Extreme Gameroom Makeover (part 3)
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The flooring is just about done. I'm really surprised at how easy it was to install. We went with Trafficmaster Allure in cherry for the floors. It's a relatively inexpensive product that is readily available at Home Depot Stores. I looked at other options but considering it was to be installed in a basement game room this made the most sense.
Installation was easy, just clean the floors and start laying down the plank. Each piece has a sticky strip that grips to the next. Going around polls or weird angle was a huge pain in the ass but otherwise it was smooth sailing. If I could have cleared the entire basement out and bought enough product, I could have done the entire room in a few hours.
Next up is the shelving and entertainment consoles. I went to Ikea to pick up the TV stand and bookshelves, of course its going to take several trips as my little car can only hold so many giant boxes.
Short rant, I really hate when stores are set up to trap you in there. If you go to Ikea to buy something and don't print directions from the website, you have to search the showroom to find the items you need and then travel to the storage area to locate the product. I find that to be really annoying. The other thing that bugs me about the store is the graphic design. On numerous occasions I've heard it said, "Ooh Ikea has such sophisticated design it's so clean." That's a load of crap the design is simple because it's cheap, they used the same look and feel for every item in the store. Rather than have words in the instructions it's all images, I'm sure it's because they don't want to pay for translation. In short, the design keeps the cost down and looks consistent but it's not really customer friendly. Rant over.
Using the crappy instructions I struggled through and built the TV stand. Only had to take it apart twice ... guess you get what you pay for. It looks nicer and has better construction that similar items you'd find at a discount chain (k-mart, meijer) but it still is just particle board with a laminate finish. It works for a basement or apartment, but if you own a house and are decorating regular living spaces I'd spend the extra on real wood furniture.
