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Spare bedroom into Media Room

last year

last modified: last year

This is a spare bedroom which is currently set up as husband's home office space and Big TV room. We got the bigger TV and console set up in this room, in the 'boxed' space and until we can find the couch, the twin bed is serving as the comfy couch.We debated whether to swap TV and 'couch' but because of the window location we decided the current setup works best. Thoughts?Also, the room is painted in eggshell finish which results in a lot of reflection, especially in the boxed area. Thinking of painting over it in a darker flar finish paint. My thoughts are to paint only the boxed area or may be the window wall but not entire room. Ceilings are not to high so i wonder if dark paint will make the room look smaller.More ideas anyone?

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Comments (9)

Odell Home
Original Author
last year
PRO
AiFL
last year
What’s the downside to it looking smaller? It’s not your main living area, it’s a tv room. Perfect for a snug intimate space. But to the color question, depends on how you react to dark colors. Some see dark as suffocating, some see it as a vast expanse.
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Okay, we know a windowless room can not be a legal bedroom. janecarey62, I have many rooms, including a full bathroom, in my basement. The biggest, a main room which we use as a t v room with a wet bar; I added a Saarinen table with 6 ghost chairs for a card table. Sweetie loves to have the fellas over for poker. Day light from sliders and two large windows on that wall, lots of dimmable LED ceiling lights, and a chandelier over the card table, make that room top shelf ; it looks great! Accents are red..a Chinese Wedding Cabinet, a red bamboo chair, light leather sofa, lots of antique Asian influences that my daughter brought back from her military years in Japan. Another room is office and the third room I have set up as a bedroom. It is used probably a half dozen times a year. There is a well in the foundation, so I had my builder construct an inside "window"...with glass, muntins, trim and during the day there is some light. You may not have an exterior well on that wall, so have the electrician add LED string lights around the interior frame, so when the lights go on it will add a lovely influence. https://www.impressiveinteriordesign.com/fake-window-for-basement/ There's lots of wood work and a set of double closet doors, painted B.M. Super White (as is all the trim in the house). I chose to paint the entire lower level B.M. Racoon Hollow for walls and ceilings. The house was built in the 60's, so the ceilings have all the drop boxes for pipes, etc, and I couldn't figure out how to paint them, so what the heck, painted it all one color. Success. Sorry, long winded, thinking about the space and typing at the same time. All to get to my point; if you can provide good lighting in the room, why do whites? Paint the room a saturated color you love. Don't be afraid to paint the ceiling the same color. Bedding choice will top off the sundae. I have a queen brass and iron bed I found by good luck at a consignment shop. It is a beauty; hand made, England. Suggesting something for a bed that is bright. Either paint the furniture or find a fun headboard. There are some wonderful upholstered headboards on OneKingsLane.
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Jennifer Hogan
last year
Is your husband going to continue to use this as his office as well as using it as a media room?

I like the idea of dark walls for a media room, but not for an office. Wouldn't want to work in a dark room all day. His desk is also dark, as is the tv stand and the curtains. What are you thinking of doing to contrast with the dark colors?
Odell Home
Original Author
last year
@AiFL i dont want the room to feel too closed in and claustrophobic... Hence debating the darker paint for whole room.
Odell Home
Original Author
last year
@Jennifer Hogan

All i can say is my husband is weird! 😁 There is blackout clingon thingy on those windows, behind the blackoit curtains. He never opens those curtains while working. His reasoning of having super blackout on windows is that some days when he works late into night, he sleeps on that twin bed in this room and he wants zero sunlight in the morning to disturb him.

And yes, he will be using the office space in the room during work hours.
Jennifer Hogan
last year
@Odell Home - My mom told my dad to fill a bucket with water, make a fist and shove it into the bucket, pull it out and see how big the hole is that you left. Then she said, when you die, that is the hole you will leave where you work, but the hole that will be left for your family will be impossible to fill.

I didn't pay much attention to what she said, and like my dad I would work late into the night, sometimes all night, thought I was indispensable at work. Had a heart attack at age 57 - 99% block in the widow maker. Things at work didn't miss a beat while I was out. My mom was right.

Tell your husband to stop working late into the night. It isn't worth it. The people he works for don't/won't care if he dies. They will replace him and forget him in a few months.
Jennifer Hogan
last year
As for the room, do you love the blue curtains? Do you love blue? Would you be opposed to getting different curtains? What is your favorite color? What is your husbands favorite color?

I'm thinking maybe a navy blue behind the TV and navy blue curtains and a mid tone blue for the walls or another color you like with Navy Add some white/light decor on either side of the TV

https://www.houzz.com/photos/retro-record-player-basement-with-blue-accent-wall-midcentury-basement-dc-metro-phvw-vp~167549955
Retro Record Player Basement with Blue Accent Wall · More Info

Maybe a mid tone brown with the navy?
PRO
AiFL
last year
@odell home…your room is already claustrophobic, with a single overhead light as the only light source and no window, you could have said it’s a room in a basement and most would have never known otherwise. I’d embrace it for how you actually use it, go dark all over, but add multiple light sources around the room when light is needed.
PRO
lisedv
last year
last modified: last year
I would repaint everything in a matte finish. You can install a black-out pleated black blind on the window with beige drapes on a black rod. Place a thin area rug on top of your existing wall to wall rug. Buy a dimmable tracklight for the ceiling, a floor lamp and table lamp. Make it an inviting room for the whole family. Everything I show are available either at Ikea or Amazon at very good prices. See my ideas on the visual below.

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