Turned an Outdated Living Room into a Functional Living/Play Room

Submitted by Reptar4President t3_10odhhs in DIY

I turned my dark, cramped, and outdated living room into a functional living/play room for my son and dog. I had to remove a wall, install recessed lighting, paint, remove/install a new hearth, and add crown moulding. I also had professionals come in to carpet the place, as that felt beyond what I was capable of doing well. Progress pictures: https://imgur.com/gallery/wHJ7OWc.

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MmmPeopleBacon t1_j6edn0l wrote

Get your fireplace inspected asap! Do not use it until you do so. You should not have soot marks on the brick above the grate that indicates that the fireplace is not functioning correctly.

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Reptar4President OP t1_j6ef2eo wrote

Hah yeah we did when we moved in. Totally fine, the previous owners tried to start a fire but forgot to open the flue. They put it out before any damage was done though.

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MmmPeopleBacon t1_j6efh8b wrote

Good, a lack of draw is usually the reason and not opening the flue is a common cause. Nice work overall though.

Have to ask why'd you grind the hearth if you wear just going to pour self leveling cement? Depth issue?

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Reptar4President OP t1_j6efydq wrote

Exactly, and also nowhere near level. Whoever installed the old tile made up for it with way too much thinset in some places and almost none in others.

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kytheon t1_j6fmrpe wrote

Also get a CO meter, just in case.

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Bucksandreds t1_j6gabkr wrote

I saw the comments on Imgur with people liking the before better. Wood floors always look better. Often times, nice carpet feels alot better though. I carpeted my basement and great room due to having kids that want to wrestle all the time. I’m so glad I did.

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Reptar4President OP t1_j6gb64e wrote

Yeah, 99/100 times, hardwood looks better. But quality carpeting both looks good and feels good too, so I think people tend to think of old, cheap carpeting. In this case, it just made more sense to do it so we can get more practical use out of it. If you have a good looking room but you never use it because it’s not practical, what’s the point? I’d rather a room where I feel like we can actually use it. We use it every day now, but I doubt we’d ever use it though if it wasn’t carpeted.

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adifferentmike t1_j6gdaaa wrote

Agreed. I added a room last year for my kids and carpeted it. Contractor said it clashes with the hardwoods in the rest of the house, I said so what? Ever hear a toddlers head knock on hardwood? Yeah... thick carpeting is the way to go for a play room. Plus it's sacrificial!

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Ok-disaster2022 t1_j6h4jjf wrote

Or hear me out. Wood floors, but nice area rugs. When you want to change decor you can replace the rug.

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Bucksandreds t1_j6hlfvq wrote

Rugs imo can never replicate the softness that quality carpeting with double thick padding has. My sons have likely avoided multiple concussions because I carpeted my basement playroom and great room. Hardwood is nice and my bedrooms, kitchen, dining area and hallways have it. Soft carpet in select rooms is nice as well.

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Reptar4President OP t1_j6i41e2 wrote

Yeah it's not unfair, but I agree with /u/Bucksandreds. I have a pretty plush area rug in another part of the house, but it's nowhere near as soft and comfortable as the carpet. I think carpet can be very nice if it's done in select, practical locations, and you don't skimp or go cheap on it.

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carissaluvsya t1_j6i0pwg wrote

I agree! We finished our basement and put carpet down there because it’s where our kids playroom is. Kids are on the floor all the time and love the carpet, so no regrets.

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TheAmazinAmazon t1_j6e0hwq wrote

That turned into a lovely room! I like the crown moulding style you chose.

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Reptar4President OP t1_j6e1dsn wrote

Thanks! Never done crown moulding before and frankly I was at a loss on what style to do until I realized I could try to match what was in the kitchen.

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ExpressYourStress t1_j6ggp9n wrote

The grey carpet and couches are blending together.

If you could move the love seat into a different room and have a different accent chair (besides the rocking one) in it’s place I think the room would look a lot better.

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Se7enLC t1_j6gwmlr wrote

I'm with you on not wanting a TV above the fireplace.

But is no TV at all better?

Is TV just not a big thing in your family, or do you have a different room for TV watching?

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Reptar4President OP t1_j6i4eu2 wrote

Different room. We have a den that has the main TV. When we moved in, the previous owners (who had 7 kids) had TVs set up everywhere, in almost every room. Just seemed excessive to me.

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