New Flat: Lounge design in progress....

richiec77 · 13-04-2009, 5:49 PM

Me and the missus (noobs to all of this) are in the process of buying a flat and I was wondering what you guys thought of my ideas for the lounge.
Things were going great guns until the electrics were deemed "un-satisfactory" by Steve the Electrician. We have gone back to the vendors asking for the cost of upgrading to be knocked off the sale price (so far the vendor is getting quotes as we were qouted £4000 for a re-wire on a 2 bed maisonette!).

Hopefully this will be resolved and they knock the money off so we get the work done ourselves and can dictate where the power points go as well as laying my cat5 and media cables at the same time

This is the layout as best I can remember it. Excuse the crude drawing but I have just started using Sketch up today and the 3D ones were my head hurt.

I have been toying with the idea of using a fake chimney breast as per this thread
http://www.avforums.com/forums/home-...hd-lounge.html

I think he has achieved a great look and I would like to try to emulate it or at least try and look half as good as that.

My kit includes:
Sony Bravia 40" KDL40V4000
Vista Media Centre playing 1080p bluray rips etc
Logitech Z5450 (with wireless rears - except for the power cables!)
Wii (love guitar hero)

As you can see I am by no means a proper home cinema buff but the speakers are very good, THX certified and the picture is 1080p and is more than adequate for me.

So what do you guys think? Any ideas greatfully received.

PS as you can guess I am itching to get started but we have not completed on the flat yet

I am desparate for a new project and have been salivating over the projects on this forum. Some of them are truly amazing. Once we have the keys I will give upload some photos of the "blank canvas"

richiec77 · 17-04-2009, 7:23 PM

Well no news on the flat other than the vendors can't find the head lease and we are still waiting on their electrician's verdict.

I am itching to start on my AV setup as browsing these forums has really stoked my imagination.

I can see how these forums can become an addiction.

Think I will go with some rope lighting in there too

Where's the best place to buy?

richiec77 · 19-04-2009, 10:30 AM

I am thinking of adding a fake wall and insetting the TV and equipment into it. The main issue is that it has a radiator on that side and this would cause a problem. Any ideas??

dave2506 · 20-04-2009, 3:17 PM

Hi mate

Hope you secure the house soon. We bought our first one in July last year and you will love the freedom to do exactly what you want to it (except the cost element

)

Regarding your false wall idea and the radiator dilemna, it shouldn't be too much problem to move it forward a little. Plumbing is one of those things that seems very daunting but is actually pretty straightforward (at lease with radiators!) and as long as you take the time to do it right should be something you can do yourself. Having no previous plumbing experience I managed to move a radiator in our bedroom from one wall to another and it's really rewarding to know you've done it yourself (and cheaper

).

I can understand why people to choose to pay a plumber but all the information is available online and once you've done one you will have all the tool and knowledge to do another one which really helps!

richiec77 · 21-04-2009, 12:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dave2506

Hi mate

Hope you secure the house soon. We bought our first one in July last year and you will love the freedom to do exactly what you want to it (except the cost element

)

Regarding your false wall idea and the radiator dilemna, it shouldn't be too much problem to move it forward a little. Plumbing is one of those things that seems very daunting but is actually pretty straightforward (at lease with radiators!) and as long as you take the time to do it right should be something you can do yourself. Having no previous plumbing experience I managed to move a radiator in our bedroom from one wall to another and it's really rewarding to know you've done it yourself (and cheaper

).

I can understand why people to choose to pay a plumber but all the information is available online and once you've done one you will have all the tool and knowledge to do another one which really helps!

Thanks Dave, not sure I am that confident though! Once I am in I will update this post with photos and the like and no doubt it will take over my life!!
I'm in Vegas for NAB at the moment but there hasn't been any movement in the flat yet

richiec77 · 20-06-2009, 4:38 PM

I am now the new owner of a flat

Exchanged and completed all in the same day. Which coincidently was the day our lease ran out on our rented flat

So now fellow forums I need your help, I am currently sitting in what feels like a building site. Not one surface is free from dust

By richiec77 at 2009-06-20

The electrician has done a complete re-wire which means I can lay my own cable.

By richiec77 at 2009-06-20

Now the main lounge area is where I need help

By richiec77 at 2009-06-20

By richiec77 at 2009-06-20

As I mentioned I would like to do something like this
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v190/homerdog/hc5.jpg
Homerdogs lounge is nice but my Mediacentre is too deep to have it incased into the fake chimney breast.

So I need ideas people.

norty mart · 20-06-2009, 6:15 PM

Congrats on the flat...now the fun really begins - it'll soon turn from building site to a B&Q stockroom

Enjoy the ride

SparksCW · 20-06-2009, 9:30 PM

Nice one on the flat, but is your electrician for real??? that wiring doesn't meet regs, its all over the place and has no capping for the majority of it.. thats just from one picture...! Is he a legit qualified sparky??

27neth · 20-06-2009, 9:46 PM

Im not a electrician but i also thought that wiring looks very dodgy. I have worked on plenty of sites and never seen anything done like that before....

John..

richiec77 · 21-06-2009, 11:15 AM

Yes he is fully qualified. The problem is it's a ground floor flat with a cement floor. So it all had to go in the brick walls. There area I took a photo of was capped off afterwards. Some places he didn;t want to chase too deep because the walls were only one brick deep and could compromise the structure of the walls.

SparksCW · 21-06-2009, 2:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by richiec77

Yes he is fully qualified. The problem is it's a ground floor flat with a cement floor. So it all had to go in the brick walls. There area I took a photo of was capped off afterwards. Some places he didn;t want to chase too deep because the walls were only one brick deep and could compromise the structure of the walls.

Hmm personally I'd have had the ceiling down before accepting wiring like that. But as long as you're happy with it I guess

Can't wait to see it all finished!

richiec77 · 22-06-2009, 10:20 AM

Haven't done much over the weekend. I busted up my hand in a mountain bike accident. I did however manage to chese in my Network cables to the back bedroom. My GF's Dad used to be a BT engineer so I am going to get him to do all the terminations for the network sockets. I had a go but seems quite fiddley.
Got a boiler man coming over tonight to hook up the boiler to the new electrical wiring. HOT WATER WILL BE MINE!
I might try and get some more work done on the Main bedroom. Needs sanding and painting

Will hopefully have more of an update by the weekend.

richiec77 · 04-07-2009, 10:30 AM

a little off topic but just having some carpet installed in the main bedroom. Went for Cloud 9 cumulus underlay as I have read on this forum it is great stuff. I have to say, it is a cliche but the carpet fitter said it is the best stuff and has it in his house

Sine my last post we have decided to get the bedrooms done first before tackling the lounge. I'll be hanging my 32" Sammy on the wall so i'll post some piccies of that to show you how I am getting on. My girlfriend has moved back to her parents as she couldn't take living in a permanently dusty environment!
Fairplay, I myself don't mind it but I have to say it is starting to grate.
Well one room down three to go!

richiec77 · 04-07-2009, 11:21 AM

Went from this:

To this:

kempez · 04-07-2009, 11:24 AM

Much better

richiec77 · 04-07-2009, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kempez

Much better

Cheers. Just this to do next

Then the lounge.

Philius · 04-07-2009, 12:43 PM

I know from 1st hand experience it's not nice living in a flat with rooms under such heavy work... you have nowhere to go and it's always there. Stick at it and it'll come. The transformation in the bedroom is outstanding.

richiec77 · 04-07-2009, 1:59 PM

Yeah I am chuffed.

Heres the other side of the room and my invisible brother in the doorway.

Going to wall mount the Sammy above the socket in that picture.
Bed arrives next week. Super Kingsize!

richiec77 · 04-07-2009, 8:14 PM

Couldn't wait anymore for the bed to arrive before mounting the LCD so I went ahead and did it.
Behold my first ever mounting (tv wise)

I will use plastic trunking to hide the wires. Couldn't stand to do anymore chasing and I think the Missus would have killed me. It's only the bedroom, i'll save that up for another project when everything else is done. It doesn't look straight despite the spirit level saying it is bang on.
Weird.

richiec77 · 07-07-2009, 5:45 PM

I have placed my cables in trunking and painted it the same colour as the walls. Not as good as cables chased in but for sanity sake I went with trunking in the bedroom.

It's nice to be sleeping in a relatively dust free environment.
When I get home I will post some pics of the back bedroom and hallway and how it's looking.

Then on to the main event, the lounge.

richiec77 · 10-07-2009, 12:02 PM

New kingsize bed delivered today and some more pics.#

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_qDfiwOLCYxI/Sl...0/DSCF0774.JPG

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_qDfiwOLCYxI/Sl...4/DSCF0775.JPG

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_qDfiwOLCYxI/Sl...4/DSCF0776.JPG

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_qDfiwOLCYxI/Sl...4/DSCF0777.JPG

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_qDfiwOLCYxI/Sl...4/DSCF0778.JPG

richiec77 · 16-07-2009, 4:48 PM

Back bedroom painted and 95% finished.

Wasn't sure on the colour at first but I think it looks great

eL-ZilCHo! · 16-07-2009, 5:00 PM

Looking good, quite a change.

Really lame question, but what is the paint you used in your bedroom? The beigey one, just the sort of colour I'm after.

The green looks good too.

Should be good when you've finished.

richiec77 · 16-07-2009, 5:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eL-ZilCHo!

Looking good, quite a change.

Really lame question, but what is the paint you used in your bedroom? The beigey one, just the sort of colour I'm after.

The green looks good too.

Should be good when you've finished.

It's from Wickes - Coffee Creme (or cream). Yeah I really like it. Very relaxing

eL-ZilCHo! · 16-07-2009, 7:59 PM

Nice one, a trip to Wickes is now on the 'to do' list.

Smurfin · 16-07-2009, 11:56 PM

And what's the green one?

Probably too late now, but where trunking is involved, it's generally best to run it from the centre of the TV rather than the end. You end up with an L shape at the bottom to get to the socket, but it looks more symmetrical.

Looking good so far though

richiec77 · 17-07-2009, 9:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smurfin

And what's the green one?

Probably too late now, but where trunking is involved, it's generally best to run it from the centre of the TV rather than the end. You end up with an L shape at the bottom to get to the socket, but it looks more symmetrical.

Looking good so far though

it is also from Wickes I think it is something like Wild Fern.

Couldn't put the trunking in the centre as the bed would have been too far over to have the LCD in the middle.

Thanks for the comments guys! Having the back bedroom and hallway carpeted on Saturday.

Slowly getting there

richiec77 · 09-08-2009, 11:22 AM

So have been doing lots of travel with work so progress has slowed some what. My brother has been helping out during the week.
Work has started on the Lounge (Yay!) and is going nicely.

The window sill is on the false wall which the radiator has been attached.

Still lots of filling in of the walls where the electrics were chased in and general "making good" needed to be done.

Now in the middle of this wall is where the false chimney breast will be. I have a friend who is a 3d artist andI have just given him the measurements and a rough idea what I want. So will post back once it is done!

and here are some more general ones from the rest of the flat.

As you can see it is nicely decorated but filled with all the crap we need to keep dust free!

The bedroom came out really well. Really pleased. The superkingsize bed is truly awesome

No more arguing who is on who's side!

You can just see the media extender hiding behind my Sammy. NOt visible at all from the front but the remote still works perfectly.

This wardrobe is called the PAX from Ikea and it is massive! Took me and my brother all day to assemble. Oh and a tip - always make sure you put the hinges round the right way. We almost drove back to ikea to say we had faulty hinges

a few more

Will be posting more updates this week.

Cheers

Valo^ · 09-08-2009, 11:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by richiec77

Looks great so far

What media extender are you using in the bedroom? I'm currently looking for something to stream my media to my bedroom LCD from my server, I'm looking for a neat small footprint solution and what you've got there could be perfect.

richiec77 · 09-08-2009, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Valo^

Looks great so far

What media extender are you using in the bedroom? I'm currently looking for something to stream my media to my bedroom LCD from my server, I'm looking for a neat small footprint solution.

I am using the Linksys DMA2100 media centre extender. It can do quite a few codecs Answer

I bought it for £170 but it has come down in price dramtically. You can get it now for £70!
If you are using a media centre (microsoft) setup then it is really handy and at £70 quid a bargain. Not saying it is the best solution but it does what I need. If you do get it, make sure you have an ethernet connecttion going to it. I was using the wireless and had quite a few issues with it. I wasn't using a wireless N router so it may be that it works better with a faster wireless connection.