Wonderful ideas - thank you! Love the Man Shed... maybe I can move James and his tv out to a Man Treehouse or a Man Shed? lol. Once he took his coke and pretzels and went and sat in his car when I had the girls over. No one knew where he went. He's a good boy :) It was terribly pathetic to see him sitting there all alone, but very loving :) He's not a sports fan, thankfully and there is already a fridge down there - we're more than halfway there :) I agree about lamps and fuzzy rugs. The fabric is a great idea - I wonder if I can drape it at the ceiling to create a softer ceiling than just floor joists and tons of pipes, wires, ducts etc. Luckily all the walls are either drywalled (not well, but it's something) or concrete bricks. you guys are the best - thanks for all your help!

Thanks, Teresa. Would love to see photos of your home. I'll have to do a search later. Squirrel, it is antique pine. I do not cut directly on the counter at all. When needed, I use a cutting boards either on the island or next to the range. Don't cut directly on the granite either. We are good about wiping away water splatters after washing hands or dishes. I have never left a glass sitting on the counter overnight, so I don't know what that would do. The guys just asked me about that when they were here installing the tv cover. The pine is finished with Good Stuff for Wood which is FDA approved for food prep surfaces. I order from the below link. Have only recoated twice in 27mths. I clean the island with a damp sponge and have started using Lysol wipes too. Here is a link that might be useful: Good Stuff for Wood

Came across this post while googling this exact dilemma. We are in a similar situation in a home built in late 90s with the waaaay too open concept trend. We have lived in the home with children for 5+ years so have first hand experience and benefit of hindsight. It sucks! Not only is this a sound and privacy issue, it is an energy and HVAC efficiency issue. If you have a separate upstairs AC, you have all that wasted space for your sytem to try to cool, more area for hot air to rise, etc. Our upstairs AC cant keep up in hot Texas summer months, and HVAC professionals have cited this as a primary reason. Curious to know what @decoenthusiaste ended up doing! We are planning to evntually replace with full walls. Replace that dome light and put in 2-3 nice canned lights along the hallway with some good parobolic bulbs and it will be a well lit hallway. Could even install motion sensor switches etc. The stairway is still open to give it some open-ness, so that is no different than how most homes are designed from the get-go.

If you want a temporary solution before you can get a pro: The least expensive -- and least permanent -- option for if no one in your family is particularly DIY inclined would be to hang a sturdy double curtain rod over the opening on the basement side of the opening and use a "curtain" you create as a fabric wall. Measure the width of the opening so you know what length double rod to get. Stitching rings (think curtain or even shower curtain rings) to quilts or comforters or blankets you already have so they can be hung on the rod. This would begin to provide privacy and some sound barrier, albeit not as much as a solid wall with a door or with French doors or with a sliding glass patio door. You should be able to get a double curtain rod and rings at WalMart and, with a ladder (or stool or chair) and a screwdriver, you and your teen should be able to hang your rod yourself. Check to see which kind of screwdriver you'll need as you buy the rod and brackets. Hang the brackets for the rods where you know there is framing behind the drywall. There will be a wood frame just above the opening and a wood plate just beneath the ceiling . In the meantime, check with your local Home Depot and see if they will be resuming classes on home building projects and see if your teen, male or female, can attend. Check out the DIY magazines at your closest Lowes or Home Depo and see if they have one on how to build a wall. Also browse through the magazines for potential permanent barriers -- sliding glass doors, French doors, wall across part of the opening with a centered standard interior door. You could then make an informed decision when you are able to talk with a pro or decide to use this as a DIY project. If you don't have a truck or a vehicle in which you can carry the materials needed, you could have them delivered. Delivery cost might be less expensive if you have their favored credit card -- ask.