Basement Storage Room Makeover

We have owned our house for 17 years this month. When our kids were young, they wouldn't go down into the unfinished basement because it was too scary. Typical. To entice them we sealed the floor and applied a coat of white epoxy paint, added a huge Berber carpet remnant and put 100 watt light bulbs in all the rafter sockets. This allowed for Big Wheel riding, Nerf basketball, playing dress up, and eventually in-line skating with neighborhood friends. Yes, the occasional spider halted play and damsels in distress had to be rescued, but it worked decently. Then we moved in 2001.

During our 4 year departure, it seems our basement became party central for the renter's teenagers. As in, the police were called to our house twice according to our friends and neighbors.  Back to square one. Clean up everything and repaint the floor. Add a guest bedroom and full bath then finish the majority of space as a media room and a hangout for our now teen children.  Minus the nightclub inspired antics and elixirs.



Entrance to the storage room


On one end of the basement is where the HVAC, water heater and sump pump are located. It would also be the new enclosed storage room for everything. And, literally everything got shoved in here when the construction was taking place. My husband built the shelving ( from 2x4's and plywood) years ago, it was the only thing that saved this space from becoming a total dump!  New stuff came in. A few things went out.  But, not nearly enough. It was the beginning of Oscar's takeover.




Things that keep the A&A house comfortable


Step 1:
Take everything out. Vacuum and mop. I could not bring myself to photograph this part. The contents stretched nearly to the other side of the finished part of the basement!

Step 2:
Paint the floor. Two coats of epoxy.  Let it dry for 48 hours.

Step 3:
Implement my 3 D system. Several bags of trash were dumped.  Then I held a little tag sale in my basement. I called a few friends who share the same aesthetic as me and they each brought a friend. In case this seems odd, friends & family have shopped my storage room before. They know buying is a necessary part of my work and that I love to scour and hunt. Many of them do not. But, they do enjoy the deep F&F discount! I will on occasion shop my stash for clients. A bed, chair and bulletin board were the first things go back in the spring for this project. Many items were also loaded up in my car and donated to our local thrift store. And, of course I decided to keep a few treasures, such as this wire urn:



A longtime favorite!

Suzanne Kasler used the same one here.


Step 4:
Create a small work area. Install sheets of pegboard to hang paint supplies and tools.


Before

 


Peg board up and floor painted

 


After

 


Mr. A&A loves this space!


Behind the HVAC is a decent amount of useful space, but it's very dark. My husband does a lot of the painting around the A&A house (a skill acquired working summers during college and paints as well as the best contractors I know) and kept his supplies in a plastic opaque bin.  Not efficient.  He was always searching for something and buying duplicate supplies. Need a putty knife?

Before:



Right side

 


Same side...yes, there was more in the corner!



After:



After-right side

 


After-wide view.  Everything in & organized!


You may have noticed from the before shots, I already had a system in place for holiday decorations.  Bins are colored coded based on the Holiday. Good thing too, since a few were shoved in places they didn't belong! In addition, the Christmas bins require labels, indicating their contents, since there are so many.  I don't always use the same decorations from year to year and it's great to know exactly what I am pulling from the shelf.  Only a few new containers needed to be purchased. Clear bins (lower left side) are the best choice for many things so contents can be identified at a glance. Now there is plenty of room to walk around. Before there was only a path with stuff blocking off one side of the doors! In all likelihood things will be reduced even further as I go through bins this holiday season.

Before:



Before-left side...OMG!

  After:




After-left side, middle shelf.  What I decided to keep.

  


After-left side with room to spare!

  Step: 5

Abide by the rules:
1. Cardboard boxes/shopping bags can not be used for storing items.
2. Color code and/or label bins that are not clear plastic.
3. Group and store like items together.
4. Keep  floor storage to a minimum.
5.. Make sure that everything remaining is accessible!

What it cost:
Peg board: $17/sheet
Hooks/organizers: $15/pkg.
Plastic storage drawers: $11each
Clear storage bins: $40 for 3
Concrete paint:$25/gallon
Labor/Organization plan: Seriously unpleasant/free!

Archaeological Dig

This is what  is required when you pile crap on top of existing crap. During the excavation portion of our basement storage room makeover, we unearthed items we did not even remember we had. We also found 2 moving boxes that had never been opened, since our return 5 years ago!

When the movers were packing us up for our return to our Northern, Virginia home, there was this one guy who kept shoving odd items in boxes that were labeled and slated for other rooms. After, speaking to him several times to no avail, my inner Felix started freaking out!!!  I asked him not to touch another thing. I spoke to the crew leader and he directed this guy to sit in the truck the rest of the day. He did not return the following day. The rest of the pack-out and move was smooth sailing.

We all have things that are important to us. Maybe they are valuable or perhaps sentimental.  I once had a thing that was neither. I just liked it.  We unpacked and begin life. I was a bit upset after unpacking when I discovered that my thing was gone.  I just learned to live without it.

September 2010 a vintage treasure found. A 5 year mystery solved. In a box, that was clearly labeled for ONE item was my thing!!!!!!!!!!!! Along with many other things, such as a hand hooked rug, a peg rack, and bags to a vacuum cleaner I no longer owned!  My husband gave me a look followed by "I thought all the boxes were unpacked?" Of course, I am pointing to the label in a lame attempt to defend myself.




 


The top part only is what I thought was in the box!

 If you look closely on the right and left side, you can see the piles of stuff that we began sorting after excavation. The conservatory found a new home...

 There was one other unopened box too. It was labeled this:

Thankfully, that was all it contained. It was a favorite of both my children. Very sentimental.

This simple piece of wood with the little iron clips of leaves and squirrels was the first item I ever purchased from Anthropologie. I don't know the year, but it was in the 90's because I had been at a client meeting in Maryland that day when I happened upon the store.

I think it's ironic that I found this in the fall. It will likely be hung up in the laundry/mud room and go back to it's old job of holding papers, invitations and reminders...

Ready to see the basement storage room makeover? Okay, this week...promise...almost done organizing the photos...but, until then...a sneak peek:

All photos courtesy of A&A