Progress in the Bonus Room
Our bonus room has been a work in progress since the day we moved in. We’ve had a vision for it since the moment we put an offer in on this house, and we’ve been sloooowly trying to make it come to life. And, well, we’re one step closer!
My plan for this space is to have vertical shiplap running on all four walls. I want to paint the ceiling and bring in some cozy drapes and make it feel lounge-y and cozy and perfect for curling up with a movie. Shiplap can be expensive, so I’ve been doing it in stages. First, I did one wall when we did our “phase one” makeover in here. Then, when we added our ELFA entertainment center I added a little more. And now, I’ve officially finished three of the four walls!
It feels so (sooo!) good to make some progress in here, and I’m feeling really motivated to keep going. The official goal? I’d like to be able to call this room done by the end of 2024. The kids are finally at ages where they don’t leave it a huge mess all the time and I want to zhuzh it up a bit so that we can all enjoy spending a little more time in here.
FAQ: What Color is on the Walls?
Our shiplap is painted Black Evergreen by Behr!
Working on a Project in Stages
I feel like this project is such a good example of how you don’t have to be ready to fully overhaul a room to get started. I think we get so used to seeing full room makeovers on HGTV and on Instagram (guilty!) and it can make us think that there’s no point to start unless we have the budget, time, and skill to do the entire thing.
I don’t think that’s true!
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with breaking a project down into bite-sized chunks. Sure, the bonus room has felt partially-finished for a couple of years now. But, in the in-between we’ve always done our best to make it look nice and keep it usable, and it has made a big project like this feel so much more accessible.
As long as you don’t mind living with an unfinished space in your home, there’s absolutely no reason you can’t break things down based on how much money or time you have to give to it right now.
For example, the bonus room shiplap isn’t done yet! I still have one full wall to do (plus a board or two on another wall) and I have no intentions of working on it until this spring at the earliest. That’s what works best for my schedule and my budget, so we’re leaving things unfinished until then.
But you can bet your bottom dollar that as soon as it’s done I’ll be throwing a huge celebration!
What’s Next?
I’m sure you’re wondering what’s next on the plan for this space. After all, other than the shelving, it’s largely empty.
I have a laundry list of things I’d like to accomplish here this year, but here’s a brief rundown of my vision:
- Finish the shiplap (obviously)
- Paint the ceiling
- Add curtains
- Add some more LEGO display storage (Corey has a vision, I’ll share it with you later this week!)
- Throw in a rug, some accent furniture, and some new throw pillows
- Get a coffee table
- Deck the space out with everything to make it feel cozy for movie night. Things like accent lighting, small tables for movie snacks, a place to store cozy blankets, and more.
I’m reeeeally excited to see how this space continues to come together an evolve, and you know I’ll keep you posted as we work!
Need to catch up with this space? I’ve linked all of the related posts below!