedroom with built in storage bench

Master Bath

The updated bath was freshened up with paint and a new, space-saving vanity. A custom door built by the homeowner replaced a curtain. Its translucent, film-topped glass panels bring light into the small, windowless space while still maintaining privacy.

remodeled bathroom with glass paneled door

The Project Tally

• Gutted the space of paneling, drywall, and carpet, $0

• Added insulation and raised half of the dropped ceiling, $200

• Updated the electrical and installed new light fixtures, $325

• Put up new drywall and added baseboard, window, and doorway trim, $400

• Replaced one stairwell wall with a balustrade, $165

• Laid an oak floating floor, $800

• Built a glass-panel pine door for the bath's narrow doorway, $120

• Installed a new bath vanity, $110

• Made an oak-topped half-wall and built-in storage bench, $250

• Brightened walls with 2 gallons of primer and 5 gallons of paint, $250

TOTAL: $2,620

men working on installing built in storage bench in remodeled attic


Friday, June 15, 2012

Attic Guest-Friendly Sanctuary

Guest-Friendly Sanctuary
From: hgtv.com
 
The Sulimas family wants to convert their cluttered attic into a gathering place. Jean Sulima not only works in retail, but she also brings a lot of it home with her.
 
There are actually two beds under this profusion of purchases that clog the attic guest room.
The unused purchases of this confirmed shopaholic have taken over the entire attic space of the 300-year-old home she shares with her husband, Jim, and teenage children Jena and Phil. In fact, she is the only one in the family who stores items in this room.
 
The large, 17 x 12-foot guest room holds gifts purchased for unknown recipients and boxes and boxes of broken dishes to be used for a never-begun mosaic project.
A large walk-in closet, guest room and sitting room are filled with uncounted bags of clothing, gifts, crafts and unfinished projects.
She would like to reclaim the guest room for guests and turn the sitting room into a sanctuary where she can relax and work on craft projects.
Professional organizer Crystal Sabalaske steps with solutions. Her first step is to purge the rooms of unused or unneeded things. When sorting clothes, Sabalaske recommends donating any items that have not been worn in a year, that aren’t comfy, don't fit, don't look good, are torn or stained.
 
Things are put into one of four piles: keep, sell, donate, or don’t know. For the "keep" pile, a sub-category of "store elsewhere" is created to save time running things to other parts of the house and losing focus. Sabalaske also recommends taking everything out of closets and bags so you can see what you have before you start to sort it. "It gets messier before it starts to get better," she warns.
Sabalaske's rule for shopping: Whenever you buy something new, remove an older item from the closet to make room for it.

Once all the sorting was complete, the transformations began. The busy purple and blue walls and ceilings were eliminated, bookshelves are placed against the wall with the low-sloped ceiling in the sitting room (where the bed used to be) to create a pocket of storage space behind them, and the closet had a full overhaul.
With all the bags gone and stored, there finally is space in the guest room for guests and their bags. Light walls and organized storage make the room feel much larger.
The closet in the guest bedroom is now full of labeled boxes and clear containers. Fewer closet rods and rolling storing make it easier to move around. There's even a diagram of the closet that provides a key to the storage system.
Storage behind the bookcases in the sitting room helped clean up the space. Moving the bed to another wall created room for a desk and sitting area.
Risers were placed underneath all the beds to create hidden storage for infrequently used items.

Products from The Container Store:
legal storage boxes
photo storage boxes
Elfa casters
runner frame
runner drawers
drawer liners
drawer in/out stops

Product from Smart Furniture:
maple-finish book shelf
Products from Pier 1:
Cape Charles armchair
Cape Charles ottoman
Miranda nightstand
Medici adjustable desk lamp
velvet beaded pillows in Sage and Gold
Product from Lillian Vernon:
storage cubes Stacks and Stacks:
deluxe 5-tier skirt open-end slack clothes hanger
Slimline hanger sets for women's clothing
Space Bag clothing bags
notched clothes hangers
ironing organizer
snap cases
floor light, swing arm
bed riser-bed elevators
straw totes
drawer chest
armoire wardrobe
Product from Rubbermaid:
clear boxes with lids

From: hgtv.com

Storybook Attic Girl's Bedroom Makeover

Storybook Girl's Bedroom Makeover
From: hgtv.com

Host Joan Steffend and designer Nadia Ramirez decorate a girl's bedroom in a storybook theme.
 
 
After
 
The walls are brought to life with a faux linen paint finish. They mix lavender paint, glaze and water in equal parts, then begin applying the mixture with a roller brush in three-foot sections. Ramirez then pulls a specialty brush through the wet paint both horizontally and vertically to create a linen look. Tip:It's much easier to work with a partner when completing this finish — one to roll on the paint and another to work the brush.

Custom book-themed headboards are created out of inexpensive MDF. The board is cut in the shape of an open book, then treated with two coats of primer and one coat of white paint. Ramirez uses watered-down gold paint to create the stripes for the pages and uses a ruler to keep the handwritten lines straight.

The beds are dressed with new sheets and comforters and dainty bed canopies made out of wall plaques and sheer shower curtains. The curtains are secured to the plaques with teacup hooks attached around the outside of the plaque.
 
Before
The nook by window becomes a secret hideaway with the addition of a twin bed and painted doors. They create a plywood platform for the bed and cover the end with a piece of decoratively painted wood. Ramirez cuts MDF into a door shape, paints the exterior to look like a bookshelf then hinges them to 1x4s attached to the wall outside the nook.

The homeowner's trunk is used as a side table between the beds. A new lamp adds ambiant lighting. The dresser and desk are embellished with paper doll cutouts decoupaged onto the surface.
Memory books are created out of an old book and wood plaques.

Itemized Design Elements
$60 - paint and glaze (Hirshfield's: Sugar Plum - #70144; glaze)
$6 - craft paint (Plaid: FolkArt - Hot Pink #634, Kelly Green #407, Pure Orange #628, True Blue #401, Buttercup #905, Cardinal Crimson #20590)
$15 - MDF board
$95 - bedding (bed skirts: Target - Waverly, Field of Flowers Cottage Collection; comforter sets: TJ Maxx - Designer's Guild, Kadesa #062K2790; sheet set: TJ Maxx - Designer's Guild, Kadesa #11666)
$65 - two bed canopies (shower curtains: TJ Maxx - Garden Grows Pockets, SCH0335-7MUAPSD)
$25 - plywood platform
$15 - twin sheet set
$30 - pillows (TJ Maxx)
$7 - cafe rod
$20 - shelf
$20 - art (TJ Maxx: #072258)
$30 - doors
$20 - lamp (TJ Maxx)
$30 - rug (TJ Maxx: #072258)
$30 - pillows
$8 - memory book (wood wall plaques: Michaels)
$476 - Total Cost

From: hgtv.com

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Third Floor Kid's Space

Third Floor Kid's Space
From: diynetwork.com

Our three boys love their third floor bedroom/playroom! Yes we have three young boys in the expanded attic third floor space of a historic victorian! The wall colors show off the fun architectural details.

Third Floor Kid's Space, Our three boys love their third floor bedroom/playroom!  Yes we have three young boys in the expanded attic third floor space of a historic victorian!  The wall colors show off the fun architectural details., Dino's cars and Star Wars oh my!  Our boy's love the space that they share away from the adults!  They use the window seat for a play surface to build Legos and play Star Wars.  Again thank you for the positve comments!Paint colors:  Benjamin Moore:  2136-50 (blue) & 2166-40 (orange), Boys' Rooms Design

Dino's cars and Star Wars oh my! Our boy's love the space that they share away from the adults! They use the window seat for a play surface to build Legos and play Star Wars. 

Third Floor Kid's Space, Our three boys love their third floor bedroom/playroom!  Yes we have three young boys in the expanded attic third floor space of a historic victorian!  The wall colors show off the fun architectural details., Dino themed sleeping area for the 6 & 7 year olds., Boys' Rooms Design

Dino themed sleeping area for the 6 & 7 year olds.

Third Floor Kid's Space, Our three boys love their third floor bedroom/playroom!  Yes we have three young boys in the expanded attic third floor space of a historic victorian!  The wall colors show off the fun architectural details., Open yet safe stair for a narrow space.  Nice architectural details make the third floor blend seemlessly with the rest of the home., Boys' Rooms Design

Open yet safe stair for a narrow space. Nice architectural details make the third floor blend seemlessly with the rest of the home.

Third Floor Kid's Space, Our three boys love their third floor bedroom/playroom!  Yes we have three young boys in the expanded attic third floor space of a historic victorian!  The wall colors show off the fun architectural details., Look through a three year old's eyes!  He loves his car bed and sharing a bedroom with his older brothers.  Thank you for the positive comments!Paint Colors:  Benjamine Moore: 2136-50 (blue) & 2166-40 (orange), Boys' Rooms Design

Look through a three year old's eyes! He loves his car bed and sharing a bedroom with his older brothers. 

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Multipurpose Attic Renovation

Multipurpose Attic Renovation
From: HGTV.com

Will Carol Reitz succeed in transforming her cluttered attic into an exercise room and home office.
Ever since Carol Reitz settled into her home nine years ago, she has used her attic as a storage room for pillows, wrapping paper and boxes of miscellaneous items. The mess has grown so big over the years that even her pooch Maddie gets lost as soon as she sets paws up there. In fact, she's has forbidden Maddie from entering the room because of all the clutter.
 
She envisions renovating the 12 x 20-foot room into a recreational area, while still keeping some room for storage. Helping her achieve this goal is professional organizer Crystal Sabalaske.

Carol has her work cut out for her with this room renovation. There's barely any space to walk around, much less set up a workout area.
 
The crawlspace has been unfinished and ignored completely. There are so many items piled in front of it she can't get inside.
The first step is to clear out the mess. Crystal suggests sorting through all of the things out and placing them into piles to make things easier to find. Also in the plan is a custom-made cabinet for storing these items as well as a window seat for her pillow collection.
  
Three weeks later, the space has been completely reworked and is now a haven for relaxation, according to Carol. She can't wait to spend time in the room, and now Maddie can be a part of it, too.
The 12 x 20-foot attic is now an inviting multipurpose room. There are specific areas for reading, working, watching television or just having conversation.

The cedar-lined window seat shows off her pillow collection that she changes out with the seasons. Maddie likes it so much that Reitz hasn't yet used the storage space that was built in underneath.
The black laminate desk was purchased to match the decor and has been placed in the far corner of the room. She decided to accessorize the desk with a lamp made out of one of the birdhouses her father created.
Gary Williams, owner of The Fix-it Guy, created this custom cabinet, and Crystal suggested the storage bins inside. Room was saved on the top of the shelf for displaying some of Carol's extensive pottery collection.
Remember that crawlspace we mentioned? Carol felt it was too dark and creepy to even enter, but Crystal has changed all that.
Mission complete. The changes to Carol Reitz's attic have far exceeded her expectations, and she looks forward to spending much more time there.
Sabalaske's Tips:
  • Sort things in stages.
  • Create piles by category.
  • Store wrapping by holiday.
  • Make sure storage baskets are lined.
Makeover Information
Products from The Container Store:
vertical gift-wrap organizer
black granite desktop 54" x 24" x 1'
matte black desk-height cube
black single shelf for desk cube
scarf and jewelry organizer
white three-drawer storage box
12-pack archival photo envelopes
sweater drawer
square storage box
clear storage trunk with handle
archival album storage box
wide white 10-runner frame
wide flush-mount melamine top
wide white one-runner drawer
wide white two-runner drawer
wide white three-runner drawer
set of four casters with white adapters
four-pack drawer in-out stops
6-foot white ventilated 20" shelf
80" white easy hang top track
clear wide drawer liner
36" white hang standard
60" white hang standard
five-pack wall anchors for 1/2" or 5/8" drywall
10-pack wood screws and masonry wall anchors
four-pack wall anchors for 1" plaster or 5/8" drywall
Products from Lillian Vernon:
rattan storage bench
shopping-bag holder
beige-gold over-the-door organizer
white shelf dividers S-4
24 cedar cubes
pivoting light bar
Benjamin Moore paint colors used:
3 gallons #60 Rich Brown latex floor and patio enamel
5 gallons Gerbera Daisy, latex flat finish
1 gallon latex Atrium White flat finish
3 gallons latex Atrium White semigloss
2 gallons primer for latex paint
Louis De Porterer Rug:
Color: Black Malayer
Pattern: Samarkand
From: hgtv.com