If you follow me on Instagram, you'll know that this is how we spent our weekend. Shuttling off to hardware stores, treking to the lumberyard, trying to fit doors and a toddler into our back seat... can you tell Chloe had fun while we went shopping? Don't worry, we'll make a renovator out of her yet ;)
I've done a bit more thinking about what I want the finished basement to look like. Two words consistently come to mind -- "vintage" and "coastal". I want the basement to not feel like a basement - I want it to be bright and airy, with lots of white. Coastal homes always feel that way to me - open, inviting, and fresh. This coastal home is one of my favourites:
Designed by Barbara Waltman and Matthew Sapera Fine Homes (there are better photos in the July 2011 issue of Canadian House & Home, if you have it), the serene coastal vibe of this home is what I'm craving. And what says coastal more than a mix of blues and whites? I'm loving that colour combination these days. There's just enough of it in this home; it doesn't scream "beachy" but you can almost hear the waves crashing outside.
So here's a mood board for the craft zone / home office. Its a bit more of a rustic take on the coastal look but many elements are the same. This Banda Navy fabric from Tonic Living would look great as a roman blind or bench cushion. I'd love to have a craft storage and office zone outfitted in cabinetry with a simple shaker profile, like the Dunemere cabinetry by Martha Stewart Living. I'd juxtapose the clean lines with the harvest table we finally found last summer and put an oversized old school pendant like this one from Home Depot over it. To keep things light and easy to clean, I might use this vinyl flooring. I actually already have these two wicker ottomans from President's Choice Home ready and waiting to go into the new basement. They add to the beachy feel while the porthole-like chrome mirror and globe bookends from the new Regatta decor collection by Gluckstein Home are modern nautical accents.
The only problem with this look though...if my basement ends up looking like this oasis, I may never come above-ground again!
