DIY House Decorating from 1958

A basement can be a gold mine of extra space.
It can be converted into a bright, airy room
 simply by painting the walls and using cheerful
 colors in Armstrong do-it-yourself floors.

       There's hardly a family that hasn't been faced with the need for more living space at one time or another. So, if that's your problem, too, don't think it's anything unusual. Fact is, you can take encouragement from the way many other families have gained extra living space - right in and around the homes in which they were already living. Many of these ideas are contained in this post. It's filled with suggestions that you can put to use in your own home.
       Whatever the reason may be for needing extra space in your home, there are plenty of ways to get it through remodeling. Perhaps you can make more efficient use of space you already have. Or you may be able to expand your living space into other areas, creating completely new rooms.
       For any major construction, such as framing in a new roof area or an exterior wall, it will probably be wise to call in an experienced carpenter or builder. After he has done the heavy work, you can take over the less critical jobs yourself. This would be the work involved with the finishing of interior walls, ceilings, and floors. You'll not only save money with this plan of operation but also get a lot of satisfaction from doing the work yourself.
       One of the best ways to save money in your remodeling is to select one of the Armstrong do-it-yourself floors and put it down yourself. These flooring materials are low in cost and are made especially for the home handyman to handle. These beautiful resilient tile floors are available in a variety of handsome stylings and lovely colors. Your flooring dealer will be glad to show you samples of the actual materials. He will also tell you how to go about putting down your floors and how to create interesting design effects.

FLOOR - Tile in Cork design with cattle-brand insets helps establish "Western" theme. Spilled food, liquids, even grease splatters won't harm this floor, are easily whisked away. WALLS - Temboard in a swirl pattern - surface painted white and rubbed with a gray glaze for rustic, weathered look. ACOUSTICAL CEILING - Cushiontone - a perforated ceiling tile soaks up party noises, easy to put up yourself.  BAR - simple, wood construction covered with Vinyl Plastic Surfacing, a flexible material that's very easy to install. Resists stains, easy to clean. COPPER HOOD - over the brazier, connected to main chimney. OLD PLAYER PIANO - coat of paint helped blend it with room's decorative scheme. HANGING GAS LAMPS - add to authenticity of room's "Western" atmosphere, electrified for better lighting.

       Having a basement room where the family can relax or entertain friends makes the entire house seem larger. It reduces wear and tear on the living room, too. Many successful recreation rooms have a special decorative theme - such as, "Western," "Nautical," or "Pennsylvania Dutch." You don't have to be an expert decorator to bring off a handsome decorative theme. Choose a design in Armstrong  do-it-yourself floors (or create your own special design) that will serve as the foundation for your theme. You'll find this will help you achieve just the effect you have in mind. Before you actually begin to remodel, you should also plan to build in a few features such as swinging cafe doors, portholes, or whatever you need to establish the theme. They'll add an authentic touch to the decorative atmosphere of your room.

FLOOR - Asphalt Tile, richly grained Woodtone styling,  PATIO - a plus possibility when one basement wall is exposed or ground can be re-graded and drained - sliding glass doors provide airy, open look. HORIZONTAL WINDOWS - run length of wall, an attractive basement feature that increases natural light in the room. CURTAINS - hung ceiling to floor at patio end of room, add style, privacy, and make the ceiling seem higher. COLOR SCHEME - light colors in the walls and window draperies and sky-blue ceiling add to cheerful atmosphere.

       There's no rule that says basements can be made over only into recreation rooms. If you need an extra bedroom, turn your old bedroom over to the children and build yourself a big, luxurious new bedroom down in the basement. It's so easy to make a basement cheerful and livable. You can put down a colorful floor right over the concrete - and what a difference that will make! You can make the ceiling look beautiful, too, by putting up an Armstrong Cushiontone Ceiling yourself. And if you have supporting posts to contend with, you can camouflage them by building right around them. Don't be afraid to use your imagination because you can make your most fanciful ideas work with careful planning before you begin. 

FLOOR - Cork Tile - very quiet and comfortable underfoot. Window - part of end wall was re-built to make the dramatic peaked window - keeps the whole apartment bright all day.  FIREPLACE - free-standing metal fireplace was attached to main chimney rising through attic. BEDS - serve as sofas during the day, beds at night - placed against the chimney to eliminate need for additional headboards. BOOKCASES - built floor to ceiling, add gracious livability to "complete apartment" effect. - COUNTER - built in with range and sink.

       In the past ten years, more and more growing families have been growing right into their attics. The attic has come into its own as a wonderfully versatile and very practical part of the house. If you have a good-sized attic, you can make it over into two bedrooms and a half-bath, into a large den-guest room, even into a family-activities area. Perhaps you bought your home with much of the attic already "roughed in" by the builder. In that case, all you have to do is put in utilities (or arrange to have an electrician and plumber install them), finish the walls and ceiling, and put down a durable floor yourself. 

FLOOR -  Parquet Linoleum Tiles, laid end- to-end, give room elegance for formal dining . . . have the durability needed for carefree family living. AVALL CABINETS - TV, radio-phonograph section can be easily closed off - double sliding doors reveal or conceal bookshelves and china cabinets, depending on use of room. CABINET DOORS - covered with wallpaper panels give rich "carved" effect. SIDE TABLE - folded up, it's only 9" deep - yet it pulls out to make a full-size dining room table that will seat eight at dinner with ease.  LAMPS - "Pogo stick" type, with tension springs at both ends - can be moved about and set anywhere in room to create appropriate lighting effects,  CEILING - Armstrong Full Random Cushiontone - keeps the room restfully quiet - decoratively painted without lessening acoustical qualities.

       Are you getting the maximum use out of every room in your house? If you have a room that's in use only a fraction of the day, you have the makings of a good double-purpose room. One of the requirements of a room like this is that it can be changed from one use to another - quickly and easily. Special features built right into the walls, such as a cupboard, TV set, hi-fi set, and bookcases, will make it easy to change the room's purpose. You may have to make small structural changes to accommodate "built-ins" but you'll find they're well worth the cost.

FLOOR - Tile, in the gay Spatter pattern used right over old concrete floor of garage and over old wood floor of kitchen - helps unite kitchen and family room in decorative harmony. WINDOW IN FAMILY ROOM - insulated glass wall replaced original garage doors. BOOKCASE AND CABINETS - extending length of room. built right onto garage wall - cabinets below hold TV set, toys, and games. DIVIDERS - resemble playpen railings, they slide easily on Armstrong Furniture Rests - push back into slots in walls. FAMILY ROOM RUG - is a woven Deltox Rug. These smart rugs wear wonderfully. BEAMS -roof joists are "built up" by framing with boards stained to look like solid beams.

       An attached garage offers quite an economical way to remodel for more space because you have so much to begin with - a roof, walls, and subfloor. Once you break through the dividing wall, or have a builder do it for you, you're ready to start finishing the interior of your new room. How can you keep the new room from looking less like an afterthought and more like part of the original house? There should be some bridge of harmony between the new and the old, and one good way to unite both areas is through clever decorating. By putting down a tile floor in a design and color that blends with the decorative scheme of the adjacent rooms, you lay the foundation for wonderful harmony throughout.  

FLOOR - laid on concrete floor of original breezeway. This floor is resistant to whatever might be spilled here. FIREPLACE - same type of stone as exterior walls - has built-in wood storage and carving boards.  WINDOW WALLS - an effective way to close in a breezeway.  CEDAR TABLE AND YACHTING CHAIRS - maintain casual air, cost little. KITCHEN ENTRANCE - enlarged to make serving easier - double sliding doors vanish into walls.

       Closing in a breezeway or a porch can give yon an area for year-round indoor-outdoor fun. Most of the costly work - roof, supporting beams, and floor slab -has already been done. You can put up inexpensive walls to keep out bad weather. ( Here, glass walls were installed to retain out-of-doors atmosphere. ) Picnics can't be rained out when you have a spot like this, and the children have an ideal place to play during blustery winter days. Obviously, such a carefree haven calls for a carefree tile floor. Asphalt Tile can be laid directly over the concrete slab and will stand up under the scuffing of active youngsters. Neither floor will be harmed by foods or liquids that are likely to be spilled. Once the walls go up and the floor goes down, the fun is ready to begin.

A smart "Chevron" design using 6" x 12" tiles. This exclusive tile shape permits many interesting designs. Stain-resistant, cleans easily. BUILT- INS - desk, chest, and bookshelves make a space-saving unit. 4 -POSTER BED - placed so that kitchen and bath are accessible from one side of bed and living room from the other.  DRAPERIES - hide the bed by day. KITCHEN AND BATH - concealed by accordion-type doors, the "Parquet" floor runs through the entire apartment. One continuous floor surface makes for fast, easy cleaning. CEILING - Textured Cushiontone . . . keeps rooms restfully quiet, can be put up easily with nails or staples.

       When you build a brand-new addition to a house, there's no limit to the type, size, and shape of the room or rooms you can add. How much you pay for an addition or for any remodeling project will depend on the nature and quality of the job. When building your addition, you may want to have a builder do the major construction and utility work for you. Then, you can finish the interior yourself.

Stone wall with fireplace tucked in flush with the wall. Striped upholstered
 chairs and sofa table with louvered top. Modern white and red linoleum tile floor.