Just a quick little update on our basement renovation
It’s been about a month since I’ve shared any updates on our basement renovation (though I’ve shared quite a bit over on Instagram). I’m happy to report that we’ve come such a long way since that last update – in just one short month, we’ve managed to get all of the drywall mudded & taped as well as primed AND painted.
As you can see, the walls weren’t the only big transformation this month – Brady also managed to get all of the new lighting and subfloors installed throughout the space. After living with just 3 little lightbulbs in this entire basement space for the last 5 years, things are definitely feeling brighter with all these new pot lights installed! I think there are a total of 18 lights down there now (most on a dimmer, so we can still make things feel dark and cozy) and boy what a difference they make!!!
You might also notice all that green painter’s tape all over the wall. It’s not for painting actually, but for Brady to test out the different TV sizes he’s been eyeing up. He’s got this whole entertainment set up that he’s been dreaming up and planning out for ages now (I think it the thing he’s most excited about down here) – he wired in surround sound speakers around this tv area and planned out the cable, internet and power for the wall mounted TV the even before the drywall went up. He’s got some BIG plans for this space and I can’t wait to see them come to life!
The subfloors also went in a couple of weeks ago, which was quite a process in and of itself with three separate layers to install. Brady started with some landscaping cloth as the very bottom layer to prevent the next two layers from making any noice against the concrete flooring underneath. Next, he installed a dimple mat to allow for any water that might seep in to drain below our flooring rather than soak into the carpet. We’ve never really had any water issues down here and don’t really expect any in the future, but we thought we might as well put this in just in case, rather than regret leaving it out later. Finally, on top of the dimple mat he installed a wood subfloor – not only does it level out any lumps and bumps in the concrete, but it also helps make the floors feel warmer, which will make things feel so much cozier down here for us.
This week, Brady’s been working on installing all of the doors and trim throughout the space. It’s been slow going as he’s been working just an hour or two at a time when he finds time in the evenings after Carson goes to bed. We’re hoping he can finish up all the trim this weekend so I can get it all painted next week before the carpets go in the week after.
The stairs have probably been the trickiest part to figure out this past week as Brady’s had to not only create custom trim to run along the stair stringers, but also had to rip out that last board of hardwood at the top of the stairs to install a piece of matching nosing that will make that top step look a lot more finished and give the carpet a hidden spot to end at the top.
It’s been a ton of work, but it honestly doesn’t feel so busy when we chip away at it a few hours at a time. I can’t believe how far we’ve come in just a month!
Hoping I’ll have an even bigger update to share next month – with all of the trim and flooring installed, things are going to feel so much more finished in a few weeks! If you missed it, you can catch up with all of our design plans for the space here.
Wishing you SUCH a lovely day!
Wow, look how far you’ve come! Looks great and I love how bright it is.
Thank you!!! It’s definitely coming along quickly now!
Thank you! I’m loving how bright it’s feeling too!