Listen to Lena

Perfecting the Art of Conversuasion

#ProjectManCave: Time to Take Back the Basement

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I can think of many really, really satisfying things in life, but the three that top my list, consistently, are:
1. Putting On Clothes Straight from the Dryer
2. Finding Money You Didn’t Know You Had
3. Witnessing Truly Horrendous “Before” Pictures…

… and then watching the miracle unfold with the “After” reveal. Yes, I may be absolutely obsessed with The Property Brothers for this very reason (notwithstanding the fact that they’re, you know, gorgeous). I mean, who doesn’t love a good before and after? There’s just something so rewarding about witnessing a pumpkin turn into a coach; an ugly duckling turning into a swan… you get my drift.

And in the case of my basement, we’ll be turning our play date dungeon into a dream Man Cave.

Play date dungeon, you ask? 

Ah… I don’t even think I can continue. The clutter is just SO embarrassing! Okay, okay, I’ll just get it over with nice and quick, like ripping off a Band-Aid….

Yes, this is the sorry state of our basement. I’d love to say that it is completely strewn with toys because I took the photos after a play date, but the truth is, it pretty much always looks this way. You see, I’ve got two feisty little boys who love to make a mess, and no amount of chastising, lecturing, and good housekeeping advice can prevent them from turning our basement into their personal path of destruction.
Now normally I’d take a deep breath, yell “CLEAN UP!” and get on with my day, but you know what? The mess stops here. It’s time to take back the basement. After all, crazy disorganization aside, my basement has a lot going for it:

1) It is finished with Home Depot Canada materials, which means that we have an incredible, high quality basement which is just screaming for a style intervention. The flooring is Jatoba Hardwood, which “flaunts a rich natural stain that accentuates the lush tones found in this exotic species”. The walls are painted with Behr Premium Chai Latte, a warm, creamy neutral that sets off the hardwood beautifully. So, our foundation is already pretty beautiful – now, we just need to clear the clutter.

2) We are blessed to have higher-than-average head room in our basement: the ceiling is over 7.5 feet high. So, that allows for a wider variety of decor options, as we do not have to accommodate for low bulk heads.

3) Our basement is a completely open concept layout. Great for letting the boys run and exhaust their energy, not so great for cleaning up after they’ve done so. Hence, when overhauling the space for #ProjectManCave, one of our primary goals is to divide the basement into clear “rooms”, or spaces.

Kids Play Area: See the “Ryder” and “Reid” scrolls in the photo below? (Lovingly handmade by a dear friend. We heart you Judy.) Well, that’s their new “area”. They will no longer have free fun of the basement! The space is still large enough to hold their toys and crafts, and they’re just going to have to deal with the fact that mommy and daddy have a claim to the basement as well.
Updated Bar: A Man Cave wouldn’t be complete without some sort of drinks dispenser. We currently have a stainless steel bar which looked great in our loft downtown… not so great among boxes, toys and.. wait… is that a food processor just hanging out on the floor?

Hence, we’ve decided to keep the bar but update the area with some shelving, new bar stools and a few cool accessories. I like that the bar is the first thing you see when you come down the stairs… it alludes to the Man Cave to come. Valpolicella, anyone?

Entertainment Room, The Heart of the Man Cave: Currently, we’ve sectioned off a space for watching movies and playing video games. However, it’s hardly what you’d call posh; just two love seats, a coffee table that has seen better days, and tucked way back in a corner, the ol’ dreadmill that I run on approximately 6 times per week month year.


As you can see, the entertainment room is part of the open concept basement. While we’ve used one couch as a way to define the area’s borders, the room still manages to bleed into the other spaces in the basement, compounded by the clutter and the fact that the kids have claimed the space as their own with errant toys. Hence, as part of #ProjectManCave, our goal is to visually rope off the area – by using paint, furniture placement and wall accents.

Well, those are the before pictures. While I’m embarrassed by the clutter, I’m not embarrassed about the fact that my boys have had an underground sanctuary for years; delighting in their toys and expending energy running the room. However, as they grow, they are learning boundaries, and in the case of our basement, will learn that they have a specific area that has been allotted for their enjoyment, just like mommy and daddy have their own area. It’s all about compromise.

Special thanks to the Home Depot Canada for collaborating with me on this posh makeover. My readers will love the gorgeous shag rug I picked out, and y’all will adore our new electric fireplace. But that’s it! No more hints. Everyone will just have to wait for the “after” photos.

Tune in over the next few weeks for a room-by-room reveal of our new basement!  

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jenny

    Your basement – despite the mess hehe (mine is even worst I tell you!) – is actually so nice and roomy! Giving it a makeover is a great idea since you guys can make more use out of that big space! I can’t wait to see the reveals!

    • Lena

      I strangely feel a LOT better that you’ve admitted that your basement is just as messy. And yes! We have a beautiful basement, we just need to make the most of it :)

  2. Debbie W

    Your basement is clean, with a few toys thrown around. I think you keep your home more organized than you are letting on. ;)

    • Lena

      Hahaha I could kiss you! Nope, this is exactly as organized as I keep it. I didn’t zoom in on the 1cm layer of dust on the bar, and you didn’t get a chance to peek under the couch or into our storage room. However, for the most part, I think the size and lighting of the room keep it looking decent even when it’s not.

  3. Doris Calvert

    haha we don’t even have kids and ours is full of beds , TV’s and unopened boxes from the last move, it’s a disaster, yours at least is just toys and kids having fun.

    • Lena

      You’ve described our storage room :) It’s really big and can accommodate beds, TV’s and unopened boxes. So I guess I should count my blessings, cause all that stuff would be in the basement if we didn’t have a place to stash it!

  4. Chandra Christine O'Connor

    I think every time I would go down there that half man thingie would make me tinkle from fright. looking forward to your reveals. and yes the property brothers sighhhhh

    • Lena

      LMAO! That’s BOB, my husband’s punching bag. He kicks and punches and mutilates the thing. We now consider him part of our family.

  5. Darlene Schuller

    Looks like some busy babes live there, not a thing wrong with that Lena. That is hardly ‘dirty’.. it’s just.. lived in!! Kids doin’ what they do best, enjoying life and having a great time!!

    I must admit, I’m anxious for the after pictures. You have such fabulous taste, I can’t wait!

    • Lena

      You’re right, Darlene. I’m pleased to say that it’s not so much “dirty” as it is “lived in” and cluttered. Nothing a few fabulous touches can’t change!

  6. Soozle

    You do have a beautiful base to work with :) I love love love the chai colored walls – very gorgeous color!

    I am really looking forward to seeing what you transform the room into – because yes, who doesn’t love an amazing transformation! :D

    • Lena

      Thank you Soozle! I always wanted my basement to have chai-coloured walls vs. gray walls. I find the colour so inviting and warm!

  8. Flora M

    I would love to have your basement just the way it is now ! At least your floor, walls and ceiling are finished and the toy “mines” aren’t always going to be there ;o) My basement is unfinished (mainly because this is a rental townhouse), and jam-packed with empty boxes and still unpacked moving boxes. I just hate going down to my “dungeon” to try to get anything organized.
    Can’t wait to see your room-by-room progress and after pictures !!

    • Lena

      Yes, it is quite a nice basement – but then it’s a Home Depot basement, and they’re always quite nice on the eyes :)

      Thanks for following along, Flora!

  9. Judy C (Cowan)

    Good luck with the transformation and I can’t wait to see the after picture. Mind you the before ones really are not that bad, just looks like a very lived in space.

  10. Moe a.k.a. @biggirlblue

    Despite the apocalyptic toy disarray you have a really lovely basement. I especially like the jatoba floors you mentioned. I’m curious, what did you lay them on top of?

    Our basement is really a site. We have a side-split so it is really half a basement with a giant furnace in the laundry room. In the sort of finished part they used old paneling and there piece de resistance is the very old red shag carpet. Sooo, the basement is definitely on my list of makeovers that needs to happen. LOL

    Good luck with the clutter control.

    • Lena

      “The apocalyptic toy disarray” – LOVE IT! We laid the jatoba floors on top of a subfloor. Our basement was very uneven so we had to level it out.

  11. Teresa Claire

    Such a funny post…your writing picks me up every time! I love your courage in posting these pictures…my Mum is from the generation ‘What would the neighbours think?’…My basement usually was a computer/laundry room but then again…no boys, just Sara and I.

  12. Athena

    There are only so many hours in the day, and I know if I have to spend the time doing something worthwhile with the family, the housework comes in second. Cleaning will always be there and the moment may be lost with the kids especially.

  13. Heidi C.

    Ha ha! I think our clutter is ten times worse :)! I don’t think my gang of four will surrender any space to their Daddy for a man-cave, though! Can’t wait for your reveal!

  15. Tricha

    I will take your basement over mine any day in regards to space. It’s a lovely, spacious area. Looking forward to the after pictures.

  16. nicolthepickle

    Wait….wait! What are those panels with the red bird on them? So pretty! I hope they picture in your after pictures. :)
    This is what my living room looks like all the time too. Girls are just as messy. :)

  18. Anne Taylor

    I don’t have a basement, so yours is much more delightful than mine lol Honestly though it looks like my living room when my kids were young; stuff everywhere! Looking forward to seeing the after shots!