Junk Room to Playroom/Office

[Hudson1984]

Hi all,

so, whilst long term we are wanting to extend the rear of our house, funds don't allow for the next few years.

This being said, we'd like to make the rooms that exist out there a little more useable - I don't want to go mad as we will be removing it in the next 3/4 years but we're in need of storage space so wanting to get it a little more useful for the next few years.

This is what we have: (see attached)

and what i'd like to create: (see second attachment)

Now obviously that's a considerably larger room but the style is ideal.

So, was intending to purchase 2 x 800mm wide kitchen base units, plonk a worktop over. This leaves me 950 in the middle (for a chair) which i'll use as deskspace.

The top section will be merely MDF or Contiboard.

Now, as you can see, we have a large mirror on the wall which is covering the old doorway into the garage. That wall is "I believe" single skin - might be insulated between but i've not taken the mirror off to check yet.

Also, as you can see, they went for extra trendy tongue and groove ceiling panels!! mmmmmm.....

The carpet is purely laid onto a foam underlay - direct on top of the concrete. This room previously was a garage.

My question is:

Should I insulate the floor and lay hardflooring?
Should I just cut back existing carpet upto the new kitchen units?
With the back wall (which is painted brick) should I do anything to this? Or make the bookshelf section of my upper cabinets have a back and merely paint that?

Long term that wall is coming out. But again not for a few years. So I want this to last the few years it needs to without being a pain in the arse and yet still be cost effective. No point spending thousands only to rip it all out.

 

[mattylad]

OOOH! IS tongue and groove ceiling panels trendy?
The ones in our bathroom must be 30 years old, this means I don't have to remove them - yay!

 

[Hudson1984]

same here, Hallways (including a snazzy, open tread staircase!) Study and this back room, all tongue and groove....

Next door has a tongue and groove wall on rollers so he can open the dining room into the lounge!!!

yes will all be stripped out ASAP

 

[Notch7]

I would its worth having a quick look on ebay or nextdoor -there maybe somebody taking out a kitchen that you could adapt.

Or what you are saying would work but bear in mind kitchen cabinets are designed to be 860mm high before worktop. The cabinets without the feet are usually 720mm tall -which with a worktop of say 30mm plus a small plinth of at least 10mm to keep the doors off the floor gives you a height of 760mm which is about ok for a desk, but you dont want to be any higher

 

[SFK]

Regarding floor being "carpet is purely laid onto a foam underlay - direct on top of the concrete - this room previously was a garage". That is a massive heatsink and will effect your usage of the room.
On a v tight budget I put down 25mm thick wood beams at 600mm pitch/centers and filled with 1inch thick Kingspan/Celotex. Covered with OSD or Ply sheets screwed into the 25mm thick wood.
Note that use of a vapour layer and thicker Kingspan/Celotex insulation would be best, but I was going for price and to save my freezing feet. Made a massive difference as I was no longer trying to heat the planet through the floor.
https://www.wickes.co.uk/Products/B...topSellers:Thickness:25+mm&text=&25+mm=25+mm#

SFK