Adding a Bonus Room To Our Two-Story Living Room

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We really like our new house, but one thing it was lacking was a bonus room.  Our last house had a full basement (which came in really handy for birthday parties or when friends were over).  We debated between making the dining room into a den, or somehow splitting the two-story living room into two rooms. We worried about losing all the great natural light, but after talking it over, researching, and talking with our general contractor, we decided to make our two-story living room into a living room AND add a bonus room right on top.

We looked up pictures and video on Pinterest, and after we got approval from the city, our general contractor moved forward.  It didn’t take him long to frame in the second room.  We were able to keep some of the existing windows, but ended up getting a new window for the new bonus room. We also added a closet to the bonus room and a new hall closet!

Fireplace:

The old fireplace had a cut-out above the mantle for a tv. We wanted to update this to work with a flat-screen tv, and update the mantle and tile-surround.

New Bonus Room:

Of all the changes we made to our house, this was the one that made the most impact on our family.  We were able to not only add square footage, but we created a space that our kids love.  They play with Legos, play video games, and we have even had a sleepover birthday party with 6 teenage boys. 

It also doubles as a guest room when we have out of town family or friends visit.  We just blow up an air mattress and it turns into a guest room.

Living Room:

The living room turned out great. We spend a lot of time in here and are really happy with how it turned out.