Lounge Modernisation

Hi All

I am new on this forum, so please go easy on me.

I've just started a full height extension on my 3 Bed Semi (more of that to follow), but here are a few pictures of the last project, which was the modernisation of the longe.

We moved in in 2001, and decorated the whole place very quickly to make it liveable.

Since then, I have gone back and done each room properly. It is the lounge that I am most pleased with though.

This is the room as we had done initially and very quickly.....


I needed something to back up the radiator, so decided to fit an electric fire. I also wanted a TV on the chimney breast that was low enough to be nice to watch, and had no visible wires to or cables to it.
Having gone for a 40" TV, the chimney breast also needed to be widened.
I went for Studwork and plaster board, and aranged the studs so that the cables could be routed out to the sides.......


All plaster boarded up, and I decided to have my first go at proper plastering. ............


> I deliberately made the alcoves 1010mm wide, so that I could modify a couple of Oak Doored kitchen cabinets from B&Q for the AV storage.

> I made the cupboard tops out of Solid Oak flooring, and routed a nice Rad on the front edge.

> I made the Mantle Piece and uprights out of more Oak Floor boards, because I could find anything for sale that was anywhere near as low as I wanted.

> I couldn't face paying for a Bespoke Marble fire surround to be made up, so with some careful cutting I made one out of Wickes Marble Floor Tiles.

> I then made the Hearth out of MDF, and filled it with more of the Oak Floor Boards.

> Finally the TV went on the wall, and the cables were hidden. The speaker cables go up from behind the right hand cabinet, up inside the new chimney breast, and are distributed around the room underneath the coving. There are also 2 Cat5 wired computer network points behind each cupboard which run to where the broadband comes into the house, ready for any AV kit that utilise it.

And here is the end result ..............



Cheers
Gary
I'll start another thread to monitor progress on the extension !

Looks a nice job, well done.

Just wondering, did you put any extra support in your studwork for the tele? I would have wanted a few extra battons in myself.

Well noticed. Actually that picture doesn't show all of the studwork. There are more batons in there, I just didn't get a picture of them !

There is a hole in the plasterboard behind the TV, which is about 300mm x 300mm.

The cables go through that, as does the TV bracket, which is fixed into the original Chimney breast brick work.

I can't imagine a TV fixed onto just the plaster board would stay in place for long.

The TV Bracket is a pivoting one, so I can swing the TV out and to one side, whenever I need access behind it for the cables.

glangri2 said:

The cables go through that, as does the TV bracket, which is fixed into the original Chimney breast brick work.

Click to expand...

See, I wouldn't have done that.

I'd always feel more confident fixing to a chunky bit of timber than to brickwork. I thought that was why you'd built the studwork (as well as the fact the original chimney was too small to hang the TV from).

Personal preference though.

I'd have drawn round the wall mount where I wanted it, cut out the plasterboard and bolted it on there. Some people replace the plasterboard behind the TV with plywood, as it is much stronger, strong enough to fix the TV to.

Really nice job mate, well done.
I like the kitchen cabinets for AV storage, very clever.

Good work.
Dan

toasty said:

I like the kitchen cabinets for AV storage, very clever.

Click to expand...

Thanks Dan.

The kitchen cabinets were 'Drawer line' from B&Q, but I cut them down to get rid of the drawer, making them lower and look less 'Kitchen' like.

I am really pleased with the overall effect.

Amazing change.
Top job. I love the modern look of it all.

Really good job mate looks nice,bet your pleased with yourself

Cracking job, well done.
I bet you have saved a small fortune on getting "pro's" in.

with the AV in the cabinet, how do you change channels on the satelite or pause the Blu-Ray?

Is there a glazed door option for that style?
probably not if it's a drawerline base unit door..

ColJack said:

with the AV in the cabinet, how do you change channels on the satelite or pause the Blu-Ray?

Is there a glazed door option for that style?
probably not if it's a drawerline base unit door..

Click to expand...

Good point, and well done for picking up on it.

I have been looking into remote control signal repeaters, but haven't got one yet.

Behind the very right hand door is the Cable TV Box, DVD Player and Home Cinema Amp. Under normal watching conditions, we just leave that door open.

The PS3 and Wii are behind the left hand door of the right hand cabinet. so that door can stay shut. The Wii uses a sensor on top of the TV, and the PS3 Remote is RF, so it goes through the wooden doors.