Basement Renovation: Reveal

This story is part of our Basement Renovation series, where we design + build out our modern farmhouse style basement for use with our young family and small business studio space in our home. Follow the whole series here.

Basement Renovation: Reveal

Well, after months and months of unpredictability and being at home we had our basement renovation project to keep us busy which was quite the blessing. If there is one thing I love it is those final moments where your vision is complete and all the hours of designing and concepting and seeking inspiration and making decisions comes to fruition as a final, completed project. There is almost nothing more rewarding. I’m thrilled to share with you our completed Basement Renovation project and all the juicy details, fixtures + finishes.

Our overall goal with finishing our basement was to have a multifunctional space that gives us more room to entertain, our kids more room to have fun with their friends, have a guest bedroom for our friends + family to enjoy overnight and also to continue to do components of our work from.

Design wise, we wanted something that flowed with a seamless transition from our main floor, but that was also comfortable, low maintenance + versatile. Trying to accomplish all of these things at once posed a challenge but one we were up for tackling with our wonderful builder, Cotton Creek Homes.

We continued the nicklegap shiplap on all the walls like we have in the rest of our house, which helped serve as a seamless transition to the main floors. I love the craftsmanship simplicity of ship lap painted in Sherwin Williams (Pure White). One of my very favorite differences downstairs was our ceiling treatment in the main area. We went with 1×2” wood for that super craftsmanship touch that you find in old farmhouses and rural covered porches of days past. It took days and days and days to accomplish this special look but to me the details are what help to give you that cozy, old home feel in a new build and  it makes all the difference in the world in our space.

The floors served up the biggest challenge as I wanted something that would transition from the wood we have coming down the staircase but we knew we wanted to use tile for water + functionality purposes since it’s a basement. I decided the best way to accomplish this was to do something different vs. trying to match the look and I went with this gorgeous porcelain tile in a herringbone pattern to accomplish the look I was aiming for. The color is a bit warmer than I originally planned to go (though on-trend) and the tile size a bit larger but overall I got the look I was hoping for against the lines of the shiplap and metal staircase railings. Though I went through several iterations along the way, I’m absolutely thrilled with how it turned out and it’s always a feature folks comment on when they first walk into the space.

We love to entertain and we use our main kitchen upstairs so much that it was only natural for us to have a small kitchen space downstairs too. While I see this being used more for entertaining and cocktails with appetizers, adding the kitchen here gives us some room for extra fridge + freezer space, a microwave for a movie night, and a kitchen sink which I know will get some good use. I also intend to use this space as a second kitchen studio set up for my own business as well as client content shoots as well, giving us similar vibe but totally different look than we get upstairs.

The very first detail I decided up in the entire basement was the statement pendant lights I wanted hanging over the island. I partnered with the wonderful folks at Barn Light Electric Company, a made-in-America company based in my home state of Florida that I have long be such a fan of for their vintage-inspired lighting fixtures (see a roundup of some of my favorite fixtures from them here). They generously supplied two of these large, statement fixtures for our space in an 18” white enamel Wilcox Uplight Chain Hung Pendant. What I love most about their lighting is that you can truly pick out each detail and they give you so many options, from size, color, shape, cord color and beyond so you can truly get such a rich, custom look for your space to make a statement. I adore how they turned out and finished the look with a complimentary smaller flat gooseneck lighting fixture mounted on the backsplash. Our electrician even recommended these fabulous looking (AND functional) Edison-style lights which provide a beautiful look while giving you both actual light (most don’t), good light (vs. that orange kind of light many have – we went with soft white) AND they are LED so they’ll last for so long and be more energy efficient too. Win, win, win.

And, let’s talk about the backsplash for just one tiny second, can we? I wasn’t sure if Shane would go for this one but I convinced him after several drop-dead gorgeous inspiration shots that I simply  couldn’t live without this Cle backsplash tile. These are Zellige tiles, which are handmade Moroccan terracotta tiles and they are meant to be laid without grout. Because of their handmade, one-of-a-kind nature the wall comes off very textured and 3-dimensional giving it SO much character and an old-world look. I teetered between Weathered White and Sea Salt but ultimately went with the more multifaceted shades of the Weathered White against the contrast of our cabinets and appliance panels on this wall. You can go to their website and get 3 free tile samples to try them + see how beautiful they are for yourself.

I wanted to keep the tile as the highlight of this wall so we keep the cabinetry simple agin with a shaker-style look and opted for a panel-ready set of matching Fridge + Freezer appliance columns from Thermador, which we also have (and love) upstairs. These are so fun because they have they have the pressure touch doors so no pulling (or even hardware actually) is required. But I couldn’t get these hardware inspired brass appliance pulls out of my head so alas, we have handles. And, they mix perfectly with our faucet.

Another staple in the kitchen that I wanted to keep from upstairs was our large, single basin farmhouse sink. I love the look of the classic apron-front style and this one specifically was the perfect size and shape to pull off the neutral look I was trying to accomplish. I love how large and versatile this farmhouse-inspired style of sink is, especially in a space like this. We paired the sink with this unicorn of a brass faucet. I’ve looked high and low and had a hard time finding the patina I was looking for in a brass fixture but this one instantly made be a believer. And, I love the smaller scale and authentic simplicity it provides with a very subtle curve and levered handles. These did come with a little red + blue dish on the handle, which I quickly popped off by removing one screw and re-tightening. Easy as can be and one of my favorite fixtures in the whole bathroom that is also SO affordable.

We also have another large island in this space which can serve so many purposes from eating + entertaining, to extra seating, to crafts + homework for the kids, to a meeting / workspace area if we need it for work. Due to the size, we had to switch up our supplier of the Quartz countertop to one that had the honed finish I wanted in a jumbo slab and I must say Vicostone had amazing customer service too. I loved picking out the slab from their showroom and seeing all of the gorgeous options they had made my mind wander but I stuck to my guns and went with the Misto selection I had intended to go with – overall white with subtle grey veining, a contrast to the more concrete / grey look we did upstairs. We also stuck with the same thick-slab mitered edge treatment on the island which I think helps to really weight the piece in the room and make a grander statement.

Our wonderful custom cabinet builder took my challenge again and produced the exact shaker-style look I was going for on all of our built-ins. Vertical wood panels and contrasting small + large wood knob handles helped to complete the simple look I’m always trying to accomplish, one that is found in a lot of British cabinet design and one I covet because of those old, worn handles you find on old antique dressers from years and years of use. My hope is that ours will rub and age into just as beautiful a patina. Quite frankly I wanted to go with a giant vintage piece down here for the island but we started this project at the very beginning of COVID and going out to source one proved challenging, and we needed a very specific size to maximize the space so ultimately it got down to the wire and we went new but I love how it all came together.

The last detail I’m looking for in the kitchen are some good, sturdy yet clean barstools. I cozied up one side with some vintage ironstone and milk glass pieces from my collection along with two mismatched wooden stools I found over the years and I just adore the look! Haven’t decided yet on the three stools for the other side, but see my roundup of some of my favorite Farmhouse-Inspired Kitchen Stools that I’m considering here. Which do you like for the space?

OK, we made it at last from the little kitchen into the living room area. Here we want a space where the kids can plop down on a big couch and get cozy wit their friends for a movie night, or we can watch a football game or two. Something comfortable + easy. We went with this box shaped built in columns to frame the TV ( I was hoping for the amazing new art-lovers paradise Frame TV by Samsung but maybe someday, somewhere else) that I see being filled with baskets for storage of board games, cards, books and other fun activities along with some family photos (and knowing me a vintage knickknack or two).

We also have this wonderful little bookshelf in the back that I am turning into a bar area for the basement, filling it with a few bottles, decanters, and vintage glassware. Love how the textures + neutral tones of all the glass, white and soft palette colors are coming together so far.

Couch is still undecided but we’re working on it. Welcome your ideas but we’re probably going with a sectional for maximum comfy seating but trying to get a specific size to fill the long wall and little nook in the back, likely with more of a technical fabric so the kids can have at it. We brought this large leather sofa downstairs so Shane could enjoy his cozy little space, so now I get to play with heh seating in our main living room area a bit too. Stay tuned!

Somehow the tiniest rooms are generally my favorite and this powder room is no exception. If you know me then you know this was a big risk for me but I had an inspiration look I was going for and I had to just stay in that lane to get this accomplished. The deep green is quite a colorful statement in my otherwise neutral world but to me blues + greens like this pull as a timeless neutral and the simple carpentry and peg rail in here helped to even further allow me to push the limits here in this small space. I absolutely adore every single piece of this room.

Our friends at Vintage Tube + Bath provided this simply amazing wall mount vessel sink for us, what a dream! You know I love using plumbing fixtures to really make a new space feel more aged and authentic so this site is an absolutely dream if you’re trying to accomplish this look. So many amazing options to choose from (see my roundup post here of my favorite fixtures from their site). This deep + heavy sink really set the whole inspired-look for this room and I paired it with this amazing chrome faucet for even more nostalgic charm. I love the classic, rounded shape of the handles and the soap dish atop, the perfect touch with my favorite French soap cubes.

I was back to Barn Light to solve the lighting in this room and went with another more classically shaped gooseneck here, paired with this fabulous flush mount in grey for a little more contrast with the caged dome to add even further interest.

One of my very favorite vintage pieces to date is this so-old vintage mirror I found one day. I took a photo of it and just couldn’t stop thinking about it the next day so I went back and snatched it up, thankful no one else had in the meantime. It took a little handywork to sturdy it up and make it safe to hang, but once we did I knew I’d never take it down. The glass has som wonderful old agespots and there are the sweetest tiny handprinted flowers in the center of each of the four sides. This piece just made the room to me.

I’m still seeking the perfect rustic little step stool but have filled in the details here with an old apple basket to hold toilet paper, a beautiful panoramic piece of art, vintage broom and of course a hand towel from our Farmhouse Stars collection which is the absolute perfect hue to compliment the walls. Now, if I can keep the kids from hanging on the sink + the pegs I’ll be all set.

I don’t have actual photos of this because it’s literally a blank room right now but don’t you worry. This will come together quickly in hopes that our family come back to visit soon so stay tuned.

In the meantime we’ll move to the Guest Bathroom, a tiny little space that we maximized every little inch of. I also wanted to find a vintage piece for the cabinet here but alas our cabinet maker saved the day again in this solid structured piece. I love this really clean vessel sink, again from Vintage Tub + Bath and think these are so much fun mounted on a really unique old cabinet. We paired this with this matte black cross handle faucet from Kohler, which also match the rainshower fixture in the shower as well. Love how simple and clean this looks against the shiplap, especially in the wall mount.

The light is the crowning jewel here, the perfect modern touches with classic schoolhouse look – again from Barn Light Electric. I loved picking all the details here, each painted ring on the glass and the black + brass cord color which really made a statement here. Now off to find a bathroom mirror, you can see some of my finalists here in this roundup of vintage-inspired mirrors. Love to know which you like the best for this space!

The shower was so much fun, we decided to forgo a bathtub and maximize the shower space (which we also did upstairs in our master bathroom) with a timeless subway tile complete all the way to cover the entire shower ceiling as well as the wall-to-wall niche which gives such a clean modern look with tones of storage for soaps + shampoos for our guests. I went with a small square tile floor for a more vintage touch and I think the overall tile paired with the floor to ceiling glass shower doors really gives a spa-like, steam shower kind of effect. The white subway melts into a gorgeous hexagon shaped matte black floor tile that I fell in love with instantly. The tile options out there these days is absolutely insane and staying focused at the tile house took all my strength and focus to not wander, however I sure do love the geometric patterns available right now.

I’ll finish this space off with a few cozy details, like our Waffle Weave Bath Towels in white + charcoal and a mini vintage rug for the floor too.

We have one more empty room in the very back of the basement that we are still trying to decide what to do with. Office, game room, gym,  pool table, etc. – many opinions and yet to be decided so for now a super long, low old wooden schoolhouse cafeteria table sits there as a worktable.

I’ll continue to keep you posted as we fill in these rooms but I loved sharing this specific project + series with you and hope you enjoyed it too!

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