Previously a rarely used single garage, this rough-and-tumble teen hangout gets its fresh style from walls covered with metal panels and squares of plywood. Exposed pipes, open ceiling rafters, and painted concrete floors complete the effect.
Get a style boost with these everyday materials:
Paint: It's the cheapest of all decorating materials and offers unlimited possibilities. Try paints that look like blackboard or metal, create a magnetic surface, or embellish glass. Add a fabric medium to make paint suitable for use on fabric.
Plywood: This standard building material offers endless options for covering walls and ceilings. Add an industrial touch with oversize washers and screws.
Corrugated-metal panels: The pieces overlap and slot together side-to-side to create 1 metre-wide panels.
Top a Curtain
Talk about cheap. Burlap and canvas offer great texture. To stamp it with your style, add squares of paint along the hanging edge.
Group with Colour
Turn a mismatched grouping of platters and vessels into a collection with a unifying colour scheme of purple and green. Add metallic accents using a paint pen.
Personalise a Pillow
Repetition is good for a room, so add painted squares to a quilted pillow using a metallic paint pen. The silver squares add a playful version of the plywood squares.
Get the Look
Shop for this look at the home centre by trolling for storage gear, metal cans, and utility pulls and hooks. Blackboard paint on two of the wood wall panels creates space for instant messaging. To eliminate ghost words, rub chalk over the entire surface and rub it off before writing notes.
How to Paint a Concrete Floor
Painted floors add affordable style, but make sure you ask for advice on your project at a paint store and carefully follow instructions. Here are the general steps:
Pick your paint. Use a floor paint specially formulated for concrete and suitable for your use.
Test for moisture. Before you start, prepare the surface in a small out-of-the-way place. Apply the paint, allow it to dry, and scrub it to make sure it adheres.
Prepare the entire surface. Every paint manufacturer has specific directions for prepping concrete before painting, so carefully follow the instructions.
Apply paint. Use a roller on an extension rod so you can stand up while you paint. Apply two to three coats, allowing paint to dry between layers.
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