Basement Remodel

I absolutely love our cute, little house but it is no secret that we are quickly outgrowing it.  Since we are not ready to say goodbye to this house we thought it was a good time to expand into the basement and FINALLY finish it.  

Here is a peek at what it looked like pre-remodel.

It is a great space.  A giant square with center stairs.  We have decided to finish half of the basement as a family room and play room and leave the other half as much needed storage.  I would have loved to finish the laundry area too but there are low ceilings and venting and piping hanging down in that area making it really impossible.  We are however adding a full bath behind the stairs.  Due to budget we are putting that project on pause and we are going to focus on the living space.

Here is how it looks after phase 1: framing.

As you come down the stairs to your right will be a wall with a door leading to the unfinished half of the basement (aka the storage room).  The left side will be open with a railing overlooking the family room.

This is the view from the bottom of the stairs looking left into the family room.  The wall on the right will hold an entertainment center with a couch.

To the right of the stairs will be a closet and behind the closet and the stairs the bathroom.  The open space to the right will be a craft/play area.  I am hoping to put cabinetry along the back wall with a counter and open shelving above.  I hope to leave a space open along these cabinets so I can place a stool and create a little work/sewing nook.  My fear is my craft space will get outrun by the need for more toy storage. Only time will tell.

Here is another view of the back wall where I hope to place the cabinetry.  To the left you can see the wall and door for the eventual bathroom.

And here is a view of the front wall with the stairs to the right.

And a final view of the staircase with a scary sight of the mountain of storage behind it.  

I am SO excited to have more family space.  With our second on the way it will be very nice to have more space to stretch out and play.  I am not sure the timeline on this project but I do hope to have it finished sometime in February.  That is just my wild guess.  And I don't anticipate it to be perfectly furnished and styled by then because we are really trying to do this on a budget.  But it will be an open, clean and carpeted space perfect for a busy, curious toddler and her blissfully weary parents.

Phase 2 starts tomorrow: insulation and drywall!

Christmas continues for me.