Phase One
Photo of the Bonus Room c/o the original listing in 2012
Before we begin, I should lay out the following facts for you:
- This room makeover is nearly two years in the making.
- It’s still a big ol’ incomplete on our to-do list.
- The ball is in my court.
Okay, I think that about sums up where we stand in the present day. We “broke ground” on this room makeover when I was approximately 6 months pregnant with our 3rd child, working full time and our project advisor [aka my Dad] lives two hours north. If there was ever a time to pump the breaks, take a beat, w-a-i-t, this was likely the time. However, I am ME, so onward we march.
Background
Since the time we bought our home in 2012, this “bonus room” was multi-functioning. It housed a queen bed, a full size bed, a treadmill, a sewing station, and literally anything we wanted to shove out of the way.
The size of this room is absolutely too much for just one child to occupy. We like to keep it super DIY-blog-professional over here so STC roughly estimates it at 350-400 square feet. We always envisioned this space as a shared bedroom for two of our children so when we found out baby 3 would be a boy, it was time to lay out some options:
- Transform the bonus room the way we always planned.
- Make it an extra special room for our only daughter.
- Move.
I kid you not, moving was a legit option, so much so that we looked at a few houses. Making it an extra special space for A was a close contender. I mocked up a room layout, but ultilmately could not get over the square footage for just one little child.
Explanation of Layout: Bed on longest wall across from windows, stage in the corner immediately to the right of the door, dress up window seat area, add desks to the dormer windows.
Having been inspired by several Pinterest searches, Option 1 won out.
Closet Crisis
Our vision for the bonus room included the following:
- Built-in beds along the wall opposite of the window [left] separated by a built in dresser and bookcase.
- Trundle beds for sleepovers.
- Lights above each bed for reading.
- Desks built into the dormer window nooks [right].
- Enough ground space to play.
Before any of this could be accomplished, the closet doors required relocation and their current opening sealed up. In a panic, I called on my Dad to guide us and help STC [remember, I’m pregnant!] through this first step.
One of my favorite photos:
My dad so completely in his element and my husband learning from him.
Dad and STC ripped out the window seat, broke through the existing drywall and removed the trim and current closet doors. Little did I know, this part was the fastest progress this project would ever see.
In order to patch the wall where the closet doors were no-more, the guys laid down a 2×4 base. STC being the best dad called on a special helper to nail those boards down. There was a lot of nail-gunning [so loud], removing staples and nails from the exposed subfloor and vacuuming.
From the Windows to the Dry-Wall
Through God’s amazing grace, my Dad is not only well versed for this type of job, but also packs the pertinent equipment. Using a drywall screwgun and Dad’s instruction, STC hung the drywall sheets quickly and painlessly.
More painful however, was the hanging of the first door and casing. Two of the smartest men I know spent hours installing this prehung door. Eventually, it was determined they were over-complicating the process and the second door went up a million times faster [this is completely accurate testimony, it was exactly 1,000,000x quicker].
Do You Believe In Hell?
If hell exists, I’m 80% sure everyone is doomed to a life of mudding and sanding drywall. It’s a miserable experience, so miserable that I can recall my dad assigning me the task as a 13-year-old during the DIY-finishing of our basement. I’m still not entirely sure how the pregnant lady got tagged in for this job, but after Dad and STC hung up their tool belts, mama got to work.
Don’t forget the interior of the closet – that has to be mudded and sanded too…
Phase One Complete*
I added an asterisk to complete because as you’ll recall, this room is still very much in progress. It’s taken us so long that it’s become a running joke with family and friends. However, we take absolutely no shame in this incomplete project. In the two years it’s been we’ve welcomed a new baby, worked full-time jobs, endured Kindergarten [trust, it was a doozy] and more than any of these chose togetherness over to-do list.
Check back for Part Two of the Bonus Room Makeover later this month. Part Two is where the room really starts to take shape with the construction of the middle built-in & wall. Get the update sent directly to your inbox by subscribing to Ooh La Laura [below]. It’s a wham, bam, no spam ya kind a deal.
Hey, you guys are awesome and I really hope your weekend is as awesome too. We are heading to Nashville for a country concert. This will be our first concert in the 12 years we’ve been together and I’m out-of-my-mind excited for it. Be sure to check Instagram for more style and #ootd posts that never make it over on the blog.
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