4.22.2012

Basement, Finished

Since 2010, I had been working at finishing the basement (as many of you knew, due to countless updates).  It was a long process that not only included manly tasks like installing studs, drywall, wiring, plumbing, soundproofing, and flooring, but also figuring out furniture and what to do with the space.  Fortunately we were able to do it on a very low budget, finding lots of furniture from garage sales, and borrowing or acquiring used tools.

I had set the deadline to have it mostly finished (walls, ceiling, paint, floor, trim, etc.) by the time Matilda was born, so that we could immediately enjoy the extra space.  In late July 2011, on the morning of the day we went to the hospital to have Lynne induced, I painted the last of the baseboards.  Nothing like a deadline!  Then it took a good number of months to go through everything in our storage space, clean it (thanks to tons of drywall mudding dust), and decide what to keep, donate, or toss.  The construction projects were way more fun than that chore, and we had many minivan loads to the recycling center, Goodwill, and dumpster.

There are still a few more small projects to do, including painting the stairwell, plumbing in a utility sink, and installing a door to the unfinished storage area, but all the parts and equipment are ready and waiting.

It felt so good to finish the project, and we love spending time in the basement.  Everything looks as good as we had hoped (thanks to far too much attention to detail on my end – it made the project last much longer than anticipated and was probably mostly unnecessary).  We enjoy family movie nights in the living room, special dinners at the table, and Eliza loves her play area.  I’m thankful for the space everyday, since my office is now located down there.

I learned so much during the process and owe a lot of thanks to my dad for his help a few weekends to do some of the two-man tasks, like studs and ceiling drywall, and answering my countless phone calls and questions; my grandpa, for teaching me to wire; and friends and family who helped me transport drywall (pre-minivan) and clean/move furniture.

Before – heading down the stairs

Basement - Old 1

After – heading down the stairs

Basement - New 1

Before – family room

Basement - Old 2

After – family room

Basement - New 2

Before – play area

Basement - Old 3

After – play area

Basement - New 3

After – the office and dining area/work table

Basement - New 4

After – dining/work table space

Basement - New 5

After – turning the old coal closet into Eliza’s toy closet

Basement - New 6

Not pictured – the laundry room.  Trust me, it’s just as nice and clean.

1 comment:

a10t2 said...

That looks amazing! Nice work.