Makeover: Screened room in Franklin Square
The makeover was done for $734, since the family includes a designer and a contractor. Credit: Bunyon family photo
When Patti and Eric Bunyon wanted to update their outdoor room from bummer to beachy, they turned to daughter Dawn Bunyon, owner of Dawn Interiors in Franklin Square. The one stipulation: Stay under $1,000.
"It was all mismatched," says Patti, 58, of Franklin Square, an administrative assistant. This included a lounge chair, wood and other things. "Things just kept ending up in there."
The room, which is screened, was built by Eric, 62, a carpenter who specializes in kitchen renovations.
"With all the mosquitoes on Long Island, we needed a place that was screened-in if we wanted to be outside," explains Eric, who owns E & M Construction in Franklin Square. "I had done a screened-in room for some friends and decided to do one for us. It just wasn't very exciting or restful in there."
Dawn says: "I wanted to give them a nice place to hang out, a retreat. We go to Florida a lot, and they really like the beach." She chose shades of blue and green, her parents' favorite colors, to lighten up the room. The biggest change was painting the cement floor blue.
"It really made a difference, giving it a real makeover feel," Dawn says. "At first I thought about tiling the floor, but because of the expense, decided against it."
Patti says there also was the possibility of the tile being a slipping danger because the room is right next to the pool.
To save money and because of sentimental value, Dawn wanted to use as much of the family's existing furniture as possible. This included scouring the family's home and repurposing some furniture. Dawn also made the table out of crates because she couldn't find the exact look she wanted.
Here's how she gave her parents a touch of Florida in Franklin Square.
A. PAINTED CEMENT FLOOR, $40
"The room was so dreary before," Patti says. "Now, we are in there every day." The color is similar to Benjamin Moore's Largo Teal, but was color- matched and purchased at The Home Depot in Elmont
B. CHAIRS, existing
These are from Patti's mother, but were updated with new cushions.
C.WICKER TABLE, existing
Patti and Dawn agreed that it is comforting to be surrounded with pieces that have a family history. From Patti's grandmother
D. WICKER SOFA, existing
All it needed was a good cleaning and a fresh coat of paint. From Patti's grandmother
E. CUSHIONS and ACCENT PILLOWS, $214
Because the sofa is an unusual size, Dawn first looked into buying a custom cushion. But finding it too expensive, she decided to use three chair cushions ($162 from againstthegrainva.com), which fit the space perfectly. The accent pillows ($52, fabric from fabricguru.com) were crafted by Dawn. "I really loved that fabric because it pulled everything together," she explains.
F. COCKTAIL TABLE, $96
Dawn made this using four crates ($55, Michaels, Westbury), four feet ($15, The Home Depot), paint ($8, Benjamin Moore's Lime Twist color-matched at The Home Depot) and cactus plants and soil ($18, Hicks Nurseries, Westbury)
G. AREA RUG, $99
"Color is a cheap but dramatic fix to a room," Dawn says. "The tropical oasis feel matches our taste. We love vacationing in Florida." She wanted something that pulled in all the colors in the room, giving it a finished look. From Overstock.com
H. PAINTED BARREL, existing
This was originally in Dawn's bathroom. Patti commandeered it for the new room.
I. PLANT, existing
J. ACCESSORIES, $164
Includes the fish mirror ($40, HomeGoods, Rockville Centre), palm tree ($24, Hicks Nurseries), three lantern lights ($15, Pier 1 Imports, New Hyde Park) and other accessories ($85, various stores)
K. LAMP, $42
The lamp shade even has a wavy pattern. From Target, Westbury
L. CONSOLE TABLE, $79
The drawer pulls have a scalloped pattern. From Christmas Tree Shops, Tanger Outlets at Deer Park
TOTAL: $734
Dawn's usual fee for this makeover would have been $1,200; Eric's fee and materials to build the room would have been $12,000.
