DIY Network

Getting Started Getting Started From "Weekend Decorating" episode WDC-211

A shot of the band in a practice session.

When you think of a music room, you usually think of a formal room complete with a baby grand piano. But this music room is for a real rock 'n' roll band. Join Nancy Golden as she turns a newly constructed bland basement room into a rocking band room in just one weekend.

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	Before.
	After.

This newly added basement room looks like every other new room on the block, with plain walls and a bare floor -- basically, a room with no rhythm. The best part of the room, the soundproofing, is invisible to the eye. But this room is about to start marching to a different beat as it becomes a colorful, inspiring music room that's so cozy and relaxing you just want to hang out and listen. The best part of the transformation: it all happens with just fabric, paint and creativity.

On a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 having the greatest degree of difficulty, this project is considered a solid level 3, due to the installation of carpet tiles and the fabric-covered walls. Some prep work was done in advance, and the remainder of the project will take 10 hours to complete, spread over two days. The cost for tools, materials and accessories is approximately $1,200, and since this project takes place over a weekend, it is important to be very organized with your time.

The first and most important step for any project is to figure out the floor plan. Luckily, interior design computer programs today make it easy to design a room to scale. Here, the homeowner is a musician who needs a room to practice with his band. Since this is a room filled with musical equipment, lots of furniture isn't needed. But he did want a space for people to sit and listen to the band jam, so a drink ledge is installed and bar stools are added for seating.

Materials
Painting supplies
Foam batting and acoustical foam
Spray adhesive
Fabric
Fabric webbing
Scissors
Staple gun
Molding
Nails and nail anchors
Carpet tiles
Measuring tape
Ladder
Drill
Glue gun and glue sticks
Sheet music
Decoupage medium
Wallpaper paste and brush
1 x 8 shelving
1 x 2 trim
3 corbels
Chop saw
Electric knife
Utility knife

Advance Preparation

1. Paint the walls.

2. Measure the walls and dimensions of the room.Walls

The room is partially below grade, a term which refers to the portion of the house that is below the soil line. Two of the walls are below grade and four are above ground. The homeowner did some soundproofing of the walls as the room was being constructed, but the room needs to be as soundproof as possible to prevent noise from traveling upstairs to the living quarters.

Safety tip: When working with spray adhesives, wear breathing protection and be sure that the area is well ventilated. Serious injury can result from breathing the vapors.


Steps:

1. Foam batting is purchased at a sewing store and applied to the four walls above ground with spray adhesive (figure A).

2. The foam sheets should be tightly fitted together to make sure there are no air pockets. Sound will leak through any dead space around the foam.

3. If the batting has to be cut, use an electric knife to make the cuts (figure B); the serrated edges of the knife makes cleaner cuts in the batting than a utility knife would make.

Figure A

Figure B

A diagram showing the upholstered walls.

4. Allow the adhesive to become tacky before installing the foam (figure C).

5. Try to cut the batting as few times as possible to minimize seams. When cutting out openings for outlets (figure D), make the measurements on the wall and transfer them to the foam. Tracing the outlet cover on the foam before cutting will also help ensure accurate cuts.

6. Once the batting is on the wall, use a staple gun to reinforce the foam to the wall.

7. Although the foam is functional and could be left as is, Golden upholstered the foam with a decorative fabric. The fabric will add a polished, sophisticated look to the room while adding another layer of sound baffle to the walls.

8. The fabric is attached with a staple gun at the top of the wall, then pulled tight and stapled at the bottom. Make sure the staples are long enough to penetrate both the batting and the foam. The biggest challenge here is matching the checkered pattern, so enlist a buddy for help if possible.

9. Nylon webbing is used as a decorative element to camouflage fabric seams. Run a bead of glue down the seams before attaching the webbing (figure E).

Figure C

Figure D

Figure E

10. The walls that are below grade and already soundproofed are decorated with pages of sheet music applied in random patterns on the painted walls (figure F).

11. Apply a thin coat of wallpaper paste to the music pages (figure G). Check package directions to find out drying time.

12. When the paste is dry, go over the top of the pages with a decoupage medium, which will give the pages a glossy finish. If any of the page corners are sticking up, the decoupage medium will smooth them down and help them adhere to the wall.

13. Apply pages to the wall in a random pattern (figure H) and smooth with a wallpaper brush; allow them to dry overnight.

Figure F

Figure G

Figure H