Group 6 2 minutes Read

flex room redo

Lauren Zerbey

With all of the improvements we’ve made to our home in the last few years (coupled with record low-interest rates!) we decided to refinance our mortgage. (More on that later!) Aside from the obvious, one of the biggest changes we’ve made is that our house now has two bedrooms (which has a big impact on home value, as appraisers have to use other 2 br/1 bath comps when determining their numbers).

Anyhow, the new second bedroom (which we’ve been referring to as the “flex room“) has mainly served as a cozy TV room. Even though it was already a bedroom by building code standards, we decided play it safe and add a bed and closet before the appraisal.

So a few weeks ago I went down to IKEA and bought a wardrobe for the room. In lieu of a framed out closet, our plan has always been to add another wardrobe, similar to what we did in our bedroom. With the customization and interior fittings options, they’re simply a more efficient solution for small homes.

This time however, we wanted to spend as little money as possible (with the idea that we can always add units or interior fittings later), so I bought a single 39″ PAX unit and the cheapest white doors they sell. (I was going to do another curtain system but couldn’t find anything I liked.) The knobs are IKEA as well, a purchase I made years ago when I thought I’d spruce up the old kitchen cabinets before we could afford to remodel.

[The wardrobe assembly was another project that we tackled on our anniversary. After carrying the boxes inside, Kyle must have seen a look of unmotivation on my face because he quickly offered to handle the installation and let me get back to shoveling pea gravel in the backyard. Secretly, I think he likes to see how fast (and with how many power tools) he can assemble IKEA products. Love that guy.]

For now, the inside just has two shelves and a hanging bar and serves as extra storage for pillows, blankets, dresses, Xbox accessories and occasionally, the curious kitten. (FYI – PAX doors require four hinges per door. That would have been good to know.) Also, PAX boxes are heavy. Thank you to the kind soul at IKEA who helped me load the boxes onto my flat cart.

We also moved our old brown couch to the basement and set up the Aerobed that we use when guests visit. The West Elm duvet cover and IKEA stool are from the loft.

Although it’s been several weeks since the appraisal, we haven’t brought the couch back up from the basement. Truthfully, it’s kinda nice being able to watch TV in bed…without having a TV in your bedroom.

All in all, the only thing we bought was the wardrobe, which cost around $200.

And that’s our second room. It’s still lacking in the decor and accessories department, but those kind of decisions require months of careful mulling. We’re also debating getting a real bed for the space or maybe upgrading ours (we’re still sleeping on the mattress Kyle bought in college!) and moving the old one into this space. We’ll see. Although I do admit, the idea of owning two beds makes me feel very grown-up.