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You are here: Home / Room Reveals / Teachers’ Lounge Renovation – The Big Reveal!

Teachers’ Lounge Renovation – The Big Reveal!

July 27, 2015 By Karen Cooper 17 Comments

Today’s the big day! The big reveal for the Super Secret Design Project! I can now tell you that the Super Secret Design Project was the teachers’ lounge renovation at my daughter’s school!

The teachers' lounge renovation big reveal - thediybungalow.com

First, you have to understand what we started with…

Before the teachers' lounge renovation - this space needed some help! - thediybungalow.com

The room was dark and dingy-looking. The walls were painted what can best be described as “institutional green.” There were four matching chairs at the table and then a bunch of random desk chairs.

Before the teachers' lounge renovation - this space needed some help! - thediybungalow.com

And it was clear that it had not been painted in some time.

Before the teachers' lounge renovation - thediybungalow.com

There was very little storage – and what storage was there were cobbled together pieces that didn’t really work.

Before the teachers' lounge renovation - storage and style needed - thediybungalow.com

A coffee maker should never be on the floor, right??

For example, they had a sink and cabinets, but one cabinet was plastic-coated melamine, and one was unfinished and clearly was past its prime. The countertop was stained and cluttered.

Before the teachers' lounge renovation there were old and mismatched cabinets - thediybungalow.com

Wouldn’t this space inspire you to shape young minds every day? Nope.

So I was honored when the PTA asked me to makeover this space! But this was a project that evolved into so much more than just a room makeover. What started as plans to paint the walls and redecorate quickly turned into a full-on renovation:

  • Paint the walls;
  • Add new storage;
  • Improve seating around the table;
  • New cabinets;
  • New sink and faucet;
  • New countertop;
  • New refrigerator;
  • New plates, mugs, and silverware (before, they just had a mish-mash of plasticware that people had brought in over the years); and
  • A better space plan for the room.

Whew! Oh, and did I mention that this was to be a surprise for the teachers?!? That’s why I had to keep this project quiet and I couldn’t start work until school was out and the teachers were off for the summer.

So the first thing I did was meet with the principal to talk about the design plan. I asked her what she wanted for the room. Here’s what she said:

  • A style that was “vintage modern”;
  • Color scheme of teal, red, and yellow;
  • Vintage Coke crates in the room;
  • The table needed to seat 8-10 people on any given day;
  • The feel of the room should be calm, fresh, and happy.

Got it. I had my marching orders and I got to work. I am so grateful that we had a few amazing, dedicated volunteers to help, including our friend Jack who is 6’3″! (Did I mention that the ceiling is about 13 1/2 feet high??)

First, we primed and painted the room. We used Benjamin Moore Fresh Start primer to cover the institutional green first; then we applied two coats of Benjamin Moore paint in eggshell finish, so it would be easier to clean. The color is called “Full Moon.”

The teachers' lounge renovation with a fresh coat of bright paint - thediybungalow.com

On the left side of the room is some electrical conduit. Rather than just leave it the same color as the wall color, I decided to paint it teal (“Aquarium” from Sherwin Williams, using Benjamin Moore paint). It created a graphic feature in the room that was consistent with our color scheme. If you can’t beat the features of the room, showcase them, right?

Showcasing the electrical conduit in the teachers' lounge renovation - thediybungalow.com

They look like stripes, but the teal painted lines in the corner are conduit covers.

After we painted the walls, it was time to move on to the cabinets and sink. This proved to be somewhat of a challenge: the school was built in the 1930s and I’m pretty sure the plumbing was from that same era!

We thought that changing out the sink and faucet would be no problem – ha! You know what they say about the best laid plans?

Yeah, that.

Turns out there was an old, bad valve that had caused the pressure to build up and, when we tried to turn the water off, water gushed everywhere!

(I don’t have pictures of that. I was too busy grabbing buckets and towels! Not our best moment anyway…)

Once we got that cleaned up, my awesome contractor Craig Reising came and saved us. He fixed the plumbing issues and installed the cabinets, sink, faucet, and water line for the ice maker in the new fridge.

Cabinets that are new and match and provide great storage in the teachers' lounge renovation - thediybungalow.com

Cabinets, countertops, and sink are from IKEA; faux tin tile backsplash is from Home Depot; faucet is from Lowe’s.

For the cabinets, I chose white cabinets with clean lines; I wanted something that would brighten up the area and be easy to clean. The knobs are vintage-looking glass and chrome knobs (from Target). The drawer pulls were generously donated by D. Lawless Hardware – they look just like card catalog pulls, perfect for a teachers’ space!

Labeling the new cabinet drawers for the teachers' lounge renovation - thediybungalow.com

For the countertop, I chose a black durable laminate with white flecks in it (also from IKEA) to go with the cabinets.

The backsplash is faux tin tiles – they are plastic!

Faux tin tile backsplash for the teachers' lounge renovation - thediybungalow.com

I love the vintage look of the tiles, but they are plastic, which makes them easy to clean and maintain. They are really easy to cut and install!

I added a system from IKEA for hanging storage for scrub brushes and soap – something to keep those things off the counter, keeping the counter clutter-free!

The finished kitchen area in the teachers' lounge renovation - thediybungalow.com

I added lots of storage with the cabinets, but I still needed to include something that would hold two microwaves plus serving plates and bowls (for lunches and events) and other items (remember the table with the coffee maker on the floor??).

Vintage mid-century modern buffet with two microwaves added to the teachers' lounge renovation - thediybungalow.com

I found this vintage mid-century modern buffet on Craig’s List for $175. It is the perfect size and it’s teal, the perfect color for this project! Plus it was wide enough to fit both microwaves!

Above it, I hung a shelf for the toaster oven and added a Coke crate for more fun storage. I found the Coke crates at the Scott Antique Market.

Coke crates as storage in the teachers' lounge renovation - thediybungalow.com

Next up: the telephone table corner. Remember it looked like this before:

Telephone corner before the teachers' lounge renovation - thediybungalow.com

I wanted to create a bright, less cluttered corner. They need a landline phone there; plus, I wanted to add a place where they could write down notes or numbers.

Telephone corner after the teachers' lounge renovation - thediybungalow.com

To keep with the vintage modern theme and to stay within budget, I made a memo center out of an old door from the Atlanta Habitat for Humanity ReStore. You can find the tutorial on how to turn an old door into a memo board here.

Old door turned into memo center in the teachers' lounge renovation - thediybungalow.com

Click on the photo for the tutorial on how to turn an old door into a memo board – would be great in a mud room, kitchen, or laundry room!

I added two matching chairs (from Marshalls), a funky metal table for the phone (from HomeGoods), and a lamp (from IKEA).

For the table, we removed the oilcloth cover, which had been stapled to the table to protect it, and found that the table was beautiful and in amazing shape. I cleaned it up and it’s now perfect in its original condition.

This beautiful table was hiding under oil cloth before in the teachers' lounge renovation - thediybungalow.com

This gorgeous wood table was hiding under the oilcloth cover! Glad it can shine again.

For the chairs, I found four matching mid-century-looking chairs at the Scott Antique Market. They came out of an old school library – perfect! And at $40 each for solid wood chairs, they were a deal!

Mid-century modern chairs from an old library were perfect for the teachers' lounge renovation - thediybungalow.com

So now around the table are four wooden Windsor-style chairs and four of the mid-century modern chairs. Different styles, but the same wood tones. They coordinate without being matchy-matchy. That’s seating for eight, plus the two chairs in the telephone corner make ten!

Last – but certainly not least – COFFEE!

You must have coffee in a teachers' lounge so we added this cute cart in the teachers' lounge renovation - thediybungalow.com

Click on the photo to see what this industrial kitchen cart was before!

Does that coffee cart look familiar? It’s my bar cart, repurposed into a coffee station. It is the perfect size for the two coffee makers, plus shelves for coffee, sugar, and other stuff.

I added new dishes in the teal and red color scheme, new coffee mugs, and new silverware.

No more mismatched dishes in the teachers' lounge renovation - thediybungalow.com

And added a few decorative touches, including this art I made out of pencils (No. 2, of course!):

Art made from No. 2 pencils for the teachers' lounge renovation - thediybungalow.com

The plywood backing is painted teal, the erasers are red, and the pencils are yellow – our color scheme!

 

Finished teachers' lounge renovation - thediybungalow.com

The “Cs” represent the name of the school; the heart, because the teachers and staff are the heart of the school.

And the teachers’ lounge is ready for the big reveal and – more importantly – the first day of school!

This was such a fun project!!

Before and after of the teachers' lounge renovation - the big reveal - thediybungalow.com

I’m so grateful they asked me to do it.

Cabinets and sink area before and after the teachers' lounge renovation - thediybungalow.com

Telephone and message area before and after the teachers' lounge renovation - thediybungalow.com

I hope they love it!

Finished teachers' lounge renovation - the big reveal - thediybungalow.com

Finished teachers' lounge renovation - the big reveal - thediybungalow.com

Finished teachers' lounge renovation - the big reveal - thediybungalow.com

So much brighter and more space after the teachers' lounge renovation - thediybungalow.com

Kitchen area after the teachers' lounge renovation - thediybungalow.com

Coke crate and the color scheme reflected throughout the teachers' lounge renovation - thediybungalow.com

I want to thank the following people who went above and beyond to help with the teachers’ lounge renovation project:

  • The PTA, who provided not only a generous budget, but eager volunteers and their own elbow grease;
  • Craig Reising of Hunter Reising Design Build, who fixed our water disaster and installed the sink, faucet, counter, cabinets, and ice maker, despite uneven walls and old plumbing;
  • Intown Ace Hardware, for discounts on the primer, paint, and supplies;
  • D. Lawless Hardware, for donating the drawer pulls;
  • The Atlanta Habitat for Humanity ReStore, for picking up our old refrigerator;
  • Our fabulous volunteers: Jack (our tallest volunteer), Sarah, Allison, Karen, Kelly, and especially Ginger, who made a trip to IKEA for me, which, to me, is going above and beyond the call of duty!
One of our fabulous parent volunteers for the teachers' lounge renovation - thediybungalow.com

One of our fabulous parent volunteers!

  • The amazing staff who moved all of the furniture out of the teachers’ lounge before I even got there on day 1 (!!), and who let me in the door too many days to count and cheered me on. Mr. Rall, Ms. Wilson, and Ms. Gutfriend are the best and they helped me every day I was there!
  • My family, who put up with the pieces of this project in our office, front porch, and dining room, and supported me, and especially my kiddos who came with me and helped many days when they would have rather been playing somewhere else.

I couldn’t have done this without them!

You might also like:

  • Five Favorite Things in the Teachers Lounge Renovation (Live Friday Five)
    Five Favorite Things in the Teachers Lounge Renovation (Live…
  • A Little About the Super Secret Design Project
    A Little About the Super Secret Design Project
  • Update on Super Secret Design Project and More
    Update on Super Secret Design Project and More

Filed Under: Decorating, DIY, Repurposing and Upcycling, Room Reveals Tagged With: Kitchens 17 Comments

About Karen Cooper

Hi! I'm Karen. I call myself a “recovering lawyer” - I traded in my power suits for power tools and a life of DIY adventures. Join me for DIY, home decorating, repurposing and upcycling, and organizing projects and tips as I transform a 1929 Tudor bungalow into our home. I believe in merging old and new to make a house a home.

« Five Favorite Things in the Teachers Lounge Renovation (Live Friday Five)
How to Turn an Old Door into a Memo Board »




Comments

  1. Jess says

    July 27, 2015 at 9:43 am

    It looks amazing, Karen! I love every single detail!!!

    Reply
    • Karen Cooper says

      July 27, 2015 at 9:52 am

      Thanks, Jess!! It was so fun to do and I’m glad they love it!!

      Reply
  2. Melody says

    July 27, 2015 at 10:41 am

    Karen, WOW this turned out amazing! I love what you did, but especially that kitchen area. It’s hardly recognizable. They’re lucky to have a talented parent like you in their school!

    Reply
    • Karen Cooper says

      July 27, 2015 at 11:41 am

      Thank you!! You are so sweet! I had a blast and am thrilled they love it.

      Reply
  3. Christina says

    July 27, 2015 at 1:32 pm

    Gorgeous re-do!! Love the new paint job and the organization is phenomenal! :))
    I would just have the hinges to the refrigerator on the other side.

    Reply
    • Karen Cooper says

      July 27, 2015 at 2:00 pm

      Thanks! We thought about changing the hinges but, the other way, the door can’t open all the way.

      Reply
  4. Mary D says

    July 27, 2015 at 5:27 pm

    Looks awesome and a ginormous improvement from the wacky dated institutional look it had before!
    Great table hiding under cheap table cloth and love the mid century modern microwave console …and sink area …they are lucky to get your services!

    Reply
    • Karen Cooper says

      July 27, 2015 at 8:59 pm

      Thank you, Mary!! We are lucky to have them teaching our kids!

      Reply
  5. Hope Williams says

    July 27, 2015 at 5:41 pm

    Incredible makeover Karen! I love EVERYTHING in their new space. Gorgeous for all the teachers! They are so deserving of this for all they give!
    Congrats on the honor and to all the helpers and the recipients!

    Reply
    • Karen Cooper says

      July 27, 2015 at 8:59 pm

      Thank you, Hope! They are so deserving! We love them!!

      Reply
  6. kathy burgess fabre says

    July 27, 2015 at 10:13 pm

    What a great way to give the teachers the boost they need during the hectic days of teaching. I am a nurse by profession, retired now, and always thought this was the hardest job ever…until I worked as a school nurse. Teachers deserve the pay of NFL linebackers, no joke. Thanks for sharing this wonderful redo with us.

    Reply
  7. Thomas Van Soelen says

    July 28, 2015 at 9:54 pm

    Beautiful! I have been in that space many times when I worked in CSD and never did it match the chutzpah or vim of the Clairemont staff. Thanks for making the match happen!

    Reply
    • Karen Cooper says

      July 28, 2015 at 10:08 pm

      I agree! Thank you so much!!

      Reply
  8. Karen says

    August 10, 2015 at 7:36 pm

    Sorry to be so “tardy” with my comment! As a teacher, I can’t begin to tell you how much the makeover will mean to the faculty. All that creativity and hard work shows how much they are appreciated and valued. That does not always happen! I applaud you and the PTA for their backing of and volunteering to the project! It is so nice! A real room for professionals to chat, relax, and have lunch. Bravo!

    Reply
    • Karen Cooper says

      August 11, 2015 at 10:15 am

      Thank you, Karen! I had a blast doing it and I’m thrilled they love it!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. See the new teacher’s lounge | Clairemont Elementary PTA says:
    July 27, 2015 at 1:42 pm

    […] put together over the summer by a very hardworking volunteer crew. Photos and details are available over on Karen’s blog, and you can check out the video of the big reveal on our PTA Facebook […]

    Reply
  2. Coke Crate Repurposed into a Spice Rack - Knick of Time says:
    January 27, 2016 at 8:31 pm

    […] Pizza, I write about the DIY, repurposing, and home decor projects I’m doing in my home (and elsewhere). Angie and I are two peas in a pod decor-wise, so I’m excited to be here and meet […]

    Reply

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Hi! I’m Karen. I call myself a “recovering lawyer,” because I turned in my power suits for power tools and a life of DIY. This blog is all about DIY, home decorating, repurposing and upcycling, and organization. I believe in merging old and new to make a house a home.




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A "recovering lawyer," I turned in my power suits for power tools and a life of DIY. I believe in merging old and new to make a house a home. Read More…

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