This rough-and-tumble family room gets its fresh style from walls covered with metal panels and squares of plywood. Exposed pipes, open ceiling rafters, and painted concrete floors complete the effect.

Yet these materials also raise the question: Is this a basement or a loft? Like a loft, this lower-level space relies on furniture placement to create one area for lounging and another for surfing the Net.

Get a style boost with these everyday materials:

• Paint: It's the cheapest of all decorating materials and offers unlimited possibilities. Try paints that look like blackboard or metal, create a magnetic surface, or embellish glass. Add a fabric medium to make paint suitable for use on fabric.
• Plywood: Starting at $15 for a 4-x-8-foot sheet of basic plywood, this standard building material offers endless options for covering walls and ceilings. Add an industrial touch with oversize washers and screws.
• Corrugated-metal panels: Special-order corrugated metal panels in lengths of 8 and 10 feet and 38 inches wide for about $15. The pieces overlap and slot together side-to-side to create 36-inch-wide panels.

 

Talk about cheap. At less than $2 a yard, burlap offers great texture and lots of colors. To stamp it with your style, add squares of paint along the hanging edge.

 

Turn a mismatched grouping of platters and vessels into a collection with a unifying color scheme of purple and green. Add metallic accents using a paint pen.

 

Repetition is good for a room, so add painted squares to a quilted pillow using a metallic paint pen. The silver squares add a playful version of the plywood squares.

 

Shop for this look at the home center by trolling for storage gear, metal cans, and utility pulls and hooks. Blackboard paint on two of the wood wall panels creates space for instant messaging. To eliminate ghost words, rub chalk over the entire surface and rub it off before writing notes.

Painted floors add affordable style, but make sure you ask for advice on your project at a paint store and carefully follow instructions. Here are the general steps:

1. Pick your paint. Use a floor paint specially formulated for concrete and suitable for your use.
2. Test for moisture. Before you start, prepare the surface in a small out-of-the-way place. Apply the paint, allow it to dry, and scrub it to make sure it adheres.
3. Prepare the entire surface. Every paint manufacturer has specific directions for prepping concrete before painting, so carefully follow the instructions.
4. Apply paint. Use a roller on an extension rod so you can stand up while you paint. Apply two to three coats, allowing paint to dry between layers.

Like what you see in this story? As of 2006, the items featured in this story were available from these manufacturers.

Rugs, Lack green table, wall clock, desk lamp - Ikea; www.ikea.com. Metal tub - Target Stores; 800-800-8800; www.target.com (product line varies). Chairs, upholstered - Expressions Custom Furniture; 800-323-1160; www.expressionsfurniture.com. Corrugated wall panels - Menards; for locations throughout the Midwest, visit www.menards.com. Floor paint, ceiling paint - True Value; 800-642-7392; www.truevaluepaint.com. Blackboard paint, Krylon leafing pen in silver - Krylon Products Group; 800-832-2541; www.krylon.com. Burlap for curtains - Jo-Ann Fabrics; www.joann.com.