Random bits and bobs - more about the house

[chrisvenus]

Apparently I have a phone line installed now. I got a phone call from BT telling me this. At least, I'm fairly sure that this is what she was saying. Unfortunately the line was truly atrocious. I was amused by the irony. I hope it isn't a reflection on things to come. I couldn't hear her well enough to confirm that my phone number was the one I was given the other day so I won't be posting it til I've had a chance to check it tonight or whenever.

And in other questions I am contemplating what things I need for my new house. In the course of this contemplation I realised that I really needed to decide exactly what to do with my second bedroom. I feel I have a few options...

1) Study - somewhere to put my computer desk. Maybe even another desk like table type thing for if I want to be able to have a flat surface for doing anything
2) Proper spare room - so set it up with bed, chest of drawers and that kind of thing. Likely then only used really for guests
3) Games room - the kind of place to roleplay, board game or whatever.
4) soft room - cover the floor with cushions and bean bags so you can just fall over and be comfortable. The kind of place to just chill in when company comes round.
5) Dungeon

There may be other ideas but I was generally just contemplating what furniture I needed and realised I had no real vision of what I wanted the room to be doing and therefore what I'd need. Not even to the extent of sofa bed or real bed...

And I will hopefully take some photos of new place later if you want to see pictures of the room. Its not likely to be very exciting though.

Comments

[mejoff.livejournal.com]

With judicious futonery, a combination of 2, 3 and 4 is acheivable.

(and 5, actually, if you're clever about it)

[chrisvenus]

This may be true but I've never been a fan of futons. I always find them to be a bit too hard for my liking... Perhaps though I should try some out on the offchance its just the ones I've tried being uncomfortable...

[mejoff.livejournal.com]

There are varying thicknesses of mattress available, and let's face it, you're not going to be sleeping much on it, it's your spare room and the adaptability makes a real difference.

[bateleur.livejournal.com]

If you didn't make it a study, where would the computer desk go?

[chrisvenus]

What I am doing with my computer is still something I'm not sure of. I could put my computer in the bedroom or other places. I am seriously considering buying myself a small quiet PC and having it hooked up to the TV in the living room though for when my laptop isn't up to the job. Most stuff I do on laptop though so computer desk is something that actually might not happen (thinking about it I don't think I have a monitor for my desktop any more having decided that it needed upgrading to flat screen and therefore I couldn't be bothered to move and store the old skanky crappy CRT)...

[bateleur.livejournal.com]

This being the case it sounds like games room and study could be the same room quite easily.

[chrisvenus]

This is very true. The options, as mejoff suggests are not entirely incompatible. I'm just trying to work out partly what furniture I'd need for all the options. I am quite attracted by the idea of no furniture apart from cushions and bean bags but I suspect that is not sensible in the long run. Maybe a corner of the room though....

[bateleur.livejournal.com]

One option would be to try to find a sufficiently low gaming table that beanbags and cushions would work for table seating.

[venta.livejournal.com]

Ball pit!

[chrisvenus]

That is so totally on the cards, I just forgot about it while posting the poll... I wonder what the delivery cost for that many balls would be....

[venta.livejournal.com]

A fixed bed seems a bad move unless you're expecting lots of guests. Some form of sofa-bed/futile isn't really incompatible with (3) and (4).

And yes, as bateleur says, it depends on the layout of the rest of your house. Do you have somewhere else sensible to put a computer if not in the spare room ?

[chrisvenus]

The thing is I don't see that a fixed bed is really a problem since I have a living room for most stuff and I'm not sure how much I actually need another room with sofas and such like in. It'd be good if I was sharing possibly but my main confusion comes in that I am not sure I need two separate chill out areas. A fixed bed would have the advantage of being more comfortable when I did have guests and would mean that if I did ever decide to rent the room it could be half ready to go already rather than needing to find a new home for sofabed, etc.

Oh, and does "futile" mean you have a low option of futons or was that a comical typo or none of the above?

[venta.livejournal.com]

Oh, and does "futile" mean you have a low option of futons or was that a comical typo or none of the above?

Actually, neither of the above. I quite like them, but I've called them futiles for years. I can't even remember why now :)

Although I see your point about already having a lounge, I guess I just can't quite imagine a world where my house has too many rooms, and thus can't imagine wanting to "write off" one as just a spare bedroom.

[chrisvenus]

Yeah. This is it. I live on my own (or will do once I actually move in). I have one room for sleeping and dressing and all that kind of thing (I believe its called a bedroom these days), one room for when I'm at home watching TV, playing computer games or even just curled up on a sofa reading a book or whatever. Also that's useable to entertain guests and probably for eating dinner off my lap. though that does make me think that a table somewhere would be nice for if I do have company that I don't want to make eat off my lap (I can't think who that would be apart from my parents). I've seen some nice compact ones that could fold up and tuck out the way though...

I feel I should do more than just write it off as a spare room but I'm still umming and ahing about what I could do with it that would make it useful.

[venta.livejournal.com]

Unless you're keen to get the whole house in order as soon as possible, there's nothing really to stop you leaving that room for a few months until its use becomes apparent to you. Live in the house for a bit, and once you realise what space is missing, make the spare room into one of them :)

[chrisvenus]

that seems particularly wise...

[lathany.livejournal.com]

I agree.

[dave [earth.li] (from livejournal.com)]

Am I allowed to eat off my own lap, rather than yours, if I come round?

[chrisvenus]

:-p

[secondhand-rick.livejournal.com]

If you're contemplating a sofa-bed or futon, I strongly recommend this type, where the back simply folds back.

It's the only sofa-bed I've ever found to be comfortable both as a sofa and a bed. Most others are at best comfortable only in one function, and many in neither. Also, it's quicker and easier to convert from one format to the other.

The only downside is that they tend to be quite a bit more expensive than other types.

[antoniabaker.livejournal.com]

I had a dungeon in my bedroom, no I really really did.

Mum built me a pink castle where teh battlements where a bed and underneath were book shelves, spare bed and it formed a dungeon. I'll try and get pictures for it.

Seriously reccomend it, hours of fun xx

[chrisvenus]

I was thinking of something slightly different, dear. I'll explain it more when I next see you. ;-)

[evath.livejournal.com]

You can always rent dungeons I hear.

I just don't have anyone willing to go with me :( Actually I think you can hire that part too....

[sea-of-flame.livejournal.com]

We're switching our rooms over at the moment, since having a big bedroom as our one & little one as spare is daft when the spare room is also the study.

In fact, the 'new' spare room is bigger than our lounge, since it's not just above it, it goes over the hall as well - so the plan is to end up with a room that has many bookshelves (for the collective novels, comics, roleplay books & textbooks), sofabed (so it's still nominally a spare room), desk, and kitchen table/chairs for gaming (since they never actually get used for sitting down to dinner anyway).

[twicedead.livejournal.com]

http://www.studybed.co.uk/?gclid=COTFhubPg5YCFRbUlAodmTUWEA

[danfossydan.livejournal.com]

That thing is cool! I have no need for such a device, and yet I want one!

[danfossydan.livejournal.com]

I've been thinking about this though the day. I think it comes down to how big is your living room?

I have the curse/luxuary of having way to many rooms. I started off trying to seperate each of them for different things, but basically it comes down to what am I going to use best. And I've moved stuff all over the place in the quest for sorting stuff out.

Key thing I learned (for me): Having Computer in Living room was important. Since I spend alot of time usign it, its a better place there.

But I'm not sure what rooms you have in your place....

[huggyrei.livejournal.com]

Our spare room is a combination - desks, computers on desks, sofabed, space for games. Our sofabed's pretty comfy as both sofa and bed - it's this one if you're curious: http://www.johnlewis.com/230447242/Product.aspx