Laowai

It's time for me to pretend I'm a home design blogger and reveal our basement renovation. 

I started renovating our basement in September after we had an unfortunate mystery puddle on the floor. That seems like a really long time ago. Lately we've been using the basement so much that it almost feels like it has always been there. The timing is perfect. Right now, during the pandemic, we can't get out as much as we'd like. It's important that we get along as a family but it's not always easy. Gathering in front of a big screen after dinner and watching 30 Rock is something we can all get behind. So it's a success. And someday when we get back to normal the girls can invite friends and enjoy our basement hangout.

First, a couple before pictures. Here's one of the real-estate photos from back in 2013. This photo tells me I really need a wide angle lens. And also, look at all the National Geographics on the shelves! Those would be nice to look through.

Here's a photo from a few months ago right before I started painting.

So welcome to our new old basement – we'll start in the stairwell.

I might have done some late night Etsy shopping (dangerous) and found these cute little birds who welcome you.

The blue is coming across brighter on screen than it really looks in real life. Not sure why?

Those bookshelves took forever to paint but I'm so happy with how they turned out. On the lower part that is covered with fabric there are shelves that hold all our board games and puzzles.

We have a nice high ceiling in this room – it's one of the things that sold us on our house. We added lights above the bar and above the bookshelf so it's dark but not as dark as it used to be.

Here's a photo of the curtains I made. I just love the pattern of strawberries by Loes Van Oosten.

Next to the fireplace Brian has his bar area and the girls have their popcorn maker. I found that round mirror in one of our scary basement rooms. I was digging through the old woodwork and other random house stuff and I found the mirror covered in about an inch of dust. Yay for zero cost decor!

Here's our fireplace. It's nice and big and chunky. I think it needs something a little more colorful on the mantle but I haven't quite figured that out yet. 

My biggest splurge for the room was the framing for these two posters. They are old travel posters for SwissAir advertising flights to the US and Canada. I love them but why is framing so expensive? The only other biggish thing I purchased was the vintage Dillingham Bluebird chest that we put our projector on. Oh and the rug is new too.

There's the screen below – I argued with Brian – I was convinced it was too big. But he was right, it's great. We had nothing else to fill that wall and it's really fun to watch a movie on the big screen. 

You can see the blanket chest underneath the screen. Brian got a fancy projector that shoots straight up onto the wall. The table behind the couch is a table we inherited and used in our first apartment years ago. It's going to be a perfect puzzle table.

I love swans and I associate them with our time in Switzerland. So my Swan flag is a favorite. It's a City of Horgen flag. Horgen was the town next to ours and I was super lucky to find it at the second-hand store. I made a cushion for the bench/wood holder below the flag. 

The door below leads to the other side of our basement where there is our washer and dryer and all the other typical messy basement things. Let's keep that door closed.

And that concludes my tour. I wish I could invite you all to watch movies and eat popcorn and do a puzzle and enjoy a toasty fire…  Someday.