Project Basement: Bar

Okay, I know I haven't posted much about our basement progress in a while so I thought I'd update on another "room" that's been completed (mostly).  We've been using the basement quite a lot now that the carpet is in and the television and Dan's computer have moved into their respective rooms, but I never realized how handy it would be to have a little kitchen/bar down here!  We bought a fridge and it's so convenient to have downstairs!  I know the exercise is good for me, but I gotta say that I really enjoy being able to stay downstairs and not have to climb up the stairs everytime I (or Dan, or Josh) wants something to drink. 

I think this took the longest to finish.  All the wordwork and tiling that went into this little area was really time-consuming, but I have to say the overall result was well worth the wait.  Dan did a fabulous job building this from the ground up.  The cabinets were the only thing that was already "pre-built" but Dan still had to install them.  Major props to my man for his work, I helped when I could, but the entire design and layout was all Dan.

Before we got started.

With the drywall in.

As you can see, we didn't have much to start with.  The picture on the right is what the place looked like when we bought the house.  The picture on the left shows the area with the drywall installed.

Once the drywall was in, Dan started laying down the tile.  We wanted to keep things as uniform as possible downstairs, so the tile in the bar is the same that's installed in the bathroom downstairs, too. 

As soon as the tile was layed down and the walls were painted (I did that myself!) it was time to install the cabinets.  These cabinets were the same style as what we've got in the kitchen upstairs -again, going for the uniform look- and I think Dan did a great job putting them up.  I did help lift when needed, but most of the time I just stood back and watched my man work. 



Cutest little bartender ever!

The next step was to put in the backsplash tile and the countertops.  Again, I have to give all the credit to Dan since he did most of this by himself.  I think the backsplash turned out really great and I love the eight little accent pieces we put in (even if Dan grumbled about cutting more tile), it really makes the wall stand out.  We could've gone fancy with granite countertops, but we decided to just go the same route with what we had upstairs.  I figured since we didn't have granite upstairs, we didn't really need it downstairs either.  It would've looked nice, but I don't think the cost was worth it, and it is nice that we've got the same countertops upstairs and downstairs. 

After all the tile and countertops, Dan started working on what the outside of the bar would look like.  I think it turned it so pretty.  It's so simple looking(not quite the right word, but I think you catch my drift) and yet it really flows well with the rest of the room.  I love all the wood, and I think it matches perfectly with the cabinets.  The woodwork really helps to make this area stand out in the room.  I'm really happy with the way the bar turned out. 

Ta-Da!  Our finished (almost) bar!  We (when I say "we" I mean Dan) are still doing work down here, so a lot of the cabinets are holding tools at the moment, and the sink doesn't have running water yet, but all in all this room is done!  Mark it off (sorry, inside family joke)!  My only real complaint is that I wish we had tiled a few feet on the outside of the bar, so when we finally got around to buying some barstools they wouldn't be placed on the carpet.  I'm told that I was asked if I wanted tile on the outside and I said, "no."  Frankly, I don't recall that conversation so it couldn't really have happened...right?  Anyway, if I did say no to that, I wish I hadn't...hindsight I suppose.  I still really like how this turned out, and am totally pleased that I found a handy-man to marry.  I can't imagine all the money we saved by doing just this small area ourselves, but I'm sure it cost us less than half if we would've hired someone to finish it for us.  Now I'm trying to decide what kind of decorations to put in here, but I've got plenty of time for that.  Right now I'm enjoying the super-big fridge and the extra counter space I have (except when it's time to clean it)!  I hope you enjoy seeing all the work and progress we've made as much as I enjoy using this room!

Project Basement: Entertainment Room

This shot was taken on Super Bowl Sunday on my new
sectional with the tv all hooked up.

I love this room.  I love that our bigscreen isn't taking up so much space in the living room upstairs, and I love that it finally has it's own home in it's own room.  This room was originally just an extra storage room, with no windows and the electrical box, but Dan created this media room instead.  He wired the room for speakers and all of our components for the tv to make it feel like a real media room.  With the insulation and the soundproof door, we can really crank up the tv and watch movies or games and feel like we are really there.

Media Room Before

Media Room During

Media Room with old paint color

Media Room with final paint color

I had originally painted this room the same color as the rest of the basement, but the week before carpet came in I decided to be bold and try a new color for this room.  I think the blue/grey/purpleish color really sets off the woodwork and darkens the room just enough to give it that movie theatre feel.  I'm happy I decided to change colors.  I think it sets this room apart from the others and makes it stand out on it's own.

 The weekend of the Super Bowl, we shopped for a sectional for this room.  I love the one we picked out.  It's not sleek or sexy, but it fits our lifestyle just right.  It's big and comfy and perfect for chilling out and watching a movie or a football game.  I was tickled that we got it all set up and the tv moved downstairs just in time for the Super Bowl.  I'm a big fan that the couch takes up the entire back wall, and that we were able to maximize seating with the space that we had.  I'm looking forward to hosting Super Bowl (or any other type of big game) parties in the future, since we now have lots of room for lots of guests to watch!

As with the rest of the basement, there are still some small things to finish up in this room but it's essentially done and liveable.  We've already put the room to use watching television in the evenings and just relaxing on the comfy new sectional.  The next step for this room would be to finish hooking up all the other tv components, purchasing an ottoman and decorating it somehow. 

I love this room and hopefully you enjoy looking at the pictures as much as I enjoy using my new media room!

Project Basement: Living Room

Project Basement has been going on for years, since we first bought the house really.  And finally (Finally!) it's to the point where it's liveable down there.  I have to give my husband major props for all his hard work down there, the only things we paid someone else to do were the sheetrock and the carpet.  Everything else Dan did by himself, and I helped out where I could.  It's amazing to see the transformation, and even more so to look back through the pictures and see how it took shape. 

 Family Room Before

Family Room During

Family Room After

As with all projects, there are certain aspects I wish we could've done differently, the family room needed more lighting and I wish I told my husband to put tile in front of the bar not just inside it, but oh well.  Overall I am very pleased with how it turned out and I can't wait until we finish all the little things and really get to livin' down there!

After

Before

Fireplace Before

Fireplace After

These are pictures of the family room and some of the bar area down there.  One of the areas I was really impressed with is the fireplace.  Dan tiled and built the mantle by himself.  The woodork he was able to display is amazing!  Later I will post more on all the other rooms we've worked on when I've got more time.  I hope you enjoy see all the hard work that's gone into this project.  It's taken several years, and it's so rewarding to actually see your hard work turn into something wondeful. 

So, that's the family room.  Next time I'll update on the Entertainment room and the bedroom I think.  I hope you enjoy the pictures!