The basement has changed ever so slightly. Before it was 100% my studio. It's now 50% Oscar's space, and 50% mine...and I rather like it this way. The things that make it child friendly for us is that the couch is slipcovered, so I don't mind spills. The floor is laminate, so easy cleanup with a broom. There is a small TV attached to the wall (not shown) so we put on Raffi concert DVD's sometimes and have a little dance party. The washroom is right there - and although potty training hasn't begun in our house, when it does - this will be a benefit. And lastly, being the basement I feel some felxibility about toys being everywhere. I can go to bed with the basement being a mess, and really not mind. The house is evolving ever so slightly as time goes on, and really - I'm loving the changes that a child brings. :) xo
Showing posts with label Basement. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Basement. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Basement Changes influenced by a Toddler
The basement has changed ever so slightly. Before it was 100% my studio. It's now 50% Oscar's space, and 50% mine...and I rather like it this way. The things that make it child friendly for us is that the couch is slipcovered, so I don't mind spills. The floor is laminate, so easy cleanup with a broom. There is a small TV attached to the wall (not shown) so we put on Raffi concert DVD's sometimes and have a little dance party. The washroom is right there - and although potty training hasn't begun in our house, when it does - this will be a benefit. And lastly, being the basement I feel some felxibility about toys being everywhere. I can go to bed with the basement being a mess, and really not mind. The house is evolving ever so slightly as time goes on, and really - I'm loving the changes that a child brings. :) xo
Friday, September 23, 2011
Basement, Completely Done
Exciting news - The basement is 100% done. All I needed to do was pay some attention to adding extra detail and hanging some art to get me to the finish line. And although the entire basement is considered as my workspace + studio, the space naturally divided itself into sections. This was probably our biggest DIY of all, having broken up the concrete ourselves, replacing the drains, moving plumbing, it took a whole 6 months. I thought a proper showcase of the finished space would be a nice way to close the door on the design process for this space.
1. COMPUTER AREA
My DIY Desk is still going strong. Coming in at around $300 for the project, it really is one of my favourite DIYs. The baskets on the Ikea units acts as drawers, keeping useful things like camera cords, stamps, personal stationery. In this area there are actually 3 bulletin boards (1, 2 having their own blog posts) - and - all different sizes. But I upholstered them all in the same fabric to give them a unified look. Bulletin boards are a necessity in my life, as it helps me be creative.

2. Work TableBehind my DIY Desk and Computer is my IKEA Table where I put together orders and pack + get orders prepped for mailing. The table height is much taller than my desk - a great height for crafting. On the shelves I keep packing materials organized in handy clear boxes to see what is inside. Running an online shop requires a lot of little things, so organization is really key in my space.
3. Lounge I love this area as I think it will be a spot where Oscar can come chill when he is older. With a casual couch covered in a slipcover, and wall mounted TV - it is the perfect space to take a break from work. Unique artwork hangs in this area - I've framed my art that I sell in my shop, as well as pieces like Oscar's first bow tie, and also his awesome moustache on a stick that was wandering around the house looking for a home. Instead of it getting lost, I framed it. New pillows and a great coffee table make this space comfy.

Little Nook By the stairs to the main floor I fit a little vintage desk, where we've put Aubrey's laptop. Aubrey needed a space to work, so this area was perfect as it is separate from my space. This desk was $25 and I updated it by painting it white and adding in new knobs. For seating, you may recognize this chair as the same as in our dining room. Since we had 2 extra chairs from the dining room we put one down here for Aubrey - and if we need it for a dinner party we bring it back upstairs.
There are other areas down here that are worth mentioning. Our Washroom, and Washer + Dryer area. There you have it. A few unique awesome spaces developed over the course of decorating this area. It is kind of nice to look around and not have blank walls that keep screaming for something to be on them. And it is the perfect space to be creative. For those of you just joining my blog --- this is what we started with....

I am sooo proud of this space. And the fact that we did it 99% all on our own, is kind of crazy. :)
1. COMPUTER AREA
My DIY Desk is still going strong. Coming in at around $300 for the project, it really is one of my favourite DIYs. The baskets on the Ikea units acts as drawers, keeping useful things like camera cords, stamps, personal stationery. In this area there are actually 3 bulletin boards (1, 2 having their own blog posts) - and - all different sizes. But I upholstered them all in the same fabric to give them a unified look. Bulletin boards are a necessity in my life, as it helps me be creative.

2. Work TableBehind my DIY Desk and Computer is my IKEA Table where I put together orders and pack + get orders prepped for mailing. The table height is much taller than my desk - a great height for crafting. On the shelves I keep packing materials organized in handy clear boxes to see what is inside. Running an online shop requires a lot of little things, so organization is really key in my space.
3. Lounge I love this area as I think it will be a spot where Oscar can come chill when he is older. With a casual couch covered in a slipcover, and wall mounted TV - it is the perfect space to take a break from work. Unique artwork hangs in this area - I've framed my art that I sell in my shop, as well as pieces like Oscar's first bow tie, and also his awesome moustache on a stick that was wandering around the house looking for a home. Instead of it getting lost, I framed it. New pillows and a great coffee table make this space comfy.

Little Nook By the stairs to the main floor I fit a little vintage desk, where we've put Aubrey's laptop. Aubrey needed a space to work, so this area was perfect as it is separate from my space. This desk was $25 and I updated it by painting it white and adding in new knobs. For seating, you may recognize this chair as the same as in our dining room. Since we had 2 extra chairs from the dining room we put one down here for Aubrey - and if we need it for a dinner party we bring it back upstairs.
There are other areas down here that are worth mentioning. Our Washroom, and Washer + Dryer area. There you have it. A few unique awesome spaces developed over the course of decorating this area. It is kind of nice to look around and not have blank walls that keep screaming for something to be on them. And it is the perfect space to be creative. For those of you just joining my blog --- this is what we started with....

I am sooo proud of this space. And the fact that we did it 99% all on our own, is kind of crazy. :)
Monday, September 19, 2011
Updating a regular bulletin board
I love bulletin boards in my studio. I like to tear things out of magazines for inspiration and have them in front of me. Patterns and colours I see in home decor and fashion magazines help inspire not only my home, but my stationery.
Although I like bulletin boards, the cork colour isn't my favourite. So the same night I updated the bulletin board on the opposite wall, I wrapped this board with the same canvas (the same as we made a tent out of!) This board had a frame that made it the perfect contender for some nail head detail. So this is what I started with...
And I updated it to this...
SUPER easy.
I stapled the canvas over the bulletin board using my desk stapler. Lots of awesome tutorials out there on that but really, you stretch the fabric and staple. Done.
Next, I wanted to make it more finished so I decided to do nail heads. I had heard that upholstery nail head detailing came on "trim". It is quick, and easy. The way that this trim works is that it nail heads (with no pins) come on a piece of "trim". Every 5th nail is a hole, you punch in a "matching" nailhead that has a a tack that holds the trim in place, and it is supposed to blend in. I searched EVERYWHERE for this and finally had to buy it sight unseen from the manufacturer in Toronto. Total cost for this, $30 + shipping.
Problem is. The stupid "Matching Nails" that are every fifth spot didn't match! Want to see the proof, look at the picture below. The best spot to look is the top row. How on earth can they sell it like this? Bah. So mad. I think my exact words when I saw it was "You've GOT to be kidding me". Even though they didn't match I tried to see if it would work. Nope.
So, I went to MacFab here in Toronto, where they had a HUGE selection of nails and bought 500 individual nails and...
It is a little hard, and requires some concentration to put each one in in a straight line but I had a natural guide of the frame. Even still, any variation in the angle I put one in, could throw the whole look. But I'm really happy at how it looks...

Love it. Probably also because it reminds me of my beloved Colette Bed.
(And pssst, you can see the start of a matching project on the other wall)
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Having a deadline to finish decorating...
I hope you all had a lovely weekend. Today Aubrey and I celebrated our 7th Wedding Anniversary. We had a nice quiet dinner, very low key. Just the way I like it. :) I spent the weekend trying to finish random projects that in my studio. I have a bit of a deadline because a TV crew* is coming Wednesday to film my studio. A lot of unfinished projects started accumulating, so having a crew come has been a definite motivator to just get things finished.
So, one change is, is that I changed the art above the couch so now I have an IKEA Ribba picture ledge with some of my favourite art.I love the relaxed feel of these picture ledges, but the only downfall is, is that it doesn't hold really big art. (It falls over). I was kind of bummed because I was looking forward to having big frames on it. That being said, I quite like how it looks.
A few other changes have almost been completed, fingers crossed I can get them all done by Wednesday morning. Totally excited to show you though because I think I needed the deadline to just get it done. :) They pro
*And yes, I'm freaking out about the TV crew.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Basement Updates
We've done some little changes to my office/basement. I added in an additional bookshelf beneath my DIY desk to house more baskets. I'm gearing up for the Holiday season for my business and I started to need more storage for packaging. So instead of having an open space under the desk (see this post) I added in an extra shelf. Love my desk. :)
Also, when we were at Urban Barn buying our console table, we saw this coffee table marked down to a crazy price. Rarely do Aubrey and I immediately agree upon something - but within seconds we both agreed it was *perfect* for the basement. So although we hadn't anticipated investing in a coffee table for the basement it came home with us. It has 2 drawers that are discrete on one side. Our intention is to build a custom railway top for it for Oscar when he's older, for his train tracks, and we'll design it to fit on this table. In the drawers he can hide is railway toys. :)









