Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Another reno - it's basement time!

I started my mat leave with a project (tile and baseboards) and I will lead out with a project (although this one better be done wellllll before I go back to work in October!)

We are pretty excited to renovate our basement - shortly after having Owen we realized just how much stuff these little guys use/need/get...and to keep the disaster that is currently our main floor at bay as Owen grows up, we decided we should finish our basement. Here are some photos of the space (sorry for the crappy pics - it's a dark basement so I didn't waste my time trying to make it look better than it is!)
This will be where the couch lives...

 To the back left is the bathroom...

The closet under the stairs is staying as a closet, and we will have a desk where the filing cabinet is.

Aside from this main room we have a laundry room at the back, a room where the boiler is, and cold storage. We are only renovating the main room into a rec room / play room / office. A lot to put in one space, yes but we think it's doable. Oh, and add storage. Obviously.

Here is a very very very rough sketch of what we are looking to do:

The height of our basement is a bit over 6 feet, so we aren't digging down. This will be a space to lounge and a space for kids so we don't feel that we need to go to the added cost of digging down for a few inches. I can't wait for better light down there and usable space.

This will be the first project in the whole house that we will not be touching (no demo, no drywall, etc...just painting it at the end).

Have you renovated your basement? Any must have's? Any lessons learned?

7 comments:

LifeBegins@Thirty said...

Eek! Awesome! Just try to jam as much storage as you can into it. Just think about where you are going to put the bins and bins of clothes Owen doesn't fit into anymore!

Christmas decorations.

Tools etc.

No bathroom? Do you already have 2?

InteriorGroupie said...

Oops! We do have a bathroom down there already - it functions but is very very ugly. Not in the budget to Reno it as part of this project, but definitely nice to have it down there!

Kelly said...

Yay! Extra yay to not having to do it yourselves! :)

Jen @ RamblingRenovators said...

Oh man, I love a good basement renovation! A few tips:
- put more lighting than you think you need
- storage storage storage
- even if you're not renovating the other spaces, think about if there are small add-ons you could have done while the trades are on site (eg. Additional electrical outlets in laundry or bathroom?)
- even if you have a great contractor, stay on top of the trades. Their aim is to get their tasks done as quickly as possible so you need to watch out for quality and ensure things are not only how you want them but where you want them. Not everyone reads the design drawings ;)

Best of luck!!

Michelle said...

Very exciting! It is always great to add on to your usable space.
I would put in dimmer switches and have the lights on more than one switch. Even though it's the basement you'll still find you will want to light areas differently.
We have Ikea Expidit shelf (now call Kallax) shelving and it is great for keeping everything from kid's toys, to records, to books organized. I put the kid's toys in baskets out of sight and leave some cubbies with books and items on display.
One more tip, the Ikea Karlstad sofa comes in parts that go down those narrow stairs easily and ours has stood up for 5 years with 3 kids and their friends!
Can't wait to see the reveal!

Unknown said...

Turning your basement into a playroom, an office space, or a recreational room is really a huge challenge. You have to make the most of the space, to make sure that you’ll get the mood you want to have. Good thing you already have an idea in mind, and a sketch on hand. This will help you see if everything is working just fine, or if the furniture you picked fits the theme you were going for.

Orlando Nunez @ OES Office Furniture

Unknown said...

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