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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!

Bonus room floor in process - Adding a bonus room to a 2-story great room/ living room.
Bonus Room floor in process
Upstairs hallway being framed - converting a two-story living room into a bonus room and living room.
Framing done – Bonus Room
New bonus room being sheet rocked - adding a bonus room to a two-story living room.
Bonus room (with closet) being sheet rocked
Living Room under construction, house remodel. Adding a bonus room to a 2-story great room/ living room.
Downstairs Living Room – In Progress

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.

6 Comments

  • Nicki
    June 11, 2020 at 2:32 am

    wow! You guys get so creative with what you do with your houses. It was enough for us to bring a wall down and open our kitchen… which, by the way, we still need to find shelves for. I should hire you as a consultant!

  • ramah
    June 11, 2020 at 5:37 pm

    Thanks Nicki! And I would love to help you find some shelves!!

  • Amy
    October 25, 2022 at 6:42 am

    Could you share rough estimate on what you paid? Looks amazing!

  • Chad Price
    October 25, 2022 at 5:48 pm

    What was the approximate cost of the floor-over remodel above?

  • ramah
    October 31, 2022 at 12:52 pm

    Hi Amy. Thanks so much! It’s hard to know the exact number we paid because we were doing other updates at the same time. My husband estimates around $15,000 (give or take).
    Let me know if you have any other questions.

  • ramah
    October 31, 2022 at 12:53 pm

    Hi Chad. It’s hard to know the exact number we paid because we were doing other updates at the same time. My husband estimates around $15,000 (give or take).
    Let me know if you have any other questions.
    Thanks!

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