On to the fun part.

The work is complete on our basement, and now we get to move on to the decorating. Hooray! We already own most of the furniture that will go in the new spaces, so it should be a pretty quick transition. Our decorating plan involves making this a functional family space. We plan to bring in lots of color, and to bounce the light around with a strategically placed mirror. I think on my next basement post I'll do a fun before, during, and after set of photos. For now, here's how we look with paint and carpet!
Welcome!
Come in to the office... I know the light is terrible. We've had several dreary days in a row so this is as good as this little room could get.
Let's head back out into the family room...
If you look carefully you can still spot some painter's tape from our touch-ups. More importantly you can see our pretty wood counter top and floating shelves.
The fireplace turned out exactly as we'd hoped, which is lucky considering no one would give us a guarantee that it could be painted. All it took was some Gripper primer and two coats of paint. For those of you that are curious, here is the paint color breakdown:

trim: Behr Ultra Pure White in semi-gloss
walls/ceiling: Behr Dolphin Fin at 25% solution in eggshell
fireplace: Behr Trail Print in satin

Spring cleaning.

Over the weekend we did some yard clean-up and planted a few new bushes. There was always a patch of dirt between our kitchen wall and our deck that needed some attention. We found these Mediterranean Pink Heather shrubs that are suppose to spread out horizontally (up to 12' each) and be pretty low maintenance. Plus for $3 a piece we figured it was worth a go. It's so nice to see a little bit of color in the yard already.

Getting the look.

This image from Domino magazine has long been a favorite of mine.
It happens to be one of the inspiration photos behind a new room I'm designing. But more on that later. Today I'm sharing some ways to integrate this look into your home. In my opinion the main thing that makes this bedroom so charming is the twin beds. Two of everything please!
This gray headboard from West Elm with nailhead trim is the perfect jumping off point.
Then you'll need some white sheets and white bed skirts.
Throw a blue jute rug on the floor...
... add matching blue floral pillows, some brass accents, and you've got your look!

One week countdown.

Last week we were stood up by two different painters, left a message that went unreturned with a third, and hired a fourth to start this coming weekend. Wish us luck that this one goes through, because if it does all will be complete with our basement in one week! Here are the last photos before we show off the completed room.
First up, the new utility room. Doesn't look like much from the outside, which is exactly what makes it so wonderful. No more exposed water heaters or furnaces.
It's so difficult to take pictures inside the new office, but it's a pretty decent sized room with a nice closet.
Back out in the family room you can see that our cabinets and shelves are in place and ready to spray white. Once the paint is finished we'll install a wood countertop. Speaking of paint, here are the swatches up on the wall and fireplace...

Basement progress.

As of last week the sheetrock and doors are up, and the drywall is being mudded. Our painter is scheduled to come at the end of this week! Here are some progress pictures.
This is the view from the bottom of the stairs into the new hallway. On the left is the utility room, straight ahead is the office, and to the right is the family room.
Looking across the family room you can see the office in the back corner.
Standing on the other side of the family room you can see a closet. Next to it will be the new cabinets and bookshelves.