Lighting for Layout?

[doctorwayne]

I would like to cove the corners, but my issue with that is that my existing layout/shelves which will be incorporated into the new layout have square corners. And the GERN facility sits in one of the square corners. I'm not sure I want to dismantle/modify it!

Gary, my layout has square corners, too, as does the room, at least below layout level.
To very easily construct coved corners for your backdrop requires only a slight amount of pre-planning when you finish the walls. When I finished the interior walls of my basement layout, I installed all of the drywall vertically (so that the joints between sheets were vertical - I have never seen the butt joints on horizontally-installed drywall finished in a manner that can withstand close scrutiny, including that of the camera's lense). For the majority of the room, I used 1/2" drywall, but at all of the corners, both inside and outside, I used 3/8". If you choose to use 5/8" drywall for the walls, then use 1/2" at the corners.
The corners should be boarded first - if you're using 16"o/c stud spacing, cover at least one space on both sides of the corner with the thinner drywall - if the stud spacing at the corner is less than 16", extend the thinner drywall to the next stud. The spacing on one side of the corner doesn't have to be the same as that on the other, either, so you shouldn't need to install any "extra" studs to accommodate this method.
Finish boarding the room with the thicker sheets, then tape and finish all joints between the thick boards. Do not tape or finish the joints between the dissimilar boards.
Next, build or install your benchwork, or, if you're absolutely sure of its finished height, you can cove the corners while they're completely accessible - either way, the method is the same. (The joints beneath the "cove" will also be beneath the layout - on mine, I left them unfinished, so if the layout is ever removed, it'll be easier to remove the coved corner, including the thinner drywall, so that it can be refinished in the "normal" manner to match the rest of the room).

Next, use a tape measure, on-edge, with the blade curved to roughly match the curve which you want for the cove, to measure from the edge of the thicker sheet on one side of the corner to that on the other side. Using a sheet of 1/8" Masonite (the regular kind is best and cheaper, but the tempered kind will work, too), cut (working from the back [rough] side) it to the required height (layout top surface to ceiling), then cut the measured length.
After lightly sanding the cut edges to remove any fuzz, lay the back face of one edge against the thinner drywall, butting its edge against that of the adjacent thicker sheet. Hold this edge firmly in place, then push slowly against the centre of the sheet and towards the corner, forcing it into a curve, until the opposite edge snaps into position. The curved sheet will now hold itself in place. If your curve is too tight for your tastes, remove the sheet, trim a suitable amount from one edge and re-install it. Ideally, the curve will not start at the edges of the sheet, as you'll need a flat area in which to install the drywall screws once the curve is finalised. This is why it's important to leave sufficient width when installing the area of thinner drywall.
Once you're satisfied with the curve, pre-drill holes (about 4" apart) along both sides of the installed Masonite, then countersink all holes to accommodate the screwheads. Make sure that all screwheads are set below the surface, then mud and tape as you would normally - use a light touch when sanding on the Masonite, so that it doesn't get too fuzzy.




Here's a view of a finished corner:


And another view showing where the benchwork for the second level can be inserted into the corners, between the upper and lower coves:


You can also do outside corners, as at the open end of your peninsula, using this method. I've found it best to increase the width of the thinner drywall area, then fasten the Masonite at both edges and also at the next studs towards the curve, then let the Masonite bulge out before curving it around the corner. This is a "trial-and-error" procedure - cut long and trim in small increments until it fits.
There are two outside corners visible in the photo below, one each at left and right:


Here's an aerial look at the one on the left: you can see at the rear of the icehouse how the coving first curves like a regular inside corner, then transitions through an "ess" bend into the curve around the corner.


The opposite side, around the corner, is similar, as seen at right, below:


Here, with both sides visible, you can see how tight the Masonite can be curved - the layout facia at the corner is about an 8" radius:


Here's another outside corner, also open for later installation of second-level benchwork. Also hidden behind the "sky" is the house's main drain:


And as seen from "around the bend":


Once all of the corners have been finished, you can paint the "sky", adding other details as required.

My only concern with no windows is the future value that the building will add to the property. Not that I will be looking to sell the place, but when my daughter inherits the property, she'll probably want to sell it. Now, I am probably being a bit too proactive worrying about that. On that note, I have even considered framing the walls with openings for a garage door, and then filling it in with studs, just in case the next owner wants to have a shop or whatever with a garage door. Is that being a bit crazy?

I wouldn't worry too much about future windows: if the next owner wants them, they wouldn't be difficult to install. It's unlikely that you could predict where they'd want them or the size they'd want, either.
Framing to accommodate an overhead door makes some sense, but again, I'd leave it up to the next owner - who knows, maybe he'll be a model railroader?

As I sit here typing this, it just started raining again. I'm glad the foundation was completed when it was, because it seems like it has been raining ever since. The yard is a pond! Don't know when I'll be able to start framing. I have been accumulating lumber though, and storing it in my garage. About every other day, I stop at the HD and get a load of 2x4s or 2x6s so I'll have the material I need once I start.

I hope that your Home Depot lumber is more stable than what they sell here - if it's not nailed in place within a couple of days, you'll have a pile of hockey sticks. Our lumber is so green, even the kiln-dried stuff, that you have to wear safety glasses when nailing it, or you're liable to get squirted in the eye.

Wayne