A Finished Finished Basement!

We did it! Another week, another project completed! I’m taking advantage of the cold, windy Kansas days to finish the interior of our home. This week’s project was to complete our finished basement. What a difference a week can make!

We started our project by installing new floors. A friend stopped by today & couldn’t believe the transformation the new floors made. At first she thought they were the custom hand carved hardwoods we had upstairs, then pergo / laminate flooring. No, they are much easier & more cost effective vinyl plank floors from Lowe’s – the same we used in our bathroom remodel. Given that most basements have uneven surface due to the concrete subfloor, laminate isn’t always a great choice. This vinyl wood floor is perfect for a finished basement, and we were able to lay most of it in just 2 hours. The more difficult area around the stairwell took a couple additional hours.

Chris alternated the planks to create a pattern. The 6″ Style Selections planks grains & patterns matched incredibly, providing enough variation, while flowing beautifully. To install, we just cleaned the floors, peeled the backing off & adhered them over the original vinyl floors in an alternating pattern. We used an exacto knife to cut. It’s so quick & easy, really! The girls immediately rode their tricycles, cars & strollers over them to “test” them out! We have spent a lot of time in our basement this winter & it’s sure to be enjoyed even more now! The flooring cost just about $1/square foot. Seriously.

You can see how close they are to our significantly more expensive wood floors we have on the main level.

The other hurdle I had to overcome was the lack of light and a few oddities…

Basements tend to be dark. To add light & make it feel larger, we added mirrors.

Since this finished basement had a tight budget, we used our sofa & chair from our first home. I made them feel fresh & up to date with linen pillows & a throw we could spare from our upstairs family room. It started out as an area for guests to relax as an ensuite since the guest bedroom & guest bath are also downstairs; however, I think this will quickly become my place to relax & escape for an hour or two.

I found a bench for $60 at a discount store that I painted white to use as a coffee table. I didn’t want anything too significant because this allows for plenty of space for the girls to play. It was one of the few purchases we made for the room.

Of course one of my nautical rope vases made an appearance.

I placed an easy to care for tropical plant in a basket to disguise an unsightly pipe that I previously painted white. At most angles, you would never know it was there! We hung a bamboo shade to tie in the jute rug & make the space feel less like a basement.

I filled an empty corner space with a stool that doubles as a table when not in use.

For a pop of color, I added a stem of hydrangea in a bud vase. I always try to add something organic to the space whether it be a plant or fresh cut flowers. In this case, both! I’ll dry it to continue using the color year round.

Because “life ain’t always beautiful,” here is a before/during photo. As with most basements, the floor is not level. The flooring we selected works well with uneven surfaces.

The Allen & Roth jute rug is one of the softest I’ve found! I’m proud to partner with Lowe’s & the unique products they offer! Our next project is adding a wet bar & office space for Chris.

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