The basement in the Charming Cottage is a time capsule to the 50's/60's - knotty pine pickwick paneling, a built in bar, fireplace and wall to wall carpeting (actually, we took the carpet out the day we bought the house, so there aren't any photos of that!). It's also dark and a bit dreary.
And that has to change. I know some of you really like the retro look, but I'm not a fan and I find that most buyers want something lighter and brighter.
Let me share an example. This is a house we did a dozen years ago. It had the same pine paneling and looked dark and dated. We painted it white, updated the lighting and artwork and suddenly it looked totally different! Farewell dark, dated interior!
The next change, getting rid of the bar. It's certainly a retro feature, but this one had a super skinny little doorway to enter it. And for many potential homeowners, it's not a feature they really want.
For fun, I asked our social media followers if we should keep it. 54% said yes! I was surprised at the interest in keeping it, but one of our guys is creating a 'man cave' at his house and it will really be loved there.
The floors need a lot of work. We removed the wall to wall carpeting before we moved in. As we renovate it, I don't want to replace the carpet (which can be a challenge even in the driest of basements - and it can be stinky!) and instead want to install LVT (Luxury Vinyl Tile). We've done this in several basements and it's a fabulous product.
But it wasn't a quick, easy job. The basement floor was poured decades ago and we've started describing it as 'undulating'. It's not level and rolls from one area to the next!!! LVT requires a flat floor for a successful installation. So the guys got to work pouring leveler to provide the proper base for the floor. It took 33 bags of leveler to get a smooth surface for the LVT.
It looks like a lake in the basement! |
I remember the house you renovated with the painted wood paneling. It was my inspiration for painting the ALL wood interior of our little lake cabin in north MS. I’m sure the transformation of this basement will be just as dramatic.
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