Basement Progress & Inspiration

Last year our basement looked like most unfinished suburban basements:

But for the last several months, we've been on a mission.  We're gettin' it done!
[and when I say "we've" been on a mission, I really mean Mr. V.  I've held some cables and done some lifting, but really?  Who are we kidding here?  :) ]

At the beginning of the summer he went to work. Mr. V. was off to a great start and was a framing MACHINE.  But then we got 9 days straight
of rain... and we discovered our friends "Thing 1" and "Thing 2"
in our basement walls.

Basement finishing tip #1: Crack is Whack.

So getting the cracks fixed and having a 2nd egress window installed delayed the process for several weeks.
BUT, once Mr. V., Master Framer Extrordinaire was back in business, he really took off!
Framing?  Check.
Plumbing?  Check.
Electrical?  Check and Check.

The farther along he gets, the more excited I am.

Just look at it!

What, you don’t see it? ;)

Hee.

Here are some of the inspiration boards I put together with our "vision" for the basement:

This bathroom?

When it’s all said and done this is what we’re going for

This “bedroom” is The Redhead’s new playroom.

And while the details aren’t yet in stone

I’m thinking along these lines:

The main living space is I think the biggest compromise of my marriage thus far.  But I think we've come to a reasonable agreement.

Here's what I get:

- We’re moving the current living room furniture down here, and I get new stuff for upstairs.

- I get to decorate it. How I want. (well, within reason and without excessive ‘girlyness’.

But that's OK, that's not really my style anyway.)

- Three Words: Commercial. Wine. Fridge.

My general plan:

And he gets this:

[plans from our woodworking contractor]

- An obnoxious wall of TVs upon which to gaze many games of basketball, football, and if The Redhead has any say… wall-to-wall Elmo.

- Custom cabinetry to house all 7,000 electronic components.

- A refrigerator that can hold something other than wine. :)
[See?  "Hers" on the left, "His" on the right.]
Hee.

As we speak the drywall is going up [we totally hired out for the drywall hanging, mudding and taping.  We're thrifty and handy.... not stupid ;) ] so we are definitely in the home stretch. 

Yippee!

More updates to come...


Cheers,