It’s been awhile since I posted a renovation project but that doesn’t mean we haven’t been busy – in addition to renovating the basement and a second bathroom, we had our second little boy!  Brady’s room is now a big boy room and Mason’s nursery is almost finished.  Additionally we’ve been tackling outside projects like landscaping which I’ll share soon.

The basement renovation has been a game changer in our house – it’s so nice to have a designated toy area for starters!  My husband designed a lay-out that would give us a living room area for us to relax and for kids to play, a laundry room, storage closets and a full bathroom.  We decided to keep the exposed beam ceiling open because we loved the rustic feel and it makes the basement feel more open and airy.  For paint color, we went with Sherwin-Williams Heron Plume because it’s a cool white with a hint of gray to it so it doesn’t overwhelm the small living room space.  For lighting, to keep with the industrial/rustic feel we used antique bronze track lights.  From the attic renovation, Gavin saved original wood planks that we then incorporated into the design.  The hand railing and trim around the inside window cases is all planks of this reclaimed wood.  Additionally, Gavin made shelving units under our television from two planks.  Here’s the before and after pictures of our amazing basement renovation (all the praise really belongs to my husband on this one!):

Before:

During (my husband’s little helper is hard at work):

Now:

Check out the next post, Bathroom Rehab, to see continued work on our lower level.