The basement in my house isn't terrible, as far as basements go. It's dry, fairly bright and roomy, but could use some TLC. I'm not sure how much time I'd spend down there even after sprucing it up. The furnace and water heater are noisy and I have an irrational fear of creepy-crawlies. It's also very dusty, which is a mystery to me. The previous owners finished a section for their children's play area, complete with heat. It's currently storing 24 cans of old paint. I've been thinking that it would nice to have an attractive area for doing laundry and a large table for sewing projects (not that I sew very often) or even a home office.
New York designer Tricia Foley renovated the basement in her Long Island country house with fabulous results. She even has a fireplace and uses the room for work as well as entertaining. Her project inspired me to start cleaning-up my basement and see what I can make of it. Tthe painted picnic table and benches are simple and elegant.
There will be no fireplace or entertaining in my basement (here's a before shot of Tricia Foley's basement), but it may be comfortable enough for ironing clothes and a few DIY projects.
Tricia Foley in her renovated basement.
Plenty of storage...
Laundry would become a pleasure here rather than a chore.
How about a place for potting plants and flowers?
And this is the ultimate -- a simple home theater for watching movies. It's a projector and a blank wall. So smart.
The full story is on the Martha Stewart website (from the November 2010 magazine). You can also visit Tricia Foley's website, which will link you to her four (yes, four!) delightful blogs and she's also on Pinterest.
Have you renovated the basement in your home? I'd appreciate any tips and suggestions.
~ D ~