Paul and I decided to make the financial investment and finish our basement about a year ago. We spent a few months shopping around before we moved forward with a local contractor in January 2022. If you aren’t aware, the entire construction industry is crazy right now so even though we signed the contract in January, the project did not begin until June. Nevertheless, we were fine with the timeline because it allowed us to continue putting money aside for things like furniture, decor, gym equipment, etc. once the basement was completed.
Fast forward to mid-September, the 6-8 week project finally wrapped up 16 weeks later. Thankfully (and unthankfully?) construction crews weren’t here every single day during that time period. I work from home, so while I was extremely excited we were going to have 1000+ more of livable square footage, it was stressful and frustrating at times trying to navigate my full time job while crews were in and out. Not to mention, coordinating bathroom breaks for Rex (our German Shepherd) in our backyard where a lot of times materials were set up or the sliding door to the work area was open. But alas, Zoom calls I took from weird locations to escape the noise and some disruption to our day to day paid off. We love how the space turned out and I had a blast decorating it.
Living Room
Since the basement project finished, you can find me and Paul hanging out in the living room every evening we are home. I picked out the couch from American Furniture Warehouse and I love how comfy and inviting it is. We opted for the matching ottoman rather than a coffee table to make the space more cozy. So far I’ve only spilt my drink by placing it on the remote control tray 3 times, so I consider that a success. As you can tell, we definitely have a color scheme in the basement. I wanted to keep things light and neutral to not only warm up the space (basements can feel dark and gloomy) but also I just gravitate to that aesthetic to begin with.
Our bar area is dry, so we have two mini refrigerators with alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. We saved money by not adding a sink to this area, and I don’t think it is needed. Even if we had one, I don’t anticipate I would use it often.
And then of course the living area isn’t complete without a basket of toys for Rex and a water bowl to make sure he is just as comfy in the basement as his parents. The final note I want to mention about the living area is how much the walkout sliding door adds to the space. You don’t feel like you are in a dark basement because of the natural light from the window and sliding door. It honestly feels like every other part of our house, just half of the space is underground.
Gym
The home gym is such a game changer. I love having dedicated space for our Peloton bike and new treadmill and genuinely look forward to working out in the home gym rather than the cold and unfinished basement prior to the remodel. We picked out sliding bard doors (mainly for aesthetic) to section of the living room from the gym and went with black gym puzzle flooring. The Peloton tred had been on my wishlist for over a year now and we were waiting until we finished the basement to pull the plug. Eventually, we want to add a dumbbell area, but for now, this space is great for morning workouts before signing on to work for the day.
Bedroom and Bathroom
We were so excited to have a guest room in the basement for friends and family when they visit. We still have a guest room on our third floor, but we wanted create a space for our guests to have more privacy. The bedroom set from Ashley Furniture were the last pieces of furniture to be delivered and officially completed the basement. We went with a matching headboard, nightstand and dresser to tie together the space and then a mattress from Nectar and bedding from Pottery Barn.
The bathroom is quite small, but it works. There ended up being just enough space for a small vanity, toilet and shower. Plus, there is a door from the hallway and a sliding door into the bathroom from the bedroom.
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