Tag: Basement

Basement Studio Progress

Furniture provided in part by IKEA

I’ve made more progress on the basement studio!

I picked up another Expedit (I call them my “cubes”), and a couple of freestanding kitchen counters from IKEA’s Värde line. I’ve always wanted the one with all of the drawers, so I’m glad that I finally have space for it. All of my supplies will go in the drawers, and my products will be lined up on the shelving.

I like to designate a separate center for shipping. Here’s what it looked like in the previous studio space:

I see those pictures and I think “ugh, that looks so messy and disorganized!” But, um, here’s what the new shipping center looks like right now:

Yeah, I have just a wee bit of work to do there. I’m glad to have closed storage now though — that will go a long way in making it look more neat.

The main layout is setup and the big furniture pieces are in place, so I’m going to have to get down there and start organizing. I’m wondering about the windows now. I love playing with color and pattern in window curtains, but the basement windows don’t really call for window treatments. There is a surprising amount of natural light in the basement, and I want to preserve as much of that light as possible. So no curtains? Or yes, but with them mounted extra wide and open all the way? The windows are high and short too, so that may be another reason to eschew treatments.

July 28, 2011
Starting on the Basement Studio (Finally!)

Furniture provided in part by IKEA.

I used to have a great little studio. Remember?

Oh, former studio! You were so good to me and my shop. Then I had a baby. And then another one. And I needed that upstairs bedroom back. So we remodeled and finished the basement to make room, and now (finally!) it’s time to get the new studio up and running. I last showed you the space when it was newly finished and looking rather empty.

Here’s what it looks like these days, with the furniture moved in.

I’m excited to be working with IKEA for this stage of the basement remodel. I already had one of their butcher-block kitchen islands and I’m adding a few more pieces from their Värde line because they work perfectly in craft rooms. And yay, I finally have a space to bring back the striped Stockholm Rand rug! I tried it a couple of years ago in the dining room, but it just wasn’t right for that space.

It’s going to look much better in the studio. I’m bringing another over to the playroom side too for continuity.

I have a lot of organizing and decorating to do. The play room can wait a little, but I’m eager to open Pink Loves Brown up again, and obviously I need everything in place before that can happen.

July 12, 2011
Our Laundry Room

Sink and faucets provided by Vintage Tub & Bath

I showed you the final design plan already, but now I can finally show you the finished room!

The red washer and dryer that we bought when we moved in look better than they ever have, but I think it’s the giant utility sink and double faucets that make the space.

That’s pretty much my dream sink and if we ever leave this house, it would be one of the things I’d miss most. I have a little plant (cyclamen) in the window, and a gray and white striped towel hangs from a red hook to the right.

There are still things I’d like to do. I’d like to replace our rickety drying rack and hang a clothes rail from the wall or ceiling. I’d like to find some cute laundry baskets instead of the cheap plastic ones we’ve had forever. There are a few touches that I really like though, like the art. The droplets print from Summersville brings in some color and pattern, and I love that it’s screenprinted on fabric. It’s perfect for the laundry room.

I have to say, I think this room may have made me a ‘blue’ convert. It’s not normally a color that I like to use, but the laundry room is so cheery and fresh. That octagon tile makes me happy too. And three cheers for an old-fashioned swinging door! It makes me think of my grandmother’s kitchen.

It’s nice to have a non-scary place to do laundry.

April 19, 2011
The Basement Half-Bathroom

Plumbing Fixtures Provided by Vintage Tub & Bath

Six months after beginning our basement remodel, the half-bath has finally been finished. What was once an indoor-outhouse (by the looks of it, anyway) is now the cutest bathroom in our home! It’s hard to get a good photo of the room because it’s so small (4’x5.5′, and just over 6′ to the ceiling), but here’s an attempt.

The toilet, sink, and faucet were provided by Vintage Tub & Bath, and the sconces were courtesy of Schoolhouse Electric.

I found the mirror on eBay, spray painted it black, and had new glass cut for it (since it arrived shattered). For the opposite wall, I found a little shelf and painted it green to hold a couple of lacquered bowls and zigzag tumbler. The first aid box is empty, but I figure I can keep some bandages and little things we might need nearby to tend to rambunctious kiddos in the soon-to-be playroom. And say, you look lovely today.

I’m loving these man and woman vases just to the right of the doorway So funny!

It was a long process, but I was able to choose every fixture and finish since we were building the bathroom from scratch. I’m pleased with the final result… and glad to be done!

April 13, 2011
Laundry Room Design Plan

Our red washer and dryer are the only things left in the basement from before our remodel. Everything else, including the existence of a laundry room, is new.

The floor in the room slopes toward a drain (required by code because our tankless hot water heater is there). We needed a small-scale tile that could handle the dip, so I chose octagon & dot with charcoal gray grout. The exterior door opens out to the backyard, and it has been painted in Benjamin Moore paint that was color-matched to Martha Stewart’s “Sparkling Brook.” The wall color was also a Martha color (“Cumulus Cloud”), matched to B. Moore’s “Whirlpool.”

The giant utility sink is amazing. And I feel like I should say that I like the built-in soap dish on each faucet because it’s functional, but I really just picked them because they looked good. (Thanks again, Vintage Tub & Bath, for providing the plumbing fixtures.) I bought a red hook to go above the sink, and I’ll hang a striped hand towel on it. The window above the sink will get a few accessories, like this blue pitcher/vase that picks up on the color of the door.

I loved the look of the Samson stool, but had wished it was counter-height. So I got to talking with a friendly fellow over at Industry West about providing seating for the basement (they’re in!), and it turns out they’re in the process of manufacturing a taller version. They’ll be sending one over as soon as they’re available. It will sit next to a black sideboard that will serve as storage in the room. Above, I’ll hang this Droplets Screenprint, framed in black.

We already had a folding drying rack and garment hanger that we’ll probably reuse for now. They’re both pretty flimsy though, so I would like to replace them with something more sturdy in the future. As the laundry room comes together, I’ve been thinking of it as a version 1.0. As we use the room more, I think it will be easier to see what needs to be improved upon.

April 7, 2011
Art for the Bathroom

One of the benefits of having a green floor is the ability to layout art on it and imagine the arrangement on your similarly toned walls. Trouble figuring out placements for a gallery wall? Just paint your floors to match! Great planning aid!

I kid. Here’s what I’ve got so far though.

I’m going to use a little ledge for the tumbler and bowl, either in white or green. I’m considering adding a clock though too, and then maybe I’d need another little ledge to balance it out. What do you think?

Also, I’m trying to choose a color for the mirror. I had originally planned on yellow, but I nixed all of the yellow accessories for the room, so now the color would probably look out of place. Maybe black? Or the darker green of that little bowl above?

March 23, 2011