The day has finally come!! I am so excited to finally be sharing this completed basement space with you all. If you missed my previous “get the look” posts you can check out the family room, bathroom and playroom/gym, posts where I have all the fixed finishes and details of what I picked linked on them so you can easily shop. I partnered with Kent Building Supplieson this project and I couldn’t be more thrilled about my experience with their install team and also their amazing assortment of products. Finding the finishes I wanted to bring my design vision to life was so simple and I loved that even if you have a specific product in mind you can get it special ordered in!
I have spent well over a year on the design of our basement trying to make it as functional as possible for our family. Seeing the finished result has almost been dream like and it’s hard to believe back in the spring this space was studs and concrete. I always say that design is in the details and those details extend much further then your accessories you decorate with. Walls that are framed straight, drywall that is installed, taped and mudded seamlessly so you don’t see any of the board transitions, precisely cut trim and floor boards that run straight all lay the perfect foundation for an amazing design. Believe me when I say guys, I am a stickler for details and I couldn’t have felt better about the quality of the workmanship through the Kent install team.
So let’s dive right in and get a look at things shall we?! First up we have the family space, now- this area was important to me because I wanted another space in the house that we could all spend time together as a family. Movie nights, games, entertaining it had to be a room that was cozy for the kids but also a space that we adults wanted to spend time in too. One of the challenges in a basement can be the foundation ledges and decorating around them however, I wasn’t going to let that stop me from creating a beautiful focal wall as soon as you walk down the stairs. This shiplap wall is the perfect statement and I stepped out of my comfort zone painting it a bold black and I couldn’t be happier. I wanted the foundation ledge on that wall to feel purposeful and ‘thought of’ so I had the idea of placing a nice thick piece of wood on top to make it look like a shelf. I love the end result and the way the tv melts into the black wall is exactly what I was hoping for.
The furniture in this space is cozy and inviting. I loved this Loloi Loren Brick and Multi Rug as soon as I saw it and really used it as the jumping off point for my colour palette. Pairing it with this beautiful art ledge full of pieces from Opposite Wall really completes this area and gives me the flexibility to change my art around. These Tonic Living grey striped ottomans provide extra seating when we need it and they look so good paired in front of the black wall. I love finding pieces that are versatile, functional and beautiful and these little ottoman hit all of those! I absolutely love their selection of textiles.
Pulling your design together is all about adding in those layers to the space and it always starts with lighting. The overhead lights are one of my favourites, the brass detail and the matte black pairs perfectly with the wall sconces and tripod table lamp. Creating different lighting ambiances is key to having a cozy space and is great for entertaining. With the walls being white I wanted to bring in some warmth and this beautiful textured shade pairs perfectly with the other wood tones I incorporated into this area.
Moving into the bathroom, woah baby guys, this bathroom takes my breathe away!! I dreamed of having a statement shower and this special order matte black frame from Kent delivered!! It gives this space such a punch and I love how it pairs with my patterned floor tile. Ok so, here’s a tip I always think about when designing spaces. You really want to think of one thing as the focal and then let everything else play off it. Pairing patterned tile with a bold shower could be overwhelming if you go with something too graphic, however because this tile print is in soft neutral colours it really doesn’t compete with the shower. I brought some warmth into this space with this stunning natural wood vanity and the brass detail on the vanity light. I have all these finishes linked on my bathroom get the look post I refereed to above.
I absolutely love how the stairs turned out down here, they really look beautiful when you are looking at that side of the room. The white risers help keep the stairwell from feeling too dark and the modern wrap railing gives such a sharp look. I got these beautiful Birth Posters of the boys to display on the stair landing and I jut adore them! Also I have to say, I am loving my under stair storage and have been finding it so helpful to stay organized.
Taking a look at the other side of the basement, can we just talk about this bar door for a second? Swoon. It’s just perfect. I wanted to incorporate a barn door into this space and I love how the combination of the rustic chalet style door, paired with the modern handle really creates this unexpected little moment. I painted the door in “revere pewter” because it pulls from the tones in the bathroom floor tile which you see all together when the doors are open- it’s all about the details guys!
Moving into the boys playroom I just love how it came together I know I keep saying this guys but it’s the truth! I wanted it to feel fun and childlike but also organized and ‘designed’. This“PLAY”decal from Urban Walls is just my favourite and I have been waiting for years to incorporate this somewhere in my home. I wanted to create a nice focal when you first walked into this area and the decal really laid the groundwork.
I have been wanting to do a toy bench hack for awhile and I knew this would be the perfect place to do it! Tonic Living has an amazing selection of these bench cushions that are made for this unit and it transforms a simple piece of furniture into the most beautiful storage bench ever! This is the Rodin Stripe and I love how neutral it is. I took it one step further and added these Pretty Pegslegs and I can’t even believe how perfect it looks in there. This is easily a piece you could use in so many different areas of your home and paired with the belly baskets for toys this is as functional as it is beautiful.
Moving into the final room on this side we have the gym. We don’t have any windows on this side of the basement and I wanted it to still feel light, bright and inviting. We used lots of pot lights on dimmers and it gives so many options to find the perfect light. The show stopper of the gym is definitely theUrban Walls “low tide” wall mural, it was so easy to install and it really brings so much life to this space. I wanted the gym to feel welcoming and a place that we wanted to be in. We are really enjoying having this designated workout space. One of my favourite things about this side of the basement is the pocket doors between the two spaces. I wanted to be able to use the gym and keep an eye on the kids when they are playing but also have the ability to close the gym equipment off from the playroom when we aren’t using it so they couldn’t get into it.
I tell ya guys, strategically placed doors make such a difference, which brings me to another point I wanted to make about the barn door on the playroom. If I come down and it’s a mess in there? No big deal, I simply pull that door across and bye bye mess (if only cleaning was that easy haha). But seriously, one of the reasons I wanted the kids to have a playroom was so that if they didn’t clean up the toys everyday it wasn’t a big deal and this barn door really gives me the ability to close off that side of the room and not have to look at the mess.
Well, that is it guys, that is the whole tour what do you think?! I hope you all enjoyed this post and getting a look at the finished result! I have a great video I filmed in partnership with Kent chatting about the space that I would love if you checked out.
Kind thoughts,
Lauren Elizabeth