Tuesday, November 21, 2017

Creating a Finished Basement in a Dark, Dank Space

I'm not sure what was nastier about the basement.  The puddles that formed from the leaky water meter and constant spring rain....













or the scary cobwebs that draped from the ceiling.






But our goal was to change this dark space into a light, bright living space.  And it was a big job!  We had to put in a perimeter drainage system (click here for the how to),




insulate the concrete walls with rigid foam,  and build new walls.

We also replaced/enlarged the windows to bring in more light.
















One of the most dramatic changes was installation of a new clear bulkhead door, that lets the light come pouring through the space.  It has the added benefit of being egress approved, so this space could be a 3rd bedroom.

The result - lots of living space for whatever the new homeowner might want.

Kids playroom - Before








For staging, I did one side as a kid's playroom.....in large part because I found this adorable IVI kids play rug and couldn't resist it with its tufted section for lawns and houses (and it was so much fun to shop for all the little cars, trucks and accessories!).
Kids Playroom - After
At the Open House, people had to drag their kids away!
IVI 3D Kids Playrug - so much fun!!
The other side of the room is a den, where the homeowner can watch TV, listen to music or just relax.  It's a big space with lots of room to spare.


But that's not all!  We added a gleaming new laundry room, with lots of storage.



And my favorite feature?  This half bath.  It includes this antique sink that I spent LOTS and LOTS of time on (click here for the full story) and absolutely love.  And of course there's the antique toothbrush wallpaper that I imported from Holland.

So what's your opinion?  It's quite a change, don't you think???
Artwork - Earth Angel Arts


Sources:  

Original 'Morning Rocks' Painting - Holly Lombardo, Portland Art Gallery
Kids Room Art - Earthangel Arts
Basement Bulkhead Door - Cleargress Doors
Wicker Chairs & Chest - Pottery Barn
Leather Sofa - Neiman Marcus
Wall Color - Sherwin Williams - Downy
Laundry Cabinetry - IKEA
Toothbrush Wallpaper - Obsession by Daniel Rozensztroch  NLXL 
Flooring - Lifeproof 100% Waterproof Premium Vinyl planks

Lifeproof Vinyl Flooring - Fresh Oak








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5 comments:

  1. It's gorgeous! Hard to believe what it looked like before. You did a great job!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Cathy - we knew there was a lot of potential......it was just a big job to get there :-)

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  2. It is your hard work of you which made the cottage looks like new one!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Beautiful! Is the flooring really the "Fresh Oak" color? I am trying to decide on flooring and your photos look like a really nice light wood color, but Fresh Oak in the store looked darker....?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I’ve done Fresh Oak in a few houses now and it’s pretty light!

      Delete

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