*This blog post is sponsored by The Home Depot and contains affiliate links.
I know there's been Radio-silence for a couple months, but you may remember we had set the goal to be moved in before Christmas. During November and December, I was finishing up some project videos (coming soon!) and Bryce was still working full time in his day job. That meant finishing up the house happened after hours and on weekends. Sleep got moved down pretty low on the priority list.
It's been rough, but I have good news! We made our goal! *cue the angles singing
We were moving mattresses in on Christmas Eve and there are still lots of little areas that aren't complete yet, but we're in and we have not one, but two finished areas! The upstairs bonus room and bathroom are done and looking pretty. Our latest episode of Building Modern on a Budget goes over the whole upstairs space and talks about the biggest design element - the floors. With this aspect of the build, I'm calling it "hybrid DIY". Basically, we were able to save a bundle of money by doing a large portion of the labor ourselves, but when it came time for tool and experience-heavy projects, we deferred to the pros.
Check out the video below and keep scrolling for the full details.
Products Used
- Carpet: Lifeproof - Aura - Virtual Taupe
- Pad: Future Foam - Tempur-Pedic, SpillSafe - 7/16" Carpet Pad
- Tile: Merola Tile - Aster - Nero Hex
- Grout: Prism - Ultimate Performance Grout - Arctic White
- Rug: Safavieh - "Aspen" - Beige/Ivory
*Spoiler Alert*
Much to my own surprise, we chose to install carpet in the main, hang-out space of the bonus room. Growing up, we mostly lived in rental homes and I am well experienced in how disgusting, cheap old carpet can look. However, since the bonus room is located directly above our kitchen and dining room, sound attenuation was a chief concern. Carpet is by far the best flooring option to help muffle room noise and foot traffic. Also, carpet is a completely different animal when you install the good stuff. A high quality carpet and pad makes all the difference.
Since our 11-year old boys will be using the loft as a playroom, I instantly knew I wanted to use Lifeproof Carpet. Lifeproof carpet not only comes with a 25-year wear and tear warranty as well as a limited 25-year stain and soil warranty.
Our new house is definitely contemporary and I wanted to find a carpet style to match. We chose a dense, low-pile option called Aura in the color "Virtual Taupe". The color is a warm gray, almost identical to our sealed concrete downstairs.
We are DIYers through and through, but I've seen some terribly installed carpet in my days. A few things are best left to the professionals. Luckily, The Home Depot Home Services Installation is available for EVERY flooring option, no matter the type. Wood, laminate, vinyl plank, rolled vinyl, tile, and FREE Carpet Installation. So that means you buy the carpet and pad, and The Home Depot Home Services will send out their professional installers to day all the hard work for you, including disposing of the old flooring and moving furniture.
Our installer Diego was amazing! His work was clean, professional and fast! He covered the entire 18' x 24' bonus room with pad and carpet in less than three hours. Once he was done, it was time to roll out a comfy area rug and decorate.
I've got a confession guys: I struuuuugle with rugs! Large area rugs are inherently a big investment. If I'm going to spend a healthy chunk of money, I want to make sure I really love it and the design is going to be something I'll be happy with for a long time.
Did you know The Home Depot sells area rugs? The next time you're in your local store, if you walk back to the flooring section and you'll find tons of area rugs of all styles, dimensions, colors, patterns, textures, etc. to compliment any new or existing flooring, even if you're a renter. Look online, and you'll have your pick from thousands of rugs, in a variety of sizes. We ordered the 8' x 10' "Aspen" by Safavieh in the color beige.
Moving onto the adjoining bathroom, here's where the DIY portion of the "hybrid DIY" I was telling you about joins the show.
You guys have have heard me express many times in the past how much I despise installing tile (especially after remodeling and installing the HUGE custom shower in our last house), but since we're sticking to a pretty tight budget throughout the entire construction, I rolled up my sleeves.
The bathroom footprint is only about 5' x 7' (not including the tub), so it's the perfect opportunity to go bold and BOLD we went. I chose a striking, mid-century patterned hex tile called Aster by Merola Tile in the color "Nero".
I'll be honest though, we learned that with a graphic patterned tile like this, the layout makes a big difference! We picked a design with the white rays pointed outward, which we called a "starburst" and used 1/8" spacers.
With the two of us working together, we were able to knock-out the installation in less than one day.
The next day, we came back to add a pure white grout. Hot tip: If you want a bright white grout, don't use the cheap stuff. A higher-quality calcium-based or single-component grout will not only be much truer in color, but will also be much more resistant to staining.
We added the finishing design touches, like wrapping the inexpensive vanity in woodgrain contact paper and hanging a column of poplar floating shelves. Sprinkle in a few hanging planters, and we have a finished bathroom.
What do you think?
I'm stoked! Not only do I love the way the entire upstairs loft turned out, but I'm mostly excited that they are DONE. Well, if I'm totally honest, we still need to add a backsplash in the bathroom and hang a couple doors in the bonus room, but they are definitely the most finished rooms in the whole house.
So, as I mentioned, we are living in the house and it's more or less done. That means I've got loads of updates coming your way soon! Make sure you're subscribed to the Pneumatic Addict YouTube channel so you don't miss all the fun.
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