~ basement stairwell project...

As promised a few posts ago -- here are photos of the painted basement stairwell.  This is still a work in progress.  The stairs and handrail still need painting.  We might even replace the handrail.  I think it looks nice enough at the moment though, so you can get the feel of it.

~*~

* view from first floor *

Milton would like to show you his dining area :-)

~*~

* light fixture *

This is a builder's grade light fixture that was in our upstairs hallway.  Rick painted the frame black.  It throws  off such pretty lighting in this small area.  In our upstairs hallway you didn't notice this reflective lighting at all.

~*~
* lovely wood shelf *

Rick crafted and painted a wood shelf to sit on top of the area where the concrete foundation meets the wood framing of the house.  The colorful artwork is courtesy of Miss Sofia.  I think it looks perfect here :-)

~*~

* view from basement floor showing shelf area *

This is the area where the kitties dine.  They now have lovely "mood" lighting during their meals :-)

~*~

* view from basement showing laminate flooring *

Cookie (the cat) is sitting in the foyer area of the basement.  She would like you to know that the basement stairwell tour ends here. :-)

Please accept my apologies for the lack of "before" photos, or, photos of Rick while he was painting (on the makeshift scaffolding).  This project began with unpainted sheetrock and a single bulb fixture -- pretty boring.

The landing, a.k.a. "kitty dining area" will have wood flooring, but I am not sure of what color to paint the stairs.  The builder's gray has got to go...soon!

~ ikea love...

We went here yesterday...

We purchased the table and drawer unit shown in the photo below.  We also purchased another small table that attaches to the left side of the table in the photo (it will be put together sometime later today).  That is all we could fit in the car yesterday.  There are a few more pieces that we need -- so -- we will be going back... probably a few more times! :-)

~*~

This is what "we" are doing today...

Sofia is moving all of her supplies, etc. from her "temporary" art table/area in the dining room/pc room to her new area in the basement.

~*~

I know that I am way behind with photos of the basement project -- but if you keep following my blog  you'll catch glimpses of the finished product here and there. :-)

Click on these links to see this area as a work in progress.

  What we started with (2nd photo in this post) 

  Work in progress (3rd photo in this post)

Click on the "basement project" link under this post to view all "basement project" posts to date. 

time for the next project...

The basement project is done!  Seems like we just started this yesterday (not!)  I cannot believe it is done, and, approved.  I absolutely love it!  This is the (floor height) view of the left side.  I'm not seeing many people looking at the blog these days, so I am just making this post to show that the project is complete.  Leave a comment if you are interested in seeing more photos. :-)

working around things...

Besides being a master craftsman -- Rick also knows how to work around things -- such as -- piles of "stuff"...

...and Sofia!  :-)

Here is the same view at the beginning of the project...

better than holiday cookies...

...a new basement floor!

Rick just starting putting the flooring down this morning, so, there's not much opportunity for the "artsy"  photos.  This is the view from the stairs.  He started in the small closet and will continue through the foyer and down the hall.  The "pink stuff" is the underlayment.  We chose to go with Airguard Premium 3-in-1 -- because I don't want any nasty moldy stuff growing under my pretty floor in the basement.  The flooring is Red Oak Natural .  I'll show more photos as he makes progress.  I'm a little bit giddy about this.  Yay! :-)

it's fa la la tuesday...

...19 days to go!  If you haven't found your "fa la la" -- it's time to go look for it!  Mine is behind that door... in the "shhh... secret... closet..." :-)

 

budget buster...

How did I forget to put closet shelving in the budget for our basement project?  Wasn't it all about "the closet" when I began posting about this basement project?  Tsk...tsk...

So...here we are...Rick in his white socks explaining to me that the shelving brackets in the boxes on the floor cost $10 each.  There are 20 brackets in each box.  There are 2 boxes.  You do the math.  

After grappling with this for almost 2 days, Rick mentions to me that the style of the brackets that are in my bedroom closet -- the brackets that I "hate" -- are available and cost much, MUCH less.  He didn't want me to have the brackets that I "hate" in the closets he made for me.  How sweet is that!  :-)  So, I told him -- it's okay -- forget all that mushy stuff -- I can deal with the "ugly" brackets in the basement closet.  I would much rather spend those $$ on the flooring or -- his big screen TV.  ;-) 

    

basement project update...

...not far now! :-)

the view keeps changing...

Here is a view of  the man cave part of the basement since this post

Here is Rick working in the "secret closet"...

 I'll do a video walkthrough once the sheetrock is all up.  :-)

next...

Insulation is done.  The "work crew" is looking pretty happy about this!  Note:  Sofia did not participate in the insulation part of the project -- I just thought she might make the photo a bit cuter! 

Rick is definitely getting better at calculating how much we need of certain supplies.  There are only some remnants left over from the insulation.  I'm certain that this part of the basement is better insulated than the rest of our house.

Let's see how he does at calculating sheet rock :-)

use what you have...

I am in the middle of a challenge for myself.  For the month of March I am cutting out "frivolous" spending.  I decided that I need to do some serious spring cleaning.  This is a necessity in the basement,  my sewing room, and in the arts/crafts supplies.  So, my challenge to myself is to only use what I have.  At the end of the month, if I haven't made at least a small dent in the pile, then I will think about doing the same thing for April...May...June...  Well, you get the picture!

What's my inspiration for this challenge?  Our basement project, of course!

This is the view at the bottom of the steps looking south. I am standing in the front "unfinished" area looking towards the back of the house.  The beams at the right side of the photo (before the freezer) belong to the framing for a pantry closet.  The freezer is now sitting under the stairway (you can see one of the steps above the freezer).  This was my old "secret" closet.  Rick pulled out the entire door and frame, but left the sheetrock that he installed to create the closet (you can see this to the left of the freezer at the beginning of the framework).  Beyond the sheetrock  is the framework for a wall which will enclose the furnace area (the furnace cannot be seen in the photo.  It is to the right of the framing.)  At the left side of the photo is the framework for my new "secret" closet.  I love looking at how neatly Rick has framed in the duct work (top of photo).  Now, let your eye travel down the yellow/red/blue path (on the floor), towards that single illuminated lightbulb, into the area that will eventually become the art center (currently filled with toys, toys, and more toys).

Here is another photo of Rick's beautiful framing work.  For this photo, I am standing at the end of that pathway in the previous photo -- but now I am looking towards the west side of the house (the single illuminated bulb is (south) to my left).  Rick was thinking about moving the waste pipe that he enclosed with the framework -- but that may have caused problems we don't need.  So, we opted for the soffet (sp?).  This soffet is not on a focal wall, or in an important area of the room, so it's fine.  Beyond the soffet is the framing for one of the two closets in the art center.

To be cont'd...

Questions? or Comments are welcome! 

saturday morning workout...

Whew... we just moved all this stuff to the man cave side of the basement...

from here...

Today, the girly, artsy side of the basement will be getting all the attention!  Hopefully that piece of wood passes inspection by the master carpenter :-)

 

small basement project update...

So after the silly pictures in Sunday's post, here is a view of  the man cave part of the basement since this post...  Even though this is the "man cave" part of the project -- I LOVE it!

And, I thought you might be a bit bored just looking at a view of the corner of the room.  Even though it is the most important part of the project.  Why?  This part of the basement is below the area of the kitchen where we eat our meals.  In the winter, there is an annoying draft that sends chills up my back -- so much at times that I have to wear a hooded sweatshirt during dinner.  Crazy, right?

Anyhow, here is a view from the landing at the bottom of the steps looking towards the back wall.  Oh, you can hardly see the back wall because there's a whole lot of stuff in the way -- just squeeze your eyeballs through the framing on the left side of the photo, and the shelves holding magazines and toilet paper on the right side of the photo...

  

The framing on the left side of the photo will support the outside wall of an unfinished storage area.  The shelving on the right side of the photo will become a small unfinished closet (on the diagrams that are submitted for the permit, you can't call anything a "closet" -- you have to call it a "storage" area.  If you call it a closet, then that implies that someone will be living in the area, and you need to add an egress window or door.)  However, in real life, this is my closet, a.k.a. "Mommy's secret present room".  The only place in the entire house that belongs totally to me.  There is a lock on the door -- and I am the only one with the key.  I'm still not sure how large of  a space I deserve to call my own...  Any suggestions?  :-)   

did you hear that...

Happy Weekend!

choosing to be busy...

So, here we are at the end of the first week of 2011 -- and I feel as if I am still going at the same speed as I was before the holidays.  If I don't think about it, I'm okay.  But if I do, then I need to sit down right here at the PC and give myself a little mental and physical break.  Right now I'm looking outside at the snow and dreaming of springtime...  Downstairs, waiting for me, is this pile -- I need to move it so that we can work on finishing part of the basement area.  The area that you are looking at in the photo is the southeast corner of the basement.  This area will have a couch and TV.  The floor will be wood laminate with an area rug.  There will be recessed lighting fixtures in the ceiling.  The walls will be sheetrock painted in a warm, lovely color.  There will be some open shelving to display collectibles and house dvd's, video games, etc.  I love the fact that the sun shines in through the single window until about noon -- so it is not a dark and dingy corner of the basement.  You cannot tell from the picture, but this part of the finished basement area will be approximately 16' x 16' or a bit larger.  Yes, this is only part of the project.  Stay tuned for more...  

So, that is where I am headed today -- while I am dreaming of springtime...