How to Make a Home Office and Work Center

Ron visited the Lawrenceville, Georgia home of Derek and Gwen Allen, who requested that he help them convert their formal living room into a combination home office and playroom, which would serve their multiple needs more effectively.

With bold paint and crown molding on the walls, and an attractive office furniture collection, the newly made over room now has something for every member of the family.

Click Here For a list of what you will need in order to complete this project.

1. Paint color selection
Use a large section of dry wall to paint several different shades of the color that you are considering for the room. It is a good idea to view large sections of your color choices both in the daylight and by artificial light before making a decision.

2. Primer
Before applying primer to the walls, first cover the carpet with plastic drop cloths and mask the windows, door casings, and baseboards.

When covering a white wall with a dark color, you will get better results if you add a tint of the darker color to the primer. This will minimize any missed spots showing through the final coat of paint.

It's also a good idea to lay out everything you will need before getting started.

First, use edging tools to prime the edges and corners of the walls. Keep the pan as close as possible to where you are working to avoid taking needless steps.

After priming all of the edges, use a roller to apply the rest of the primer.

When the primer is dry, apply the finish coat of paint to the walls.

3. Furniture assembly
When assembling any product, read all of the directions carefully and know what your fully assembled piece should look like before you get started. It is also helpful to have all of the recommended tools within reach.

4. Furniture finishing
To prepare the bookshelves for finishing, first drive two nails into the ends of each plank and place them across a pair of 2 x 4's with only the nails resting on the wood. You can then apply finish to both sides of the shelf without waiting for one side to dry before painting the other side.

Some types of wood, like Birch and Alder, have a tendency to splotch slightly when stain is applied to them. A pre-stain wood conditioner can help minimize this. Apply the conditioner with a brush. It will go on almost like water.

After applying the wood conditioner, wipe off the excess with a clean dry cloth and allow the wood to dry thoroughly.

After conditioning the wood, apply a finish stain, which is a stain that has been added to a finish or coating. The stain is suspended in the coating and this suspension will help minimize spotting and blotching.

To avoid leaving streaks and lap marks, apply the finish as quickly as possible with long strokes.

Allow the finish to dry and then rub out the surface with fine steel wool to remove bubbles or trapped dust particles. Move the steel wool in long strokes in the direction of the wood grain to prevent scratching.

Run a tack cloth over the shelves to pick up any residue then apply a second coat of finish.

5. Crown molding
Use a stud finder to locate and mark the wall studs.

There is a simple-to-install "miterless" crown molding system that requires no angled cuts. Use construction adhesive and finish nails to attach the inside corner blocks. Then put up divider blocks at the center points between the corners.

Cut the crown molding to length, set it in place, and nail it to the mounting blocks.

6. Tall cabinet safety precaution
Tall cabinets and children can be a dangerous combination. Many children like to climb and often use shelves as a ladder. If they get up too high, the furniture can tip forward. It is always recommended that high shelves be secured to the wall as a precaution. This is also a good idea in areas where earthquakes are a possibility.

A small bracket installed on the top and to the wall is a simple solution that can prevent tragedy. First attach the bracket to the top of the cabinet and then into a wall stud.

As an added precaution, it's best to keep things that are attractive to children off high shelves.

The day began with a room that was useful, but certainly nothing to look at. By the end of the day the room was every bit as attractive as it was functional.