To the basement, people, to the basement, many surprises await you…*

*Lyrics from Two Door Cinema Club‘s song Undercover Martyn from their album Tourist History. I like to run to this album – it’s short (good for brief workouts) and peppy. Ok, I like to have private dance parties to this album, too. Don’t judge me.

Ok, ok, I know I owe you a big post. (Absence makes the heart grow fonder?) Well, feast your eyes on this before and after:

Basement BEFORE: knotty pine, shabby (not chic) carpet, dingy paint, peeling wallpaper.

Basement AFTER: new paint, new carpet, new baseboards make for a bright, fresh, inviting any-purpose space.

See? What did I tell you? When we first started our ‘let’s quickly do over the basement’ journey we had a wallpapered, stained-carpeted, knotty pine accented, dreary space. Not to mention (ok, I’ll mention it again, in case you missed it the first time) that after Brad rewired the whole house he had to make all these holes in the wallpapered walls (that turned out NOT to be so easy to patch). Anywho, long story short(er), we decided to paint, paint, recarpet, and paint some more. We aren’t 100% finished – there’s still the matter of switching out the outlets (from brown to white tamper-resistant), replacing the ceiling light covers, and moving the mechanical controls for the sprinkler system to the mechanicals room (which we never even thought of before now, that’s how little time we spent down there) – but for the photos, well, you’ll get the gist. Besides, eventually, once we get things a bit more styled up, I’ll update you. (You know I will, whether or not you like it.)

In the end, we added baseboards, swapped out door hardware, painted (walls, doors, and trim) with Benjamin Moore Aura paints (the best!), and had (low VOC) carpet installed (including a recycled, low VOC rug pad to replace the old one that had begun to disintegrate) to totally update this bonus square footage in our house. We now have a space that could be used as almost anything: playroom, family room, media room, exercise space, craft zone, extra sleeping space for holidays, man cave (no, just kidding, that’s ridiculous), and the list goes on. Or it doesn’t, but you get the idea. We reclaimed the space for living, and we’re so completely thrilled with the result. It really is amazing how powerful paint can be, and in this case carpeting, too.

Ok, pictures, with captions (if you’re viewing this on a reader, pop onto the real site for all the detailed captions), for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy! xoxo

5 comments...

    1. So Happy Home Post author

      Thanks, Megan! The wall color is Woodlawn Blue, by Benjamin Moore, in Aura flat (or matte). It’s really a seafoamy, green-ish, blue-ish color that’s really beautiful in person. I highly recommend trying it out if you’re looking for a sea-glass type color that’s serene, and reminds you of the sea.

  1. deboram67@live.com'Debora Martinez

    Love the fresh look! I am currently getting new carpet at HD and I am wondering what carpet you put down. I love the color and sisal look. Thanks!

    1. So Happy Home Post author

      Thanks, Debora! The carpet is from the HD Martha Stewart line called Mount Vernon in color: Hickory. We wanted something that reminded us of sand so that the basement felt beachy and relaxing. There are other colors from the Martha Stewart line that have even more of a sisal type look – we chose based on budget, but there were others a bit pricier that were really beautiful. Good luck with your project!

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