IMPROVERS HOMES

The following section covers...

• Cinema Room Conversion • Living Room Makeover

We’ve seen many great home improvements including a full house refurb, pub shed builds and renovating old antique doors, but this one is a little different and we love the fact Chris has utilised existing space within his home. Read about our Improvers Homes’ Cinema Room Conversion. We all understand how important it is to bring natural light into our homes and what better way than a new bay window! Our Improvers Homes’ reader Kristyn Harris, sent us her lovely living room makeover.

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When Improve Magazine reader, Chris Bailey, got in touch with our team, we just knew we had to cover this project. We’ve seen many great home improvements including a full house refurb, pub shed builds and renovating old antique doors, but this one is a little different and we love the fact Chris has utilised existing space within his home

Chris, tell us a little about the space you’ve converted.

When we first moved in we realised fairly early on we were the type of family that would just fill the garage with rubbish and use it as a bit of a dumping ground, so the plan was to do something with it, we were just unsure what. We did consider knocking through from the kitchen and expanding that room but didn’t want to just create a bigger room for the sake of it.

With the boys getting older everyday we settled on some form of entertainment space where we could spend time as a family or so the kids could invite their friends round and use. The garage was a perfect space for a home cinema and with an entrance via an external door, it feels separate from the house, giving the kids a bit of independence in the safety of the home.

Let the project begin!

A nice bit of plastering!

Starting to take shape

No cinema room would be complete without drinks and snacks

LET’S HAVE A RUN DOWN OF THE PROJECT:

• Space size Standard Garage size - 2.5m wide by just over 5m long. • Why convert to a cinema room? We have always enjoyed our films and it seems to be our go to activity for the family to enjoy together. We also have a decent collection of Alternative Movie Posters and nowhere to display them so wanted to include them in the overall theme.

• Original budget? We never really had one. The plan was to get the building work done initially, so just the sealing off the garage door and the plaster work. From then on we would just do it a bit at a time buying a few items a month so that we never felt the financial pain. However that soon went out the window as some of the bigger items needed to be purchased! It made sense to buy the projector and sound system so that all the wiring could be located and put in behind the building work. We then needed somewhere to house it all so we used kitchen units at the back.

• Actual spend? So far, just under 5k. Still a couple of minor items to buy so we will realistically end up around £5,500 • Problems throughout? Fingers crossed none! Once momentum picked up everything seemingly went to plan! • Overcoming problems... The floor runs slightly downhill but this actually lent itself to the room, giving more of a cinema feeling. Finding the right sofas was probably the issue throughout due to the narrowness of the room. We also thought for a while we may need to raise the floor at the back to give the seating at the back additional height, but then we discovered sofa raisers which has been an amazing solution and costing much less than having to raise the floor!

• Timescale of the whole project? 2 months working weekends only • Did you have help? We had the timber frame and plasterwork done professionally, after that it was myself and my wife with the help of the inlaws. • What do the family think? Kids love it and cant wait to show it off post covid and its especially come in handy for the Euros, the tennis, the golf and any other future prestigious sports event! Us adults enjoy it just as much as the kids!

• Any other ideas for renovations? None yet, we have talked about extending the kitchen out but will likely wait until the boys are older whilst they enjoy the garden space so much.

Voila! Looks fantatstic! Is our invite in the post Chris?

In this case study we take a look into the home of one of our readers who has shared a Living Room Makeover!

We all understand how important it is to bring natural light into our homes and what better way than a new bay window! This is the main focal point of this lovely living room makeover, sent to us from Kristyn Harris and her husband. “The whole ceiling needed replacing” explains Kristyn. “My husband is an electrician, so we were able to carry out that part of the re-model ourselves, including plastering the walls, new wiring and fitting the new wooden floor. However, we had to call in the professionals when it came to our requirement of a new living room window. We wanted something simple and stylish, that would bring more natural light into the room.” After much research, the couple decided to go with the advice of local window fitters PDS Wales with a thermally reinforced ‘A’ rated bay window and Beautiful Blinds, based in Hengoed. Both companies provided a professional and efficient service and all works were carried out during lockdown, with social distancing and mask wearing taken very seriously. Kristyn is renovating a room at a time and we can’t wait to see more of her projects, upon completion.

PROJECT DETAILS

• Living Room • Total Renovation Time – 8 months (during a pandemic)! • New Bay Window (70mm Duraflex fully reinforced with ‘A’ rated glass) • Window supply & install cost £1,695 (including VAT) • Chimney Breast Removed • New Ceiling • All Walls Re-Plastered

• New Flooring • New furniture & furnishings

Overall Cost: £13,500

BEFORE

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BEFORE AFTER

Do you have a renovation project you’d like to share with us? Please email: christina@improve-magazine.co.uk.

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WINDOWS & DOORS

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BALUSTRADES & BALCONIES

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TRANS LEVEL

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