Good Questions: Ideas for Concealing the Carpet, Etc.?

Dear AT,

The foundation walls in my dirt-cheap but cozy basement apartment are covered plainly in three of the rooms, but the bedroom has a hideous, rust-colored carpet-covered wall. The carpet is also featured in my study room, but I can at least hide it if it's on the floor.

(Note: Include a pic of your problem and your question gets posted first. Email questions and pics with QUESTIONS in subject line to: chicago(at)apartmenttherapy(dot)com)

I'd like some ideas on how to inexpensively utilize this potentially neat ledge, and what, if anything, I can do to hide or make attractive the carpet-wall in the bedroom. According to my lease, I can't change or rip out the carpet (underneath all the ledges is concrete wall). I believe I am allowed to paint as long as it's an "improvement". Ideas using the ledge to de-emphasize the low, smack-your-knuckles ceilings are also welcome!

More apartment pictures in my Flickr album here.

Thanks,
Shawn

Readers, Shawn needs your brilliant ideas!! This is a large, good challenge for some innovative thinkers.

Comments (6)

Is the room with the carpeted wall your bedroom or could you use it as a bedroom? If so, I would find some fabric that you like and staple or fasten it over the wall section of the carpet. Then you could back your bed up to it and use it as an extra long, exaggerated headboard.

posted by Lacey on 2007-03-12 13:54:35

That's just horrible.

I wish I had an idea for you. Who does that?

Maybe Flor tiles? Would they stick to the wall? You could then trim them for the ledge.

That would actually look kind of cool if you had a different carpet.

I bet the landlord would be OK with you ripping the carpet up if you intended to replace it with better carpet (and really, any carpet would be better). I can't imagine anyone being tied to that disaster. If it's a small room, you might be able to get a large remnant for not much money to cover it.

posted by stonelake on 2007-03-12 14:40:43

I think I would attempt to recreate the ledge wall that is featured in your study area and make a faux wall front to lay over the carpet from thin plywood or sheet rock and wood trim.

If you didn't want to tackle a building a faux surround then maybe you could use a screen or hang drapes from the ceiling to floor to hide that part.

posted by whitebirch19 on 2007-03-12 15:27:17

I'm not sure what the price point you are looking at per sqft... but some types of cork tiles can be found and very affordable prices.

posted by Vanessa on 2007-03-12 15:28:54

Well, the carpet on the wall is attached to something. Couldn't your cut the floor carpet at the point on the floor where it meets the wall, pull the carpet off the wall and then recover that wall space with wood & paint?

This is frightening to me because the carpet resembles the bathroom tile that was in my last bathroom which was a bathroom smaller than the inside of my small car. I always felt as though I was in Italy, the poor port of it. Shivers.

Good luck.

posted by Jackie(the original one) on 2007-03-12 21:43:49

You could get the interlocking laminate floorboards that "float" over the carpet. You could even make it turn the corner and travel up the wall (somehow)... When you move, these can go with you.

Or you could get those sticky vinyl tiles at the hardware store...super cheap, but I don't know how easily they would come up. Good luck!

posted by Mel's diner on 2007-03-13 17:42:03