Room Mod!!! HELP PLEASE

T

Tman

Gawd
Joined
Aug 10, 2004
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What's Up!!!!

Hay guys. I have out grown my old room and really would like to move into the storage room. LOL. but i would really like to hear waht you guys think about some of my room ideas and what you guys would really like to have/see.

the storage room is ~23'x18' and i really really would like to have half of it dedicated to my computers. picture of what i am thinking
bedroomideea3.jpg


i hope that that gives you guys a good idea of what i am dealing with and thinking!!!
 
first off, sorry about the size of the picture, i chose the wrong sized one :mad:


After searching these forms, i have found some really cool rooms that i really like and would like to do. here are some pictures

got the wireing and switches figured out, but would really like suggestions
P4300848.jpg


home made desk, almost just like this
newdesk2.jpg

2comps.jpg


i am also really wanting to run EL wire around the room, for a really cool look too.
 
Looks like it will be a nice layout. ^_^

A few pointers...

1. The countertop works well for desks. Seen it done a few times You may want to look into getting the rounded edge vs. the square edge countertop though. It doesn't jab you when you pull up to your desk, or when you bump it getting in and out. It does cost alittle more, but it is a change the people I know thyat didnt do it wish they did. Those that did were quite glad. Up to you. That can add quite a bit to the countertop however, so depending on the budgetm that may not work.

2. They make round or square edge support beams for most countertops. I'd probably spend the little extra money and at least get nice supports. The one desk it looks like they just used plywood for the supports. Even painted it doesn't look as good. The counter supports are thicker and more sturdy. Again, rounded is an option here as well.

3. Do you like to watch tv from in bed? If so you may want to put the tv on a swivel if you can. If not it may not be a concern for you.

The design looks good and should work well no matter what you do though. Can't wait to see how it turns out ^_^

My only concern woulg be the TV watching from bed. I love to just relax in bed and watch tv. Ither than that, its a nice functional setup ^_^
 
thanks for the post.

i am trying to keep this cheap and etc. (forgot to mention that ;-( )

what you said about the rounded edges, is something that i would really really like and have thought of.

when it comes to the supprots and base, i have played with my power tools enought to make it really nice and strong.

the tv will be able to turn, so that i can watch it form bed ^_^.


I also have to put in a drop celing and lay some cheap carpet. the only problem that i my run into but really doubt is that i will have concreat walls all around me which will look really cool.
 
Getting back on track>>>

what do you think about my setup idea... I am really hopeing that i can get this thing started really really soon. ;)
 
Concrete walls=Echoes...
Look into covering them in some fashion either with some wood paneling or some rugs or any number of other possibilities.

Why dont you post some pics of the room your modifying

Also you gotta ask yourself do you ever have friends over to do anything but play on computers, if so you may wanna insert a couch or lazyboy. I used to have one in my room and me and my friends would play video games, then my grandma would feed them (i live with her) and everyone would fall asleep on my couch.

Edit: Btw sometimes responses on the forums take a while, so you have to be patient.
 
thanks.

I do have a couch in my room currently, and i will post picturs with what i have to deal with.

The only probelm is that i really would like to keep the cost down as much as i can, becasue i am keeping my eyes on the HP 23" monitor and some upgrades. To keep the sound down, i am going to put a drop down celing and some old foam ontop of that.

thanks.... that helped alot ;)
 
braidman said:
Concrete walls=Echoes...
Look into covering them in some fashion either with some wood paneling or some rugs or any number of other possibilities.
Click to expand...

This is being done in a basement or something? From the pictures I saw, it was bare plywood. I would also suggest Tman that you not only resize the picture, but crop it appropriately (I know any software that comes with a scanner can do that).

I personally think the EL wire would be too cheesy and dim.

I also don't see the point in the long table over at the left according to your diagram. Just to have a cam light (anybody knows what that is?) is a waste of space, might as well put a couch there. At least the guy who inspired you had stuff to put on that desk.

I'm also with SelRahc on the bed thing. I would move the tv to the wall in front of your bed (give that long table some meaning).

And heck, it wouldn't hurt to paint the walls either ;)

$.02 from a graphic/interior/animation design major.
 
this is what the El Wire will look like

walldark2.jpg


i put some in my friends basement: this is not my picture thought, but mine looks like it
 
Ah, so it's gonna be that bright eh? Doesn't the wire usually come in 5' segments and require a molex connector?
 
For most computer mods, that is what you will see. Shops sell small runs for modding. You can actually order it quite long though. I've seen 200' run spools before hehe. Don't ask what kinda power that would take though lol.
 
I think I know where you're headed with the design here. I'm always trying to start new projects in my house based on grandiose visions while driving to and from the office so I can sympathize. First, I think you mean can lights as in recessed lighting fixtures in the ceiling. Directed lighting/task lighting can be a blessing and a curse and tends to be expensive. Using drop ceiling will help a bit with the planning and layout since you can just get a new panel and cut a new hole if you don't like where the light falls. Consider breaking the lights into several circuits so that the lights over your computer work area can be turned on/off and/or dimmed by rheostat independently from those over your bed/hang out space. I'm a big fan of light switches near my bed b/c I'm a lazy shit but in this instance, you can have the cans over/around your bed be controlled by a light switch near your bed and or the door. Again rheostats are great for changing mood for movies, (insert sex joke here), gaming, etc. One thing to watch with rheostats is that they tend to give off alot of radio interference, so if you're using wifi or wireless phones, prepare for a reduction in link quality there.

The cheap carpeting thing caught my attention too. Let me tell you something about cheap carpeting. It sucks bigtime. The stupid ass who built my house put in cheap carpeting. If I ever find that SOB they won't be able to identify the remains with a genotyper and dental records :mad: If you really want to leave the walls bare, go bare floor too and evoke the industrial loft look. You can seal the floor with garage paint and start graffitting the floor or paint some crazy shit on it. If you're not into cold concrete (which is something of a bummer on cold mornings and a bit rough on the knees) consider a laminate floor system like pergo (see home depot for details). It's pretty easy to layout and can be installed so that it floats (not glued to the floor) or is direct attached (glued to the floor). You still have the echo issue, but throw a rug down and soak up some sound. Also makes the room a bit warmer.

Um what else...oh walls. If you're going to leave it concrete, at least do something interesting with it. The EL wire is a good start but if you leave that shit on all the time you'll go mad, so stick it on it's own switch separate from the main space lighting. Your family and friends will thank you. Again, echoes are the enemy, so hanging pictures, posters, etc will help soak up the sound. You can do sound deadening material too but it's hard to make that not look like crap. If you really want to go hardcore you could use a ramset to stud the walls and hang drywall. Now you have space to run wiring for data, video and power to custom fit your needs and you can have insulation and sound deadening behind the wall. Hurray.

Designing on the cheap is totally possible, but you get what you pay when it comes to building materials (i speak from experience as the son and grandson of homebuilders). Determine what you want to do and how much you want to spend from the outset. Don't be afraid to break the project into phases to make the finances work (and then budget per phase). If you want recessed lights, don't cheap out b/c you can't afford to get the right application for your design. Instead make the lighting and drop ceiling Phase I of Project Kickass Room. Installing a drop ceiling by your lonsome and running the lights will take you a little time anyway depsite how easy HGTV may make it look.

Make workstation construction it's own phase. That way you can dedicate time and materials solely to construction and finishing. Build it to last and build it to meet your needs now and 5 years from now. Spending 500 bucks to build something now is better than buying a new shitty MDF desk from Staples every 3 years.

That's all I've got for now but feel free to hit me up for more in or out of thread. I probably won't get to half the ideas on my house anyway.
 
I pretty much agree with Woodix here.

Very important - break the project down into stages. Stuff that you can do as budget and time permits. It looks like you'll living in the room while doing the mods too, so take that into consideration.

Carefully plan out what you want to do. A killer is electrical work - lights, power, even speaker cables and cat5/phone/cable. Really map out where you want outlets to be, where you want switches, etc.

For carpet, you can get away with cheap carpet PROVIDED you use a decent underlay, otherwise all you will get is tufted nylon sitting on top of a rock hard concrete floor. There are some decent carpet tiles out there now that have reasonable padding, and they just stick down to the floor (and can be replaced if they get damaged (buy extra)).

Bare concrete walls are fine, but a bitch for concealing power. You might want to consider putting up some 2x2 or 2x4's up on the walls, running your electrical, then drywalling over them. Not sure where this room is located - if it is a basement, then you might need a vapour barrier, then drop some insulation between the walls and the drywall. It should help keep the room at a steady temp, and also provide some sound proofing for loud tv/video/computer games/music/nocturnal activites :rolleyes: .

Budgets are good, but doing some planning up front can help spread the costs out. Consider gettnig a Home Depot/Lowes store creidt card - 10% off initial purchase, and periodic discounts.

Good luck
 
Preach it, Token. I believe the saying goes something like, "Proper planning prevents pisspoor performance." It totally applies here--especially if you decide to run high and low voltage wiring.
 
Remodelling a bathroom, I had to redo drywall, move electrical outlets, and move some plumbing. Everything was great, power outlet was placed perfectly, drywall was flawless. Then I went to put the vanity top in place, and realised I hadn't allowed for the inbuilt backsplash which wanted to cover the lower inch of the power outlet. Easy enough fix - I rotated the outlet so it was horizontal instead of vertical, but I had to redo some of the drywall.

Yep - unfortunately you learn best when you make mistakes :D
 
If you make your desk out of wood, you can just take a router to round the edges down. Don't know whether you were going to do countertop, wood, whatever, but somethin to keep in mind.
 
Thanks guys, your suggestions are really really sweet!!!

Fist off, I need to say sorry for how I presented this info to you guys. I really could have done it better.

Now about what I am thinking!!!

Sound: all of the walls are concrete right now and I really would like to sound proof it as much as possible. The coldness of the room is fine with me, I sleep good that way. But for sound proofing the drop ceiling will really really help and above that I am going to put up some foam on top of that, for extra sound reduction. Where my bedroom door is, I am going to put up drywall that will have insulation behind it and some kind of rubber or sheet that will help deaden the sound that does vibrate and penetrate the drywall it will go through an extra layer that really really helps deaden the sound before it hits the 2x4s and transfer else ware. (Was that clear enough??)
I do plan on playing by bass and speakers in this room!!!

Concrete walls and wires: This is something that I have thought about and have a pretty good idea what I am going to do with it. I really like the look that it gives the room right now and I'm planning on keeping it, but where the storage room and door into my room will be drywall. I do understand that it will make wiring the room hard, but I thought of was to deal with that problem.

Wires and Switches: Again I am happy to say that I have a pretty good idea on what I am going to do with this too. ^_^!! When it comes to running wires around my room the wires will be inside pipes that will run along the bottom of the wall and be screwed into the concrete. The good thing is that they will not be visible because they will be hidden by my desks and shelves. But to get them there, I am most likely going to have them drop and come form the drop ceiling where they will not be noticeable. With the light switches, I am going to different switches for different lights. Like my computer area will be on a dimmer switch, my bench area of my workstation will have the same for it too, and the rest of the room will be on another or 2. And yes the El wire will be on 2 switches!! That was I can power it well enough and turn them on when I have friends over or etc.

Desk: I have decided to make this myself, because the ones that office max or staples have are over priced and not right for what I am tying to do.. Basically I am going to have the tops be made of all wood, and some how round the corners... when it comes to the legs and supports, they will be made of 2x4s, 4x4s, and plywood. For draws I have found some really cheap ones that are just right to slide under the table and do their job.

Carpet: What I meant by cheap carpet and etc, was that I want to get some carpet that’s very good but cheap.. I like I said.. "I would like to keep the cost down as much as I can so I can do almost all of the things that I want with the room" I would really like some help on what color I should get to match the concrete walls, wood desk, steel bead frame, and white drop ceiling?? Thanks

TV Viewing angle yes I will be able to see the TV form my bed!!! And I plan on getting some kind of bean bags, couch out of my room, or something for friends to use. Mainly though I am going to use my Computer monitor for the main TV viewing.


I am going to post this first, and then proof read it.. Damn this is going to be a paint to spell check,, lol

please tell me what you think!!!!! Thanks a lot guys, you have help me greatly already!!!!
 
Sounds like you have a big project ahead of you. I have done a lot of home remodeling (last project was gutting and redoing an 1875 house), so if you have any questions, shoot them my way.

A few suggestions:

1. No carpet in the desk area. It creates dust and static. I would suggest putting down a vinyl or tile floor (you could do under floor heating if you wanted), and you can put an area rug near the bed.

2. If you have the clearance height to it, get a floor system to deaden sound and insulate from the cold. A nice kind comes in 2x2 panels that tongue and groove together. After you get it put down, it is ready to accept whatever covering. The panels are a couple of inches thick and have built in sound deadening and insulating qualities.

3. If you are going to fir the room out and finish it, I would recommend metal studs. They are cheaper and faster to put up. All you need is a metal cutting tool (chop saw, circular saw with metal grit blade, etc) and a cordless screwdriver. They already have holes in them for wire runs, and they are much easier to deal with than 2x4's. You can still attach drywall to the metal studs just like you do wood. If you go with wood, I would not recommend 2x2's. You will have a bear of a time with them because they are less straight and of less quality than 2x4's. Either way, you can get precut polystyrene insulating panels to go between the studs for insulation and sound deadening.

4. A lot of great lighting ideas have been given. I would add on to them by saying that I would install eyeball type can lights in the desk area and point them at the wall for more indirect lighting. Then I would get a couple of high quality task lights to put on the desk for when you need direct lighting.

Those are just a few suggestions off the top of my head. Like I said before, if you get snagged with something, shoot me a pm. I have dealt with all kinds of crazy stuff in my remodeling adventures.
 
Tman -- I'm going toss out a few ideas that you may have thought about already to try to help you out.

First of all, about what you're putting in this room. Now everyone knows that a computer is a must, but what about the TV? How big is your TV? I say if it's under 17", ditch that piece of junk and either get a better one, or just use the computer monitor for watching TV. I recently went from a 36" TV to a 19" CRT and I love the switch. I sit closer to the monitor so I don't notice a huge difference. Plus when you have a dual monitor setup, you don't mind having a TV fullscreened on there to watch TV or play XBox while you surf the net. If I were you, I would seriously look at a HTPC approach, with a system that has at least two monitors to work out something beautiful. I'm sure if you could figure out hooking up three monitors and have one used for the TV, you won't miss that old TV one bit.

Good luck with your room. I'm sorry I can't offer any real advice, just ideas, but I like what you're planning so far.
 
Tman said:
first off, sorry about the size of the picture, i chose the wrong sized one :mad:

got the wireing and switches figured out, but would really like suggestions
P4300848.jpg
Click to expand...
heyy, thats stresstests table... i loved that and i cant forget about it so it seemed familar when i saw it... maybe you should give him some credit?, just a thought
 
Never considered using metal studs before. That's a damn fine idea though and you no longer have to worry about getting quality wood for your studs. The only gotcha I can see there is the potential code violation of not having a horizontal firebreak in the studspace. Even with a 2x4 across the stud space you'd still have lots of holes for air and fire to move through should something combust behind the wall. I'll have to check the local building code on that one.

The precut polysterene insulation left me scratching my head (pun intended). It's very attractive in theory b/c I hate the way fiberglass packs down over time. Do you have a product name offhand? I'm on and off helping my mother-in-law restore her 103 year old home in Atlanta and this sounds like just the thing for that if the R value is decent.

Tman, my suspicion all along has been that this is a basement. I don't know if you ever mentioned that or not. The pipes for wiring will definitely be a cool industrial look but make sure to insert some access joints to make fishing new wires around the room easier and definitely make sure you separately conduit your high and low voltage wiring (ie power and ethernet)and space them by a couple of feet ( somebody chime in if you know the minimum recommended distance).

Just a thought, but how bout before and after pictures. Obviously this project won't be done soon but might be cool to see it down the road.
 
SelRahc said:
Looks like it will be a nice layout. ^_^

3. Do you like to watch tv from in bed? If so you may want to put the tv on a swivel if you can. If not it may not be a concern for you.
Click to expand...

Yeah don't overlook this, nothing like watching a bit of pron on the TV while getting a BJ under the covers..
:eek: <==8 :D
 
You should be able to pick up a "remnant" of carpeting from your local hardware store (Lowe's, Home Depot, or equivalent) for a cheap price, depending on how big the remnant is. I would spend the money along with the remnant to pick up some underlayment foam, which will both reduc noise, help the acoustics of the room, and provide some cushoning. Secure the pad and carpet with carpet tape (like double sided tape on crack).

For your walls, you could look into panels of cork. Spaced regularly throughout the room, they would help the acoustics of the concrete chamber, and give you a place to hang posters, pictures, or whatever else you want to hang.

If you're going to be routing a bunch of cables throughout your room, I would suggest you pick up some pipe insulation (foam rubber, spilt down the middle, available in a variety of sizes) to bundle your cables together to provide a neater appearance.

Your desk should be easy to do, provided you round the edges with a router, and secure everything with wood glue AND good quality screws. If you're going for a plywood top for your desk, spend the bones and get interior grade or finish grade plywood, so you don't have to deal with splinters, and you have the ability to stain and seal it. Alternately for the edges, you could pick up some trim (1/4 round or similar) and put that around the perimiter of the plywood to give a nice finished edge.

I agree, keep the main computer area either a vinyl or other non-carpet material...will definately keep the dust down in your systems. Also do not skimp on the cahir you will use. Nothing worse than a person who spends thousands of dollars on computers, but sits on a crappy folding chair at the computer. A nice chair with good lumbar support can be had for ~$150...good thing to spend money on.
 
Along with jonitus's comment regarding the Plywood surface. Think About using Resin. Its the thick layer oof clear finish you will see at most bars and restaurant tables. Its basically a coat you pour on over a sruface. And Guess what, After its dried you can even router the corner round or whatever. Cool stuff, you can drop acids on it and its still ok..heheh i learned the hard way in a chem experiment.
 
thanks guys!!!

You ideas have been really good and please keep them coming. Also today, in class I was drawing away during religion and Spanish. After I got my work done that is.

Lights: They will be eyeball lights, except for about 4 of them because they will be used to light large areas. And sorry for not saying whose light up desktop picture I posted, but I didn’t know his name. But all of the credit in the word that guy!!!!!!

Door : I am just going to use the hallow crappie door that’s there right now ;-(... I need to keep my cost down and ill probable put up a cork board or something on it, to help a little and then a poster onto of that. I am trying to keep my costs really low!!! Im still in high school! Bet that surprised many of you!! LOL

Desk : This is where I need help!!!!!
Basically, I want to keep this really simple... 2x4s, & 4x4s, and plywood is the base that I am going to use, like the picture. But when it comes to the counter top I have a good idea but am really stuck... I am going to round my edges, somehow LOL. But what kind of wood should I use? What kind of paint? Should I maybe put Mettle sheets over some of it, for a cool look??? (I have an idea but need help!!!)

Chair : I have got this puppy covered! ;) About a year ago I go a perfect chair. It’s called _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Sports Chair that I got at Office Max (sorry about not knowing the name, but it is like a hot rod car set with roller blade wheels and SPINS GREAAAAAAAATTTT!!!!! LOL

TV : My mom gave me her old 34" TV that is party nice, but I do use my computer as my main entertainment center. I really have my eye on the HP 24" LCD monitor with is inputs and S-Video input,,, I also like how I can play my favorite TV, Movie showing in a really small box while imp playing counter strike or something. And yes I will be able to see my TV from bead, and have redesigned my old blue print to include a small couch that’s in the storage room already.

ECT: I have the walls, ceiling, wires, and lights covered... but I am still looking for any ideas!!! Thanks again

Floor: So far everyone has told me that I shouldn't put carpet next to my computer area... and I have decide that that is a good idea. But I am gong to carpet the rest of the room. But for the computer area, do you think if I put some kind of rubber mat... or something down? I need help with my computer area floor I really like the rubber idea!!

Thanks guys... I all post again in about an hour ;)
 
I can't believe I forgot about this. It was a dream of mine for a while.

For the TV, IF YOU WANT TO SAVE SPACE, you could consider getting a commercial ceiling mount. A brand by the name of Peerless (no prior buying experience, be wary) offers one for around $100 - $150 that can tilt 30 degrees and swivel 360. That would give you probably the best option for the TV if you were worried about space. The pro about this? You could mount it directly above your computer monitor.
 
you're doing pretty good so far! Getting a 34" tv? damn! :D

My bedroom is only 12X12' ... :(
 
Im not no spoiled rich ass, it that is what you are getting at!!!!! I just saved up my money for a while, by cutting grass and my mom is chiping in some too.

the 32" Tv is nothing special at all... it is about 7-10 years old.. I had about a 16" one prior to that which was also a hand me down..

Im really not woried about saving space when it comes to the room. but thanks anyway for helping me an option that i could look into. Thanks again :cool:
 
Tman said:
Im not no spoiled rich ass, it that is what you are getting at!!!!! I just saved up my money for a while, by cutting grass and my mom is chiping in some too.

the 32" Tv is nothing special at all... it is about 7-10 years old.. I had about a 16" one prior to that which was also a hand me down..

Im really not woried about saving space when it comes to the room. but thanks anyway for helping me an option that i could look into. Thanks again :cool:
Click to expand...

No man! I'm not saying that you were some "spoiled rich ass"... I just said that it was lucky for your family to have an extra 32" TV laying around... :rolleyes:
 
bobsaget said:
you're doing pretty good so far! Getting a 34" tv? damn! :D

My bedroom is only 12X12' ... :(
Click to expand...


thats the size of room that i have at my dads... :) but i have dial up there. (we live to far away form town that we cant get it and i useually have to do yard work there,, but i like it) and i only have a old 2.4 there.. so a bed and desk work fine.
 
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