There is a practical side to decorating, which doesn't need to concern them. Hardwearing, scrubbable surfaces will keep the hangout looking good for years, and bring some peace of mind to the resident adults.
Start with the floor, and think about choosing materials that until lately have not been decorating the home. Rubber, traditionally laid in hospitals, is hygienic, resilient and skid-proof, and is available in a range of patterns that have a modern, minimalist look. Linoleum has moved out of the schoolroom and kitchen, and can be laid in upbeat colors and designs customized to suit living-room styles from retro to refined. There's no need to cover up a concrete floor, and this basic building material is all the rage for tabletops as well.
I've had a lot of fun rebuilding and refinishing floors using all the materials listed above, as well as the new plank flooring alternatives. For a recent room, we came up with another option that really rocks with the teen theme - and this one we built from scratch. The large floor tiles were actually 2-feet by 4-feet rectangles cut from 1/2 inch medium-density fiberboard. The edges were beveled to give a realistic tile look. MDF does require sealing on both sides, as well as the edges, for this project to ensure no dampness seeps up through the basement floor. The tiles were painted in high-gloss white floor paint and then glued and screwed onto a plywood subfloor.
Rather than countersink the screws, which would have left dozens of holes to be filled and painted, I discovered it was faster to cover the holes with metal washers, and left them exposed. Caulking was put down around the tile seams as further protection from dampness.
The washers and screws were given a prime coat designed to cover metal. Then the floor was painted in another coat of gloss white. Please note that if you don't use floor paint, you must apply several coats of varnish.
Teens appreciate far-out designs, and the idea of a low table on wheels was very appealing. For the top we used MDF again and glued different sizes of washers over the primed surface in a random design. To produce the look of smooth concrete, two thin layers of Durabond plaster were spread over the top, allowing time for the first coat to dry before adding the second. We sanded the dry plaster to expose the silver washers, and applied two coats of gloss varnish to seal it and to give the top a high sheen. Industrial strength wheels screw into four strong hardwood blocks that act as a base for the tabletop.
From lava lamps to ceiling spots, any form of light plays beautifully off of the glossy surfaces, radiating a youthful energy that's irresistibly fun.
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Debbie Travis' House to Home column is produced by Debbie Travis and Barbara Dingle. E-mail house2home@debbie travis.com.
