My friends Rob and Tamara have renovated and updated most of the rooms in their stylish bungalow in Toronto's East York. But I wanted to share Rob's "Man Room" for a little change of pace from the kitchens, bedrooms and pretty accessories we usually blog about. (Note the model cars, sideboard-turned bar adorned with a selection of whiskeys and discreet but high-tech speakers.)
This basement room, as you'll see below, used to be a funny little bedroom with what Rob calls "a stupid alcove" with a closet that was three feet wide and a ridiculous eight feet deep.
The Reno:
First things first, the closet and alcove were ripped out. Frustratingly enough Rob says, "It was probably one of the hardest parts of the reno. The closet was built poorly and with a million screws!"
Next the pot lights were rearranged and the bad wiring fixed. Then the ceiling was re-levelled.
Rob and his helpful team of friends ran brand new home theatre wiring through the walls to proper wall plates. The power outlets for the media centre are dedicated providing clean power.
The final step and the second most difficult, says Rob, was to level the entire floor for the Torlys engineered hardwood. "We accomplished that using self-levelling concrete."
The Decor:
The red wall behind the TV is not technically an accent wall, but is meant to disappear when the lights go down to give the room a real movie theatre effect.
The furniture is a mix of new, used and vintage and is surprisingly sophisticated for a man room (no offense boys, but I always picture cheap leather recliners, matching ottomans, sports paraphernalia and framed wrestling posters). Take the Eileen Grey side tables and Danish Mid-Century Modern chairs and sideboard. And of course the home theatre is top of the line.
The Budget:
The reno itself was quite affordable, it's all the bells, whistles and fancy furniture that made this room slightly more aspirational.
- Reno (including flooring and special theatre wiring): $4,500
- Palliser leather couch: $2,500
- Eileen Grey side tables (bought second-hand): Two for $250
- Mid-Century Modern chairs and sideboard: $2,000
- Bowers & Wilkins home theatre with a Denon receiver: $8,000
Total: $17,250
You need to upgrade your Flash Player to 9 or greater
Do you have a man room in your house? Tell us about it, or even better...
Got a reno that you're proud of? Send us some before and afters and you could be featured on Real People Renos! Send your photos (in jpeg format) and reno info to stylesheetAThgtvDOTca with Real People Reno in the subject line.
Previously on Real People Reno: Woman Vs. Kitchen
Related: