DIY Network

Urban Decorating Touches This teen hangout gets a shot of hipster style. From "Wasted Spaces" episode DWSP-301

Edgy details give this room some design fun.

Karl Champley and the Wasted Spaces crew worked long and hard with volunteers from Dream Connection to create a perfect space where 14-year-old Jeremy can find the peace and quiet essential to managing his illness. But a true teenager's hangout needs more than a cool study loft and the stairs to get there.

To finish the transformation of this cluttered garage into a hip hideaway, Karl and the crew – including Jeremy's parents – tricked out the space with new furniture, a drum set, a computer and even a flat-screen TV. They also added several simple design touches that give the entire room an edgy, urban feel. Scroll down for their ideas.

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Finishing Up the Teen Hangout

Painting straight on the oriented strandboard (OSB) walls gave the room a deconstructed effect, but Karl wanted to take the urban loft theme farther. So, he cut sheets of faux brick sheeting (figure A) along the "mortar" lines and attached them to the walls (figure B). The final effect resembles a partially exposed brick wall.

Figure A

Figure B

Corrugated metal sheets aren't the only metal in this décor. Chain-link fencing and gates – recycled from a Dream Connection volunteer's backyard – became an eye-catching stair rail (figure C) and a set of cool frames for Jeremy's old field hockey stick and one of his beloved broken skateboards (figure D).

Figure C

Figure D

Jeremy's mom also cut out his initials – J. McC. – from a piece of plywood for a custom art piece (figure E). After a few coats of spray paint, the piece was mounted over a sheet of metal to create a graffiti-inspired focal point for one wall (figure F).

Figure E

Figure F

RESOURCES :
Dream Connection
Website: www.dreamconnection.org