Back room needs updating ideas! (laminate, hardwood floors, fireplace, paneling)
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This is the back room of the house I just bought that needs updating. . This room is 20 x 18 and connects to the back yard and the kitchen. Eventually I want to bring the outside in with large windows or double doors, but ignore that for now.
I was thinking - replace the carpet some kind of laminate or hard wood with a large area rug and L-shaped sectional. Upgrade to the fireplace with tile or stone. putting up drywall and painting. Add lots of lighting
I would love to hear ideas on floor and wall colors. Fireplace look. Furniture/tv arrangement.
A picture is attached but I made a real short video of the room to get a better idea
The room will look a lot larger if you get rid of the bottom paneling and paint the walls a solid color. My vote is for hardwood but I confess to having a bias on that front. I am guessing the former owner created the fireplace footing (off to the right) to leave the hot ashes and firewood so it would not burn and dirty the carpet but it looks so off balance to my eye. I would prefer an even sided brick and perhaps a tile in front of the fireplace and off to the side for the same purpose.
I see the sink "window" but am not sure of the value of it. It lets light into the kitchen and you can see into the room but it seems too small to really be of much use. I would not want to have someone hand me dishes through that to the sink.
As the room stands now you can either put the TV above the fireplace (not a big fan of that personally) but many like it or to the left of the fireplace. I like the idea of the L shaped couch and rug with hardwood too.
Good luck it looks like you can do a lot to make it your own. I really like the potential it has.
I agree - I will get getting rid of the paneling and replacing with dry wall. I was thinking that I would like to get rid of the fireplace footing all together. It was converted to gas and I dont like the space it takes up.
So your thinking seal off the sink window? I always thought open space was better then closed.
What is the rest of the house like?
Contemporary
Traditional
It should carry that theme through as well as color hues. If this is the first re do then you have to decide which style you would like to carry through the house.
But what is your preference?
Are you going to live there or are you selling it?
Resell might be easier with Traditional.
Personally I like contemporary and would do the dark hardwood floors with a hardline sofa lounge look to bring the outdoors in by having some plants inside by the doors and more furniture out side with a contemporary pergola. The large window/doors idea I would do it as big as would be possible, double doors with a light frosted sea grass design.
The whole house is going to get updated but I am starting with this room, then the kitchen. I am a 25 year old single male and like contemporary - I want a bachelors pad but nothing cheesy. Clean and modern.
Well then do a google search for images with "clean and modern contemporary" and you will get a lot of hits.
Most designs are based on white for color on the walls and square forms for furniture which tends to be either white again or dark browns and blacks. Then add a punch of color here and there. Natural elements like dark wood floors and some tile or rock is nice. Make the floors and walls compatible throughout the house and then vary with the accessories in each room.
Or you can go with a favorite color on the walls in various shades. Do you like Golds, Blues, or Reds? Just don't do a different color on walls in each room unless you have an artist you are working with, it can get out of control real easy.
I think your fireplace should be cleaned. If you decide to keep it as it is, in other words, without refacing or painting, then the tones in the room will be dictated by the tones in the fireplace. It will be the permanent thing that everything else needs to relate to in terms of color and style.
In general, I think warm furniture (or fireplace) tones usually benefit from cool colors on the walls. If you put down hardwood, or laminate, then colors there should probably be warmer. You need to add some dark color down there, I think, if you keep the color of the fireplace.
Yes, get rid of that odd brick extension and the dark, dated paneling. If you are lucky, there might be drywall under it. The pass through window is a dated look, but if it fulfills a function, and you like it, then keep it. It will add light to the room from the front of the house. And in my opinion, you need more natural light in there. I don't know if it is in your budget, but adding a large slider or double glass door, in place of the single door you have, would be a big improvement. Adding another window would also be welcome. If you go down this path, make sure every opening shares the same top line, and choose your windows/doors very carefully balancing them out on the interior and the exterior.
As a long term goal try to make sure that you can see from the front door to the back of the house. Good luck!
I would paint the walls blackened and cornforth white from Farrow and Ball. I would probably want to paint the fireplace white (I love white brick).
I would do the floors an a brazilian hardwood cherry with a wide plank.
I would keep the window to the kitchen for the moment but I would eventually knock most of the wall down (unless there is a loadbearing function) and make a breakfast counter.
Next to the fireplace I would put a large basket with birch wood logs. I would also do a oil painting over the fireplace.
But that is just me. Have fun with the house and congratulations.
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