Need opinions/ideas on a highschooler's pad

[AB500]

Ok, so I'm just looking for some opinions and ideas on my current pad, I get the entire basement to myself and have converted it into my own area. At the bottom I’ve posted some pictures of it. I guess I am what you could call a “geek” when it comes to computers but I’ve tried to keep the wires and stuff to a minimal because lets face it, as sexy as I think it is to have cables running every which way across the floor it isn’t. I’m going to start earning some cash on the side from a pawn shop by fixing computers and the such so I need some ideas on what to spend it on. Right now the only plans are to buy some gaming systems with some multiplayer games (playing against chicks in video games is a great opportunity to be c/f and build some attraction in my opinion) and a few novelty lights. Any ideas/opinions?

Pictures:
http://www.theabworld.com/mypad/4.JPG
http://www.theabworld.com/mypad/3.JPG
http://www.theabworld.com/mypad/2.JPG
http://www.theabworld.com/mypad/1.JPG

 

[Bible_Belt]

Smell is quick and cheap to add. I bought an oil incense lamp for ten bucks. Mine burns candles. Plain vanilla is my favorite scent so far. Try the nearest hippie store.

You need a chick-centric item to give them a pretense for coming over. I am skeptical about using video games. A fountain would add humidity, which is bad for basements and computers. It could be as simple as a pint of gourmet ice cream in that mini-fridge. Of course, have glass desert dishes, metal spoons, and whipped cream.

 

[simon]

I'd buy some cheap material to cover up those ugly chairs. You could probably do a bit more with the walls, (I'd probably repaint them) and tidy up all that clutter. Other than that, it seems fine for a young guy on a budget.

 

[diablo]

HS...

Alright, you asked so here's my take on it. I'll go picture to picture.

http://www.theabworld.com/mypad/4.JPG :

Scrap the chair - whether you have to cover it, burn it, or throw it in the garbage, it shouldn't be allowed to support another body's weight. Same goes with the footstool. I can't tell if you spilled a bottle of ketchup on it or if it's something found at Goodwill. While you're at it, throw away the garbage can too. You can find a steel small mesh can at Bed Bath & Beyond or Wal-Mart for under $5, and it'll look a lot better than a warped plastic piece of sh*t.

http://www.theabworld.com/mypad/3.JPG :

Where to start. Lose the clock and the painting - unless you want to be known as "the guy with the pink power rangers clock". The painting is cheap, not stylish at all, and shouldn't be kept around. You know what? Take everything out of the room, and by that I mean the wire frame cot in the background, the see-through storage containers, vacuum, file cabinets, etc... Strip that room bare, with nothing except for the carpet and the walls. Then put that blue duct tape to good use and tape off the trim. Oh yeah, take off the blue tape you've got on the floor. Then repaint the walls. Then and only then start returning stuff to the room... not the same stuff though, you need real furniture - even a goodwill table would look better than that folding card table the printers are resting on (printers? why do you need more than one printer?) Get new lamps. Keep the fridge. Keep one printer. If you're going to have those storate containers, put them out of sight somewhere; it makes you look like you're a refugee living out of a suitcase. In fact, the entire place reminds me of... a 70 yr old's basement. The plaid furniture, the lamps, the pillows, paintings, everything.

I'm going to stop there... It has potential, I'll give it that. What's being done to it currently is just wrong - the best thing I can recommend is buying a flamethrower and torching the whole room, then starting over from scratch.

Check out some of the many threads regarding how to fix up your own place (obviously it's going to be harder without much income, but where there's a will there's a way...).

http://www.sosuave.net/forum/search...d=264577&sortby=lastpost&sortorder=descending

http://www.sosuave.com/ubb/Forum6/HTML/001254.html

 

[08aisaac]

Dude, I know you from www.extremeoverclocking.com

You are like my hero. I didn't know you posted here though.

Anyway, you obviously can't go without your computers. I feel ya, and understand exactly what you are going through. lol.

So basically, I will go through picture by picture of what you can do to improve your room. My room needs some improvement, though I don't have the space that you have, and all my computer parts are in storage atm, because of reasons unknown.

Picture #4

Get rid of that ugly ass chair,get something that people wouldn't be disturbed to sit in, and get rid of some of the clutter. Maybe consider moving the big box of parts somewhere out of view. Just a consideration.


Picture #3

Again, clutter is crazy, you should clean it up a little.

You have a whole basement, so maybe you should move some of the stuff around. Out of view, and actually make it neat and organized.


Picture #2

Cool, but I see how everything is organized, and I would have to say, that the place that everyone hangs, should be separated from the place where you work. Try to get it situated, where you can sit at your desk, and do whatever, but also see the majority of the room, or whatever, so that people don't see behind your desk. I dunno, change stuff around.


Picture #1

This is actually pretty good, but again, reorganize everything, move it around, and really get it organized. But also comfortable for when you are working on stuff.


Overall


I say you should re do the whole room, get rid of some of the clutter, and Oh, Get a pool table. Pool tables are awesoem, because you can just be like, "hey, who wants to come over and shoot some pool?"

Game systems are fine, and maybe invest some money in Dance Dance Revolution, and a PS2, and some fun games, and such.

But basically, move everything around, get some cool furniture, paint the walls, get a pool table, and some other stuff.

I always meant to build computers for people, but I never found customers, drop me a line, and tell me how you plan to do it, because I need some cash also.

 

[TheNewGuy]

Is that a HP Pavilion zv5000 with AMD Athlon 64 3200+?

Nice computer, I got one of them myself for $1,150... figures that just a couple days ago, with a few coupon code combos, you could get the same computer for around $600. I always miss out on the good deas


Anyways, I'm not sure how big your budget is but I've always been a fan of the trendy, retro-yet-futuristic kinda furniture. Try looking around your local IKEA, they have some good stuff.

Quick idea of what i'm talking about: http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/stor...ductId=11043&langId=-1&parentCats=10114*10292

 

[AB500]

Scrap the chair - whether you have to cover it, burn it, or throw it in the garbage, it shouldn't be allowed to support another body's weight. Same goes with the footstool. I can't tell if you spilled a bottle of ketchup on it or if it's something found at Goodwill.

****, it was ketchup. Why is everyone ragging on my chair? It's sooo comfy.. I was planning on scrapping it though, gives chicks an oppertunity to not sit next to me. Steal garbage can sounds like a good idea. I'm going to a bond fire next week.... burning the chair might be a possibility....

Where to start. Lose the clock and the painting - unless you want to be known as "the guy with the pink power rangers clock".

...its a loony toons clock

I agree with you on the painting.. I hate it and wish it a swift and painful death, I just feel guilty every time I go to take it down cause my granddad gave it to me before he died.. that cheap bastard. I think I can overcome all the sentimental value attached with itand take it down though... hell maybe sometime I'll give it to my kid.

Then and only then start returning stuff to the room... not the same stuff though, you need real furniture - even a goodwill table would look better than that folding card table the printers are resting on (printers? why do you need more than one printer?) Get new lamps. Keep the fridge. Keep one printer

The printers stay. I can move them off into a different part of the basement away from the hang out area though. We have 2 because one is a laser printer (dirt cheap cost per page) and the other one is a color printer. Everyone in the house prints to them.

Oh, Get a pool table. Pool tables are awesoem, because you can just be like, "hey, who wants to come over and shoot some pool?"

Where would I go about getting a cheap pool table? I'm thinking rent a center or something. How much does one run?

Get rid of that ugly ass chair,get something that people wouldn't be disturbed to sit in

**** more chair bashing..

As for the desk tell me what you think about the desk in the picture linked to below:

http://www.theabworld.com/mypad/5.JPG

Ignore the clutter in the room.. I keep it badlocked for a reason.

I always meant to build computers for people, but I never found customers, drop me a line, and tell me how you plan to do it, because I need some cash also.

You gotta have connections, for me its easy cause my neighbors hooked me up with a job a year or two ago and I've attended a few of their parties, they knew a pawn shop owner who needed someone to fix up and reformat computers and refered me.

 

[AB500]

TheNewGuy- Its a zv6000 accually, I picked mine up for around 600 a month or so ago . Good eye! I congradulate you.

Oh.. and the chair's suckyness has been confirmed:

Me: Girl... is my chair really that bad?\
Girl: yeah
Girl: its really bad
Girl: its gross
Me: ITS MY FAVORITE CHAIR
Girl: ITS REALLY NASTY
Me: I love that chair...
Girl: i hate going to your house when i have to sit in that chair
Girl: it smells funky
Girl: and everything
Me: ..what does it smell like?
Girl: funk
Me: why didn't you tell me my chair sucked so much ****?
Girl: because i thought you knew

 

[08aisaac]

Glad that you have found the chair to suck.

The couch that you have also isn't the greatest.

Maybe you could cover the couch with sheets? That's what we do, and it's nice.

I dunno about the pool table, I don't have one, but I know a guy that does, and he has people over all the time, to play pool, and ping pong. lol. My Aunt has one, and I love going to her house to play.

I guess you could save up, or find a cheap used one on Ebay, or ask around for people with ones that don't play on them any more.

That second desk setup was pretty nice, maybe a little crowded? I also noticed a Tuba in the background, or am I seeing things again?

Maybe you can get someone to help you organize it around.

 

[AB500]

It was a tuba... looking at corner I want to place desk in.. theres some sort of mold growing in it, I'm not sure it I should just put the desk over it and hope it'll go away or do something about it.

 

[08aisaac]

Sell it on Ebay, and then you can afford your Pool Table.

I was going to sell my baritone, but then I realized that it wasn't actually mine, but the schools. Silly me, now I am selling the majority of my video games, should fetch a pretty penny.

 

[AB500]

the tuba isn't mine ethier, schools also. I'm pretty sure they forgot I have it though..

 

[Docs]

you gotta look at colours. The wood panelling for your wall is not too bad of a bonus, with some proper lighting (DIMMERS), you can make the walls look really good.

Nextly, your desk that is white..it's contrasting the wall too much. I'd paint it err..a brown or black or something, that way it's not too out of place.

Your couch/chairs. Crap. Get a couch (only one), make it roughly 3 spots but fill the two corners with pillows so there's less room, and more touching .

Next, move your tv to a wall and place the couch as centerpiece. Don't have a table behind the couch, or in front, have it off to the side preferably with enough room for two people to stand comfortably.

Your traffic lights, file cabinets, I'd move those to a new room. The bookshelf is dark enough that you can stuff it in a corner.

I'd have to take another look, but you need to have darker colours to have a room that invites intimacy.

oo, and get some surround and wire it properly, make sure that the sound that comes out is vibrant and not scratching (play a move with good background music).

Lastly, UNCLUTTER THE PLACE. man..there's no room to place anything, there's crap in everywhich spot.

 

[Docs]

question, is there no ceiling in your room...? that's bad, you might want to fix that.

 

[AB500]

Your traffic lights, file cabinets, I'd move those to a new room. The bookshelf is dark enough that you can stuff it in a corner.

Thats the junk room right now. This winter I think we are getting tan carpet and furnature covers for the couch and chair... how will that look.

Oh and yes theres no ceiling right now.. adding while tiled ceiling this winter also.

 

[Docs]

The biggest thing you can do, is get dimmers and do something about the clutterfucck you have going there.

Then worry about chairs/couchs/the like.

 

[AB500]

To have dimmers I have to get rid of the butt ugly floresent lighting that was installed before I was old enough to protest its ****tyness. Thats why there are so many lamps down there, incandescent lighting looks soo much better then floresent, what kind of light fixtures should I be looking at? I can wire them up at the same time I do the ceiling.

 

[Docs]

really cool looking wall lamps that are all wired together to turn up/down/off at the same time add a great effect to the room. If you're looking for fixtures, probably a black standup lamp that points to the ceiling (to bounce off to help light the room) is a good try.

Another would be coloured lighting (subtle blue tint), it makes the room really cool looking (for multiple people get-togethers)

 

[Docs]

Now, I don't got any fancy stuff..but that's also because I share the room with my sister's toys and bs like that. (she's upstairs in her own room you perverted fucckers)

Onwards, lets take a look at my room:

http://docsster.com/IM000617.JPG
A general outlook at the far end of the room from the door. I'm aware, the entire room is a disaster, but i'm not here to impress. You can tell that the carpet and the wood interior compliment each other, being darker then what you had. Where that orange POS is..is where evenually a couch of good taste will be placed. I have speakers to run around the whole room (including cable for extra, plus a amp), so sound is not a issue.

I unfucck the cables and the obvisous mess, put a couch there, I'm well off.

http://docsster.com/IM000624.JPG
(The camera shows it brighter then normal)
In case you are wondering, I rely on two ceiling lights (hole in ceiling for fixture so no extension into room for light). It does suck, it offers no light with cloud cover outside in daytime. (I need dimmer too)

The desk contains two monitors, the desktop is on the far (hidden) end of the desk and the laptop is on the closer speaker. The wood board running from the tops of the speakers is my makeshift shelf and it could be cleaned up a little, but it still allows my monitors to be partly under them (more room on desk). The amp sits under one of the monitors. The car seats you see there, will not be there soon.

The room gets pretty dark w/o lights on, so even at 8-9, it's dark enough to be quite...appealing.

http://docsster.com/IM000628.JPG
Just a picture of the wall, dark wood like. Random tape everywhere..should take down.

http://docsster.com/IM000630.JPG
A picture of the bed area. I need new blankets to make the bed more interesting and once again, I need to learn how to keep a room clean *kicks sister out of house*. The bed being in the corner..makes it possible for two people to be on it (though there were 3 side by side at one point *wink*)

http://docsster.com/IM000632.JPG
This is a crappily shot picture, it shows f-all. But..to the left of what you see..will be a couch, faceing the TV. With my desktop, I can run a dvd to the TV, or use satellite to amuse ourselves. All I need to do is place speakers around the room, move the amp to a more accessible location and it does well.

-------

It's a good room but definitely not in the greatest shape, my fault or not. I put the carpet in (or else it would be bare cement..) and I'm lookin at a couch and finding some speaker cases...wire the stuff up, use my 5000+ music collection to shake the house..and party on (alcohol upstairs...TWO beds in this room, there's one to the right of picture..24, same size as one you can see, in another corner too *wink*.

Need Dimmers badly..blah

 

[08aisaac]

oooh, Docs, your room is one messy room, and yu should consider cleaning it like atleast once a year.