I am so excited to reveal the transformation of our 1970s basement to you.
Let me first say thank you to Linda at @oneroomchallenge and to @betterhomesandgardens for making this opportunity possible. Transforming rooms is the goal, but the best part is the people you meet along the way and the support that we can all provide each other while we work hard at project after project, during the tight time frame.
This is what happened on my project in Week One, Week Two, Week Three and Week Four and Week Five.
Before: A Dark 1970’s Basement
If you have been following along, this is how our basement looked before we started. It had really not been touched since the 1970s and was not an inviting room to spend time in. The room contains a sitting area with the fireplace and TV. At the other end of that room is the family gym. This area was in need of storage solutions. The basement also contains a nook, that we are calling our library.
Mood Board
This is the mood board that I presented containing my plans for the basement.
A Formerly Dark Fireplace Becomes Light
The first and biggest change was painting the fireplace. The brick itself was painted including inside the fireplace itself. This is where I made the rookie mistake of using spray paint in the house.
Then I added the Nagoya Tile stencil from cuttingedgestencils.com. I liked the curves in this pattern and felt that it went well with the 1970s theme.
We also added a maple mantel. We used maple because some of the other furniture in the room was maple. We picked up a raw piece of wood at @thewoodsource, cut it to size and clear-coated it. I like the the simple style fits well with this 1970s basement and other overall mid-century feeling of our house.
This is the mantle in the family room directly above this fireplace. I like that the overall feeling for the two is similar, yet different.
Stripes Tie the Room Together
The next biggest change in the basement was the painting of stripes. I could not have done this without the help of my hubby @geraintthewelsh. He is meticulous and ensured that the lines were straight. The reason I chose that stripes is that they carry the colours all around the room, including the gym area. The stripes brought just enough colour to the gym area without being overwhelming.
A Bright and Well Organized Gym
Speaking of the gym, I painted an old metal cabinet that we had in the garage and this is where we store all the mats, bands, balls and rollers neatly away.
I added baskets inside to keep ropes, bands, blocks and lots of other small pieces of gym equipment tidy.
For the weights, we used a bookcase that we had to house the smaller weights. In this area I added photos of each member of the family doing a sport. It’s a good reminder to all of us to keep our bodies healthy.
I also added the Hovet mirror from Ikea in this room and painted it black. I also painted all of the light fixtures in the room black.
The Sitting Area is not Dark Anymore
Back in the sitting area, we used the brown couch with contemporary lines that we already had. I made these pillow covers to create a comfy sitting area.
Also in this area is this maple storage cabinet where we store games and craft supplies. We updated it with half circle handles that we made ourselves.
Art from @opposite wall finishes off the area.
Carpet Tiles Really Up the Comfort Game
Without a doubt, the biggest change to the area was the installation of carpet tiles.
Our first order was damaged so this was actually the last thing we did in the basement. My hubby installed flooring when he was a teenager back in Wales, so he was able to quickly and easily install the new flooring.
A Library Nook With Character
Last but not least is our little library nook. This area was transformed withMid-Century Peel and Stick wallpaper from roommatesdecor. com I just love this geometric pattern that is the crowning mewl of the basement.
We added back in our existing book case that holds our favourite reads. We also added back in, this lovely antique fridge that we used to have at our cottage. This holds all of our photo albums.
We had this contemporary bench in storage and it is the perfect place to rest when we are looking at photo albums or for a particular book.
Above are are two picture ledges from Ikea when I added some extended family photos that I had in storage. It is such a joy to see this pictures displayed again.
Our Thoughts
This basement update has transformed our house. It was formerly dark and had lots of spiders so no one wanted to go there. The work out area was also a mess, because there was no place to store anything. That itself dissuaded me from using the gym.
We are now hoping that we will use this area over the long winter ahead to give our bodies the care they need. This is completed just in time as our kids come home from university.
I could not have done this without my partner in life and in DIY, @geraintthewelsh who does all the big jobs. My back is not in good condition and he always supports me and picks up the slack when I cannot. It’s time for us to relax on this couch and enjoy our hard work.
I hope you enjoyed this tour of our updated basement.
Always
Leslie
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