Margaret & Terry Basement Renovation
A basement can be one of those spaces that stores years of memories maybe just years of personal collections. Maybe you can relate to this in your own home. Having already had the opportunity to help Terry and Margaret with their main floor renovation, they came back to us for help with their basement. There was a vision and a goal, but a project of this size involved a lot of planning and coordinating. Terry and Margaret appreciated having Shelly as the Project Manager on both their jobs. Shelly, from start to finish coordinated finding the trade contractors, arranging the scheduling for each of them, along with daily progress and updates. Before the project could start though we had to have a plan. It took several meetings and drawings, coming up with the best solution for their space. Once the plan was in motion, we confirmed with the trades that our vision could become reality and we were off to the races.
Where did we start? Emptied the basement.
DESIGNERS NOTE: Renting a sea-can storage unit can become a yard fixture during a renovation. See that you have space for one of these or you have a location to store your belongings. Removing all your personal items is best so there is a clean slate to work with. This also gives homeowners the chance to purge.
After the basement was emptied it was tear out time. This can be exciting, it can also lead to surprises, which can add extra creativity or challenges to a project.
DESIGNERS NOTE: Keep in mind that with renovations, a schedule has to be flexible. With unknowns along the way, your project may take a little longer, but working with your designer to keep a project on task is their job and we do the best we can.
Summit Contracting first opened up the walls making it easy to see what needed to moved. This basement had little light, so maximizing on its natural light was crucial. Custom windows were found and first installed. These windows fit the opening size that was already in the concrete foundation. Not wanting to disturb these openings these windows were perfect. The entire unit opens into the room. Allowing for the safety and security that was needed in the basement.
Shelly called in Vermilion Plumbing & Heating who moved the furnace, rerouted the plumbing for the laundry room, reconfigured the bathroom, prepared for the addition of an air conditioner, hot water tank and water softener. Not an easy task.
DESIGNERS NOTE: Many older homes have centralized furnace rooms that take away from a living space. Keep your options open to the idea of moving this important piece and talk to your plumber for the benefits.
DESIGNERS NOTE: Involving all the trades before a project starts keeps everyone on the same page. When removing any walls, make sure you check if any are load bearing. With moving the furnace and opening the space, we had to put in a beam for support.
Electrical was the next step. There were walls that needed rebuilt, due to the thin start the home had with original construction. Wiring strung by Scotlen Electric brought the basement to code and enabled us to have all the necessary outlets, undercabinet lighting even wall mounted TV and fireplace.
We gained storage in every room of this basement. The living area has wall to wall storage of tall cabinets, the kitchen has full cabinets to house all the necessary appliances and dishes and closets were built in each bedroom.
Bathroom: The bathroom had potential and we maximized on every square inch. The closet under the stairs was not organized and the small shower did not invite anyone to freshen up. With little counter space we cleared this room and started over. Making the space 2 feet wider, we gained room to install a tiled walk in glass shower, a longer vanity and tucking the water closet in the closet, there was still shelving space for those smaller items under the stairs.
DESIGNERS NOTE: Make use of that toe kick in your cabinets with light strip lighting. Out of site, but provides all the light needed for the evening you need a night light. Have it on its own switch for convenience. Hidden Potential, that is what the closet was in this bathroom. Perfect space to house the water closet with space to spare.
Laundry Room: Moving this entire room to the opposite side of the stairs was well worth every detail. We shared some square footage from a large bedroom, added a wall and now it houses a full laundry room with counter space for folding, storage and laundry sink (deep enough to wash the visiting grandchild, or thawing a holiday turkey, not at the same time of course). Tiling was added ease of cleaning and the electrical box was not moveable, can you see it?
DESIGNERS NOTE: Use cabinets to disguise what you can not remove. Behind the doors on the wall is easy access to the electrical panel.
Kitchen: There are times with projects when you have to put your creative hat. Surprises occurring in a renovation are normal. Having the crew who finds solutions makes every job unique in the end. A custom crown molding was installed in the kitchen and it completed the project perfectly. The thermofoil cabinets make this room a breeze to clean, and the corian countertops are seamless, or so they appear. Full tile offers some reflectiveness to brighten the space.
The entire space has luxury vinyl plank installed with lighter paint to brighten the basement space. We had dimmer switches put on some of the lights and pot lights I many rooms to maintain the maximum height each room had to offer.
Walking downstairs may not have been inviting, but now is fresh, welcoming and a beautiful space to relax or entertain in.
