Playful and practical: A cramped basement becomes a bright playroom/guest room - Home Guide - Brief Article

Sunset, March, 2002

After the arrival of their first child, the owners of this home found they needed a guest room and playroom, so they converted a 485-squarefoot basement apartment into a multifunctional space.

The remodel combines practicality with a sense of fun in a cheerful palette of soft blues, yellows, and reds. The new L-shaped, butter yellow playroom/guest room wraps around a bathroom hidden behind a blue plaster wall. The dominant feature of the playroom is a periwinkle blue storage wall that contains cabinets, drawers, a display niche, and a long, narrow counter. A former closet behind the storage wall became an elevated, child-size play alcove. Another wall contains a Murphy bed for guests.

DESIGN: Burks Toma Architects, Berkeley (510/524-4255)

Peter O. Whiteley

Cleaner caulk

* Here's another weapon against those dark spots of mildew and bacteria that often appear in the bands of latex caulk surrounding sinks, showers, and tubs. DAP's new Kwik Seal Plus incorporates an odorless, antimicrobial chemical called Microban, which inhibits unsightly growth. The caulk comes in glossy white, clear, and almond. It's packaged in 5,5-ounce tubes for about $3.25 and 10.1-ounce cartridges for about $4.50.

If you already have latex caulk with signs of mold or bacteria, another DAP product called Caulk-Be-Gone speeds removal from ceramic surfaces and unsealed porcelain surfaces. You apply the green gel over the old caulk, let it sit for about two hours, and remove the old caulk with a putty knife. It's sold in 5.5-ounce tubes for about $3.25. (888) 327-8477 or www.dap.com. --P.O.W.

Fancy footwork

* This decorative floor mat, made from a linoleum remnant, is striking and sturdy. Acrylic paint was applied to the underside of the linoleum, then protected with varnish.

Directions

1. Cut linoleum to desired size, trimming edges if necessary; place on floor, back side up.

2. With a roller, apply primer to back of linoleum and let dry

3. Use masking tape to outline the entire design, ensuring that it is centered properly.

4. Paint in the color blocks, working from the center outward. Use one color at a time and allow paint to dry between applications.

5. Remove masking tape and use a foam brush to fill in the gaps left by the tape.

6. When dry, apply three coats of varnish.

--Ann Bertetsen

Sliding home

* Tucked into a corner and under existing beams, this 10- by 14-foot structure sports a simple, serene facade that's covered mostly by shojis framed with Douglas fir. Inside are a walk-in closet, a guest bathroom, a sauna, and an entertainment center.

Across the long end, the screens are set in tracks. On door leads to the bathroom and sauna. Behind two panels is a home entertainment center with storage compartments and drawers above and below. The walk-in closet fits behind the entertainment center and has a sliding panel that allows access to the stereo components.

DESIGN: Thomas Bateman Hood, AIA, Larkspur, CA (415/461-9490) --P.O.W.