How to change a room with a reasonable price tag..?

[WL Lover]

Hi, we have a one room upstairs with no windows. It is a very good size room with full bath and closet. My daughter would really like to turn it into the game/sleep room for her and her friends. The problem is that we have a bed frame but no mattress, we are wondering if we should spend the money on the mattress or a futon? Since there are no windows I am worried about making it a bedroom when there is no escape for a hazard. We are in need of good ideas for what kind of room to make the upstairs room and any paint colors that are helpful for no windowed room would be wonderful also (we have yellow/tan carpet with yellow walls so new paint color is a must, but we are not able to change the carpet) Places to buy cute teen furniture with good prices would be great too! Help needed, please

 

[lunalibre]

Without a window, I would be very leery of turning this room into a bedroom. I understand not being able to afford to put in a window now, but would it be possible to do that sometime in the future? In other words, is it at least architecturally feasible to put in a window? Obviously it's much easier if you've got siding. However, you might be surprised at how cheaply you might be able to put in a window. It could be something to consider in the future.

At any rate, that's not really what you asked. You asked what would be better for this room: a bed or a futon? If it's not primarily being used for a bedroom, I ABSOLUTELY would go with a futon. We have a game room, and we've got one sleeper sofa and two futons. The futons are light and easy to rearrange, and yet we've got plenty of room for the kids' friends to sleep. They're also a lot more comfortable to sleep on than a sofa bed. They're not quite as comfortable when used as a couch, but add a bunch of squishy throw pillows and they're fine. Our futons came from Big Lots (not a place we'd usually shop for furniture!). They have black metal frames with oak armrests, and we got black futon mattresses for them. I think they ran about $200 - $250 apiece. Garden Ridge also had futons, but the ones at Big Lots were better quality.

I can't help you with the color, but I would go with something light since the room doesn't have windows. Bright colors are really in for teens these days, so maybe leave the walls a light neutral color, then get bright throw pillows and blankets. At our house, I swear -- no matter how many of those fleece throw blankets we have, someone is always looking for another one!

Anyway, don't spend much on the decor. Use your money for a TV/stereo/game system for that room. *That* will keep teens occupied!

Since there is only one exit from the room, I would put a smoke detector both in the room and in the hallway outside. Also, while you'll likely want a door for noise control , you might want to have the rule that once they're ready to go to sleep, the door opens.

I'm sure I sound paranoid, and I likely am when it comes to fire. Good luck with whatever you decide to do!

 

[Reddy]

lighting - maybe some battery power lights in a good spot incase of power going out

Mirrors - they reflex light so that makes a room brighter more of a feel of a window in the room

painting in a light color - don't do dark (pillows in the light colors too to keep the place bright)

 

[scbelleatheart]

Don't really have an answer but I am glad someone else besides me worries about escape routes. My DH thought I was nuts because I would never let the kids sleep in the gameroom (basement) because the only way out was up the stairs. Thanks for making me feel better.
I'd go with futons, no bed.

 

[mamaLori05]

I would recommend the futon too, but upgrade to a better mattress. Upgrade to the mattress with springs in it so that if you do decide to use it as a bed for a sleepover or something, it is more comfortable for the guests. We did that and you would never know you were sleeping on a futon, it feels like a real mattress.

 

[tink2dw]

What about a couple day beds? We got our 2 from www.craigslist.com for $70. with bedding and mattress!! not for sleeping but for lounging!

Or make it a Movie Room!!

Or a closet!! LoL!!

 

[momof1princess]

i had a thought...how about going to a home improvement store (lowe's or home depot, etc.) and checking out the discounted paint-you know, the colors that were mixed wrong or didn't turn out like the buyer wanted? you can probably pick up a couple of cans cheap, paint the walls in different, but complementary colors, and the kids will love it!

 

[Leader of the Club]

You could skip the futon altogether and get big pillows and bean-bag chairs. Some comfortable throws would be cool. Maybe a couple of fun chairs.

 

[Janepod]

I love the daybed idea - we have these and they are great. However, if you buy a used frame, try to buy new mattresses ... I am bedbug paranoid!