Since moving into our home a few years ago, we have been mulling over the best time and strategy for pulling our very dated basement out of the 60’s and make it a space that we can make good use of on a day-to-day basis. In one of it’s many lives, it appears that the entire lower level was a separate suite, complete with a blue tiled bathroom and more wood panelling than I thought was possible in one space. In fact, from one spot in the quasi-kitchen space, I can actually reach out and touch four different types of wood panelling. Guys, that’s too many. Since becoming a family of three, using this space as a storage and occasional TV space is no longer an option. My office became a nursery and very quickly we are finding that 1200 square feet is just not enough for three humans and three dogs.
As cramped as we are right now, I’m actually really glad we didn’t get to this space right away. I think that if we had gone ahead making changes in our pre-child life, I would be regretting those decisions now. My perspective has definitely shifted. Durability, safety and sight lines are now top of the list as we decide where and how we want to make changes. After doing a little digging around, and having lived here a while, it is clear that what really needs to happen is a total overhaul. We aren’t there yet, so we are moving forward with a much needed facelift to create a workspace for me and play space for the tiny tornado that is my son. Since a full-scale gut is most likely in our future, we are trying to keep things simple this go around. I have had to request reminders from our contractor to give me a shake if I forget that I am a budget-focused client here and not the designer, but I know it will be a challenge to create an appealing space that doesn’t break the bank.
I cringe a little posting these, this space is really horrendous, but it’s good motivation to force me to finalize the last few finishes and get to work! With budget in mind, I have taken on a few extra DIY projects myself. I will share as we go, so wish me luck and stay tuned for some much nicer photos of this mess in the coming months!
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