It's Springtime--and today it really feels like it.
Lots of sunshine, warmth and chirping birds.
Around here, Spring means Project Time. It may or may not be a coincidence that Project Time coincides with Tax Refund Time.
Last year we tackled {and completed} several projects including fencing in my garden, enlarging our deck and the infamous steps/patio/path/drainage budget buster.
This year we have a new list. Some of the projects include painting the house (luckily only the front is painted, the rest is shingled), staining the deck and cutting back a bunch of brush. Our big project this year is big in a number of ways--time, square footage and $$. That's right: finishing our basement. At least part of it.
Right now we have a full, unfinished basement. Lots of things live down there: the laundry, the workout equipment, the kids' hang out room complete with video games, board games and toys for every age, and my art space. Oh, and the cat's litter box. We use it like it's finished space even though it's not. We need the room. Having fiberglass insulation fall on your head is all well and good, but when it's January and there's no heat in your unfinished, uninsulated basement well, then you have a problem.
The actual work down there won't start for a few weeks. In the meantime we have the monumental task of sorting and packing everything up and moving it out of the space. Good. Times.
At this point, how's about some before pictures...
First, our current staircase. Open, utilitarian. The best thing about this staircase is the French door at the top of it. It used to be in our dining room but we had that opening enlarged and had our carpenter move the French door to the top of the basement stairs. Love the light and open feeling.
The current playroom. Leftover furniture & rugs, a collection of toys spanning Fisher Price to Wii.
More of the playroom. There will be a wall where the poles/lally columns are now with a doorway on the right side.
My future studio, current kid art space that I took over.
Steel door that leads to our bulkhead. The best thing about this door is that it's magnetic.
Oooh, pretty magnets.
Table. Piled high with stuff. And more stuff. My main studio work table will be here.
My current studio which will be turning into my studio warehouse of sorts. Going to use leftover/mismatched shelving in here to store and (hopefully) organize all my creative goodies.
One of my current inspiration boards. It's part of Ebby's crib with IKEA clips to hold display items. I may spray paint it white...
So there you have it. Our basement: before. I went ahead and embraced the packing/sorting mess because it will {hopefully} make the after pictures look even better ;-)
Now, anyone have any cardboard boxes for me??
