It’s been 2 weeks since I shared all the lighting I chose for the bonus room, and we have made so much progress in that space since then. We started with installing the paneling, but rerouted when we decided to install a transom above the door. A follower suggested we put in a pocket door and I thought, “why wouldn’t we?” It’s already a tight space with the lockers and desk right there, so it would be nice to cut down on the amount of swinging doors. This is just a classic case of “if you give a mouse a cookie.” Both the pocket door and transom needed to be installed before we can finish the paneling, which is why we did some pivoting. Not to mention the floating desk! Anyways, it’s all in now and I wanted to show some progress in the bonus room since it’s come so far! Stay tuned for tutorials on how to do all of these things yourself!

Before

Bonus Room Today

The Pocket Door and Transom

This is the area that has probably changed the most, don’t you think? A new floating desk, a transom, pocket door, and paneling! I love seeing it all coming together.

Before

Today

Deciding to install a pocket door here is going to make a big difference. See how in the before the door opened up to where the floating desk now is? First of all, this door will probably stay open a lot of the time since there’s no need to really have it closed for privacy. It’s a family hang-out area with people coming in and out. And also closing it will be a breeze. I’m also so happy to have a transom to match the style of the rest of the house.

Installing the Floating Desk

Before

Today

You can see how that little wall that jutted out before? We want that all to be flushed so we built it out and that will all get covered with the paneling. Even those brackets below the desk are going to get covered with paneling so it will look like a true floating desk. Also picture a shelf above the desk, and a double shaded sconce above that!

Still-to-come

Next up, we’ll be adding window seating to both of the recessed dormers. We’re drawing up plans for those, which will include storage for extra blankets, and gaming equipment. Oh and I’m on the hunt for somebody to sew some custom window seating cushions for those as well! Once those are in, we can finish the paneling, trim out the doors and windows and prep for paint!

Before

By the time Thanksgiving comes around, we’ll be getting cozy in this room again. So looking forward to that. Also I highly recommend taking progress photos of any project you’re doing along the way. Such a good reminder to see how far you’ve come when you’re in the middle of it.