Well, thanks to the generous and wonderful folks at True Value, we now have a totally dry and completely functional basement to use for storage galore (read about how we prepped and waterproofed the former bug graveyard here and here). And thanks to a little road trip to Ikea this weekend, we came home armed with pretty much every item that we planned to snag in this basic mood board of sorts that we shared last week:
- Expedit shelf (included in the total Expedit Workstation) -$120
- Torsby table (already owned, so it’s free!)
- A woven basket or two – $17 each
- Two Aneboda wardrobes – $100 a pop
- A few white storage boxes – $12 for two
- And a few green storage boxes to keep things interesting – $12 for two
- Expedit desk (included in the Expedit Workstation) accounted for above
And the room is really coming together. Especially thanks to the floor plan we brainstormed ahead of time to see which items would work where (and which ones would provide the most function without breaking the bank):
Of course we still have a lot more projects to take on (creating a new light fixture, rewrapping the water heater, building a screen to hide the ugly rewrapped water heater, dealing with the windows, DIYing a dehumidifier, etc). But here’s what the basement looks like now thanks to the addition of two Ikea Aneboda Wardrobes along with an Expedit Workstation and a few inexpensive accessories (like some faux plants for a bit of greenery and these storage boxes for even more concealed stashing space). Not to mention the Torsby table and a few extra wooden chairs that we already owned. We also brought down our bikes as planned, but have even more in store when it comes to sprucing up that back wall so stay tuned…
Oh and we still have to paint the built-in cabinet below, so don’t mind the dingy look of it now…
Not bad, eh? Just to refresh your memory, the room looked like this about a month ago:
But thanks to around $350 worth of Ikea furniture (the Expedit Workstation even happened to be on sale!) and around $400 worth of prepping supplies (thanks again True Value!) we were able to take the basement from scary cinder block dungeon to a waterproofed room that’s furniture ready.
Oh and we would show you the insides of those wardrobes but we still have a lot of organizing to do (am I a total nerd for feeling a little bit giddy when I say that?). So next on the agenda is going back to True Value to snag lots of awesome sealed plastic storage bins to stack tons of seasonal decor, sporting equipment and other stuff that we’d rather hide behind closed doors. Then it’s on to lighting, art and hiding that wart of a water heater. Fun, fun, fun.
And speaking of house warts, do you guys have any ugly eyesores (fuse boxes? propane tanks? carpet stains? damaged hardwoods? odd trap doors? ugly outlets?) that you’ve successfully camouflaged? Tell us all about it.
Psst- Here’s how we hid our fuse box in the den, our exterior propane tank, and some pretty gross plugs and outlets above our washer and dryer. Fingers crossed we can make that water heater disappear too…
Chelsea says
Wow! It’s so awesome looking I could move down there! If it was temperature controlled and internet accessible it would make a neat office. On that note our office is moving to a groovy new space, and I you introduced me to the Expedit line at Ikea, and I think we are going with it! Thanks for sharing!
Denise says
WOW! The basement looks amazing, I could only dream ours looked that good. At the moment it looks like something exploded down there, boxes, extra furniture (we moved furniture from Floria and Canada to Colorado) The house in Florida was 3500 square feet, the house here is 1,100 square feet… too much furniture for this house. I’m slowly working at it though and hopefully our basement can look as good as yours. IKEA is 13 hours one way from here, no trip there in the near future for me but next spring, IKEA here I come.
Megan says
Looks awesome! Our current apartment is brand-spanking new and be-u-ti-ful. My first apartment, however, was the opposite of attractive. The living room wall had an old, boarded-odd AC unit. They just put particle board over it when the building switched to central air. Talk about an eyesore. I bought conduit piping the length of the wall and hugh super cheap beige curtains. Not the prettiest thing in the world, but a huge improvement.
patti says
what an amazing transformation! looks awesome! our quarter basement could use this makeover. but, we have some other issues to deal with – like treacherous stairs, bugs galore (we have a raised foundation and this quarter basement gives you access to crawl around under the house- should you be into that sort of thing.) it’s a place i never, ever, ever step foot into. i hate it. i don’t even like the idea of our holiday items being stored there. actually, i am getting the heebie jeebies just talking about it…so i’ll stop now. going back to my happy place!
Donna says
I gotta ask–how sturdy are those aneboda wardrobes? I’m weighing (mostly ikea) options to use to make a pantry/storage. I like that they are less expensive than other options, but some of Ikea’s quality is questionable. Because it’s a pantry, it will get a lot of use so I wondered how well this particular piece would work.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Donna,
Back in the last basement post when we shared our mood board picks we heard from quite a few Aneboda owners who really loved them- which helped us gain confidence as well. And after putting them together we can tell you that they’re an amazing bargain and they really look great (as you can see). They’re probably not durable thirty year solutions, but for stashing seasonal stuff (or food in your case) they totally fit the bill without breaking the bank! And the door inserts can be covered in fabric, paper or paint to spruce them up even further, so that’s always fun. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Heather M says
Woo-hoo! It looks awesome! What a great use of space and you’re going to have so much more storage room too. I look forward to seeing the finishing touches. Great work, treat yourself to dinner or something, you deserve it (after all the cardboard assembly)
Alaina @ LiveCreatingYourself says
you two are amazing. seriously. amazing.
Jennifer S. says
Looks great! I really like it so far! Can’t wait to see the wall behind the bikes.
What’s the story behind the two chairs at the desk? Did you purchase them? Also, do you ever actually see yourself sitting at the desk in your unheated basement? What would you do there?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Jennifer S,
Good question! The two chairs are actually just being stored in the basement, but we thought they looked cute tucked under the desk. They’re actually leftover from our dining table since we switched them out a while back for a leather bench seat just to keep things interesting. We probably won’t sit down there much (unless we’re tirelessly digging through boxes in search of something and want to take a load off while we’re at it). But it’s great to be able to put things like extra furnishings in the basement- especially when we can work them in seamlessly like we did with the chairs. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Alicia says
Nice job…I’ve been anxiously awaiting the next basement reveal and it looks better than I anticipated! To answer your question about things we’ve successfully camouflaged…we’ll I’m almost embarrassed to admit I hide a carpet stain in my son’s room the other day with a round red rug…not very creative but I instantly felt better the next time I walked into his room!!
CarMaj says
The basement looks sooo amazing! I am loveing the Expedit Workstation! Happy organizing!!
Renae says
You guys have more energy and can-do-attitude than anyone I know (virtually or otherwise). Can I ask about the faux greens? Do you have one particular source you use for these? We have a strangely oriented home in that it’s kind of kitty-corner on our lot and doesn’t get a lot of good light so plants are sadly few and far between at our house. I don’t like too many of the silks out there so I thought i’d pick your brains for the ones you’re using!
Everything looks FANTASTIC!!
YoungHouseLove says
Renae- We actually grabbed the faux-plants from Ikea and popped them into two baskets we already had for a cute dash of greenery in an otherwise lifeless room. There were some really good fakes there so just check them out and grab the ones that look the best to you (sticking them on top of things so they’re not as close-up also helps them to look more convincing).
Jennifer- Good question! We definitely have thought about adding a rug to bring in some warmth and texture. We still have a few more pressing projects on the agenda, but you bet if we find something that fits the budget we’ll be bringing it home in a heartbeat!
Sarah- We have actually thought about that! It would be a great future space for messy finger-painting and kids projects down the line. So glad to hear that you think it has potential to work that way as well!
xo,
s
Jennifer says
Nice job, It looks fabulous! You guys have inspired me to finish up a few home improvements of my own. Thanks for all the fantastic ideas!
P.S. Have you thought of adding a rug to your basement floor? I think a natural jute or seagrass rug would look awesome against the brown floors & the crisp white storage units. Just a thought. :)
Katie says
this is seriously incredible! it looks so crisp and inviting, it’s easy to forget it’s a basement.
kristin says
out of the ballpark youngsters, I love it!!!
I have a large basement utility room and your project gives me inspiration that my functional room can be lovely to look at too.
IKEA, come to Denver. now. seriously.
Sarah @ Dream In Domestic says
It looks great! I don’t know if you have been asked this yet, but after seeing the workstation there it made me think of a play/craft room. Once you have kids do you think you will consider making the basement a playroom? What are your plans for that or have you not put any thought into that yet?
Sharon says
Fabulous … you couldn’t buy that much additional real estate for $750. It sure pays to make use of every square inch you own.
sara says
Looks great! We have 2 wardrobes just like yours, but they are a birch color. Do you know of any way to paint them?? I am afraid to ruin them, but I think they would look great painted a crisp white like yours!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Sara,
Hmm, good question! Since they’re not solid wood we’re not sure how durable it would be, but oil-based primer followed by latex paint could work. We’d suggest bringing a door or shelf to your local hardware store and seeing what the paint professionals there recommend. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Jess says
That looks amazing. It looks so crisp and fresh (that sounds like I am describing a cereal) for any room – let alone the basement! I love the white with green accents. AMAZING!!!!!
Jen Z. says
Looks great guys. Can’t wait to see the finished product. What is the small square table under the window going to be used for? Love all the storage down there.
We hid our electric boxes in our family room with a canvas piece of art. We made a wood frame around the electric boxes, than put hinges on one side and velco to keep the other side closed. I don’t have a blog, but here are the pictures of what I’m talking about.
http://www.lifamilies.com/i/pa/85646.jpg
http://www.lifamilies.com/i/pa/85645.jpg
YoungHouseLove says
Jen Z- The small square table under the window is something we already owned so we plan to use it as a large shelf of sorts. Once we get all of the items that we plan to store down to the basement we like knowing that we can tuck things under the table and also store things on the table like it’s one giant floating shelf (plus it was free- bonus!). Hope it helps!
Laura- We’ll use the basement mostly for storage (seasonal stuff, bikes, sporting equipment, etc) but someday can see it working really well as a sort of art room/playroom for our kiddos (we’re talking waaay in the future here). It’s the perfect space to finger-painting and getting messy since everything is so wipeable. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
micah says
Wow, it looks so great! So fresh and clean. Can’t wait to see more!
laura says
Totally unrecognizable as a dingy-basement space. I love it!! What are you planning to use the space for?
I have a “workroom” / utility room that I currently use to sew in, but it is a disgusting mess. This might just be the inspiration I need to get my booty moving on it … and that Expedit Workstation could be the *perfect* sewing table. Hmmmmmm….
heather s. says
I’ve been trying to figure out a way to add a closet to my basement and I’m thinking those wardrobes might be just what I need. My house (a 1940s ranch) has teeny, tiny closets and it would be nice to have somewhere to store out-of-season clothing. I’m just wondering if bugs will be able to get into them in the basement. Hmmmm……
Oh, and I love the workstation!
Kasey at Thrifty Little Blog says
It looks great! I can’t wait until you show off your storage. I’m a sucker for organization :).
Sara says
Looks great!
Save even more by checking your local craiglist (love it, love it, love it!!!). We’ve gotten quite a few IKEA pieces for abt half price. If you have universities/colleges in your area there are tons of listing at the end of each semester.
Sara- check with your local hardware store-there is paint for everything these days: formica, plastic, etc (we just painted our bathroom tile)
Sara
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Sara,
Great tip! We checked Craigslist like crazy to see what we could hunt down but in the end couldn’t turn up any of the specific pieces in white that we wanted. But it’s always a great option to save even more cashola than shopping at Ikea!
xo,
s
Molly says
I’m excited to see the finished result!
1) May I ask why you went ahead with the furniture before you’d done the door and the dehumidifier, etc.? Won’t the new stuff get damp?
2) If you’re thinking about carpeting, you should carpet tiles. They’ll echo the squares in the Expedit, and it’s easy/cheap to replace one if a young Youngster gets a little carried away with the finger-painting.
3) This was a very mild improvement, but when I was studying abroad, our student apartment had vinyl “hardwood” flooring in the living room that was ripping up in the highest traffic area. After tripping on it umpteen-jillion times, I got some brown packing tape and taped it all back together in staggered strips that matched the hardwood pattern. It actually held till I left!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Molly,
Good question! It’s dry as a bone down there. Seriously drier than our sunroom above it which has a daybed and all sorts of upholstery in it, so the dehumidifier is more of a fun DIY project that we’ll be taking on than a necessity. Even with weeks of rain it’s seriously Sahara Desert dry down there and we’re oh so grateful! And thanks for the carpet tile recommendations, we’ll definitely look into that option!
xo,
s
D says
Wow! Great transformation!
Alicia M says
BRAVO!! Good work Youngsters! Your eye for style and crazy ability to transform any space never ceases to amaze me :o)
Joelle says
Looking great!!! I will admit, I’m most excited about the possibility that you might paint the outside door red to match the front door or if you will leave it black :)
Jill Stigs says
It looks ahhhhhmazing! One question……..what is that cord going around the perimeter? That would drive me crazy I would have to get a cord hider and paint it to match the wall. (really I should talk, haven’t done this with some cables leading to the tv yet)
Also……….I saw an old episode on HGTV (don’t even remember the name of the show) where the hot water heater tank that was in a garage was hidden with pieces of peg board (so the holes keep ventilation) it was painted a fun color and just sat snug against the wall so any repairs could be easily done.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Jill,
Since the basement was an addition and it’s made completely of cinder block walls, all the electrical (which we’re very thankful for) is external, so it does run around the room in some places (although we’d much rather have electricity and ample available outlets than lose the wires!). Your idea for a cord cover has definitely crossed our mind, although the builder appeared to have used some metal staples to hold the cord to the wall so it’s not really very straight so we’re not sure if we could conform a cord cover to truly hide it seamlessly. We did paint it to match the walls and in the space it’s not too bad- especially since we plan to add art to further obscure it. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Kylee says
Looks great!!!
Christin says
Wow- it looks fantastic! Great job! It must feel great to see it all coming together after your brutal fight with the mildew and putting all of that Ikea stuff together. That is the most organized basement I’ve ever seen in my life. If/when my hubby and I get a house, I would LOVE to have a basement as put together and organized as yours!
Laurel says
I love what you’ve done. It makes the room real usable. I would use it as a work out room!
Amy says
That looks great!!
To Sara with the question about painting the Ikea cabinet…we have had great luck painting laminate/unusual surfaces by first priming with Zinsser’s B-I-N primer -it’s a shellac-based primer and sticks to just about everything! You will probably need two coats of that, then you can use latex paint to topcoat it. But be careful- the primer ruins brushes like mad, so I would use an old cheap brush that you don’t care about!
LauraC says
Wowzers!!! Can I move in down there? It looks that good! I was wondering what you were going to do with all the space you’re creating in your home, now that you can move all your sports and seasonal stuff down there?!! ;=) Also, because you live in the south and it’s so warm down there many months of the year, you’ll probably find it pleasant to work in the basement and it just may be cooler than outside in the summer! Congrats on the new space!
abri says
This might be me being neurotic… That big window makes me nervous and since your basement entrance seems to be tucked in the back of hte house (it seems), are you worried about break-ins? Any chic home security tactics?? Even window treatments would make me feel better about your stuff- lol!
abri says
PS– it looks awesome. I love the green and white boxes! I was thinking about what I could use them for in my own house!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Abri,
We definitely will be altering the door and the windows to provide more privacy and security! Not to worry. We also have motion sensor lights around the perimeter of our home along with a whole house alarm and a pretty barky little dog so we feel great about our house’s protection. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Robynne says
Wow! It looks amazing! Very nice transformation :)
Have you guys decided on how/if you’ll hang the bikes?
YoungHouseLove says
Robynne- We actually have had major issues with the cinder block walls (they can’t support any weight, so hanging bikes is out of the question). We’re now on the lookout for a cool freestanding stand, like the one Lauren recommended to us.
Lauren- Thanks so much for the suggestion! We love it, and especially love that it’s freestanding! Wahoo.
xo,
s
Lauren says
We have this bike stand in our garage and love it…the bikes take up less space and look good, too:
http://www.target.com/Gravity-Bike-Stand/dp/B000077CPK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&searchView=grid5&frombrowse=0&node=1038576&keywords=gravity%20bike%20stand&field_browse=1038576&searchSize=30&id=Gravity%20Bike%20Stand&field_availability=-2&refinementHistory=subjectbin%2Ctarget_com_age%2Ctarget_com_gender-bin%2Ctarget_com_character-bin%2Cprice%2Ctarget_com_primary_color-bin%2Ctarget_com_size-bin%2Ctarget_com_brand-bin&searchNodeID=1038576&field_launch-date=-1y&searchRank=target104545&searchPage=1&field_keywords=gravity%20bike%20stand
abri says
Oh good! Didn’t want to sound like a safety officer, but it just stood out to me! Like I said, it looks great. I keep looking at the space and I just noticed how much I love the floor.
briel K. says
looking good guys!
Dan says
Thank goodness you’re swapping out the door and window! Every time I see the picture, I think “you must live in Mayberry”. I don’t think I could have lived one night without replacing it pronto. I don’t live in a crime-ridden neighborhood (not yet, anyway) but having experienced a burglary as a kid coming home from third grade, it definitely is an eye-opener. Congratulations on your progress, looking good!
tamstyles says
And I was gonna ask were you going to paint…wow..yall did a great job looking at the after.
Kristen says
This is an inspiring post!! The basement looks so darn good. One question, do you think IKEA has any other bins/boxes/baskets that fit into the cubes on the desk center? After reading John’s hilarious post on assembling the boxes, I don’t think I can put myself through that :)
Jackie W. says
Did you ever post what you used on the floor ?
marissa says
Nice work! I love a good before and after, even if you aren’t done with your plans yet. Looks great!
Ann says
I really like how it’s looking! What an amazing change!
cris says
Can I ask why you guys aren’t making the switch to an tankless water heater? It just seems like an upgrade that would be right up your alley…not super expensive in the grand scheme of things), utility bills freindly, and eco-sound. They even make them in propane, gas, and electric now! Why not take the money for rewrapping and hiding it and start a little “tankless” fund? Not trying to tell you what to do, just an honest inquiry.
Sasha says
Looks great! I was thinking about your hot water heater…it reminded me of the radiator/heater things in the older houses that people convert into a seat or window box with a wooden framed cover. Granted it might not be a gorgeous window seat, but it could turn itself into some shelves (that move when needed). I love what you guys do. Thank you for the inspiration.
Laura says
Gotta love Ikea! I just posted about an item that I’m currently lusting over from Ikea! Your basement is looking great! Very impressive!
Jennifer says
I don’t understand why people are freaking out so much about security. It’s not like you’re keeping valuables down there. Anyway, what makes this any less secure than your ground-floor windows and doors?