Dining Room to Bedroom Conversion in Denver, CO

Denver’s tight rental market has made bedroom conversions one of the most requested projects in commercial apartment buildings across the city. Adding a bedroom to an existing apartment — by converting underutilized dining space into a permitted, code-compliant bedroom — can add significant rental value and flexibility for property owners. This case study documents a full dining room to bedroom conversion we completed in a Denver commercial apartment building, from the first steel stud to the finished double barn door.

The Project: Converting Dining Space into a Permitted Bedroom

The client owned a unit in a Denver commercial apartment building where the dining room was adjacent to the living area with no natural separation. The goal: frame a new wall, create a private bedroom space, and install a door system that wouldn’t eat up floor space in the tight urban floor plan. All work permitted through Denver Community Planning and Development.

Step 1 & 2: Steel Stud Framing and Drywall

We used steel stud framing throughout — the correct choice for a commercial apartment building where wood stud walls are not permitted in common corridor areas. Steel studs at 16” on center, top and bottom track secured to the concrete slab and existing ceiling framing. The door opening was roughed in at 6’8” clear to accommodate the bypass barn door system planned for the finish.

Drywall specification in commercial apartment buildings matters: the building code required 5/8” Type X fire-rated gypsum on the corridor-facing side of the new wall. We specified the correct product for the application, not the cheapest option.

Step 3 & 4: Mudding, Taping, and Paint

Three-coat drywall finishing: tape coat, filler coat, finish coat, sanded between each. Outside corners protected with metal corner bead. The level-5 skim coat on the face of the wall blended seamlessly with the existing apartment texture. Paint was matched to the existing unit color so the new wall reads as part of the original construction — not a renovation addition.

Step 5: Bypass Barn Door Installation

The door solution for this conversion was a bypass barn door system — specifically a double bypass (two doors that slide past each other on the same track) to cover the full opening width while preserving maximum floor space in both rooms. In a Denver apartment floor plan where every square foot matters, a traditional hinged door swinging into either room would have made the space feel cramped. The bypass barn door solves that entirely.

The doors are natural pine 6-panel interior doors hung on a double bypass barn door track system with matte black hardware and matching bar pulls. The natural pine finish ties into the existing apartment’s warm tones and can be stained or painted in the future as the unit evolves. The bypass track was secured directly into the new wall’s top plate framing — not just into the drywall — so the hardware carries the full load of two solid-core pine doors without any flex.

Why Commercial Apartment Conversions Require a Licensed Contractor

Bedroom conversions in commercial apartment buildings in Denver are not DIY projects or handyman jobs. Denver requires:

• Building permit from Denver Community Planning and Development
• Plan review for any new wall in a commercial occupancy building
• 5/8” Type X fire-rated drywall on walls adjacent to corridor or exit access
• Electrical inspection if any new outlets or circuits are added to the new bedroom
• Final inspection before occupancy of the new space

An unpermitted bedroom conversion in a Denver apartment building creates liability for the property owner, can void the building’s certificate of occupancy, and must be disclosed at sale. Josh Brooks Construction and Renovation Inc. handles the full permit package on every Denver commercial apartment project.

Frequently Asked Questions