We’ve been in this home for almost a year now and in that time I have managed to do almost nothing in our basement. Despite being the place we spend most of our time as a family, the basement has always been at the end of the priority list–behind things like bathroom makeovers, shiplap, excessive coffee drinking, etc. But the time has come. Yep, I have finally spruced this area up, we got a new super cozy chair, and it’s starting to feel complete. I’m so excited to share it with you fabulous people today. Welcome to our basement!
I tried to stay simple while decorating this space, keeping it mostly soft and cozy for our little chickadees. But of course I had to sneak in a few vintage goodies, I can’t help myself. I found these old crib frames at a junk sale recently for $10 bucks each. I secured them to the wall and I am loving the pop of blue, which is rare for me. And that vintage milk strainer there is simply hung from the ceiling, although I’m dreaming of turning it into an actual light fixture pronto.
And how perfect is this old porcelain tub for blankets and pillows?! Simple things like this make my vintage-loving heart very happy.
Using my purdy Magnolia Home crate for remote controls and other very important basement things.
If you didn’t catch the post about our DIY indoor playhouse you must check that out. This started as an empty alcove and now this little clubhouse is one of our favorite things ever. The kid looooooove it. I’ll be sharing more about this play area in an upcoming post!
My kiddos love playing with these vintage blocks.
Ok, let me rave about our new giant chair for a hot minute. We recently got this from American Furniture Warehouse and I’m pretty much obsessed with it. It fits perfectly in this space and it’s absolutely gorgeous. Previously in this spot we had a really old, and rather ugly brown couch. So this new chair brightens up this area so well. I love, love, love it. I could curl up here with a good book and stay all day long. This is AFW’s Milan Beige Chair, you can it here.
If you’re curious about the curtains they are just easy peasy drop cloth style curtains. I found my drop cloths at Home Depot for $11 each. And the curtain rod is from Target (you can find it here). I thought an industrial pipe curtain rod would be perfect for the basement, right? And I made that HOME sign a while back. You can find the tutorial here.
So there’s our cozy basement. I love all of the windows and sunshine down here, it really doesn’t feel like a basement at all. It’s actually one of the brightest spots in our entire home. And the new chair from American Furniture Warehouse really makes this space feel complete. I’ll be sharing more photos of the bar area soon, as well as the kids’ play area. I actually have a really fun project in the works for that space, so stay tuned! Thanks for stopping by friends. I’d love to hear what you think of our little basement. And don’t be a stranger, let’s be friends on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
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Big thanks to my wonderful friends at American Furniture Warehouse for sponsoring today’s post!
I love this! My husband and I are embarking on a basement makeover at our house. We’re deciding on flooring next. We’ll more than likely get carpeting. I like the look of yours. Would you recommend it? What brand/color is it? Thanks.
Yes I love our carpet. It was the first thing we replaced when we moved in last summer. I looked at our statement and it sounds “Groundwork–color Earthen”. I hope that helps!
It’s absolutely gorgeous!
What is the wall color?
Thank you Patty! The wall color is Merino Wool by Sherwin Williams.
I wish that furniture store was in NH! Loving that chair! And I have basement envy! Our 1890 home’s basement is not a place you’d want to hang out!! I love how you hung the crib frames on the wall! & that porcelain tub!!! Perfect vintage piece, I remember your play house post and I just love it & I loved seeing all the basement! Once again you rocked it!!!????????????????
Thanks Kellie, you are always so kind! We are definitely blessed to have such an open and bright basement.
Hi Sarah,
I am in love with the chair / ottoman combo! I am creating a quiet and comfy meditation room and have been searching for the right, comfy soft chair. Pleeeeaase tell it is as comfy and cozy as it looks??!! I will be devastated if it isn’t soft. Lol.
Hi Nancy! It’s definitely a bit more on the firm side, I wouldn’t say it’s one you sink down into when you sit on it. But it is comfortable and I actually like the extra support. Hope that helps!
Can you tell me where you got your slipcover on your couch?
Thank you.
It’s just a large white quilt laid over the top of the couch!
Love it! Love all of it.
Thank you so much Kim!
Your basement is so homey and full of sunshine!! I love your style 🙂 And I would never want to get out of that chair!
Thanks so much Susanne, you are so sweet! It’s definitely a cozy space.
Gorgeous basement! I love how you create picture perfect design yet it looks cozy and functional. I struggle with this but you pull it off flawlessly. Any tips? Also, love the chair!!!, porcelain tub, and the wooden blocks in the jar. Oh and the drop cloth curtains looked great!
Awe Julie, thank you! The basement is hard with those large poles right in the middle of the room, but I just had to work around it. The goal was definitely coziness, so I tried to make that the focus and just fill in with a few other things. Lots of trial and error!
Thanks, Sarah!
I love your style, I have been looking for a baby bed springs. No luck yet but will not stop looking. I use drop clothes also for curtains. Keep sharing as I love your ideas.
Jonita, I’m so happy you’re here! Thank you for the sweet comment.
Love love your style. There’s not one thing in the room I didn’t like myself.
Did the ottoman come with the chair? If not, do you remember the name of it?
Thanks
Leah, Eureka, CA
Thanks Leah! Yes, the ottoman came with the chair, I love it! It’s the Milan Beige Chair from AFW. You can find it here.
I adore this site – its so useful and helpful.
Very pretty! I really like that porcelain tub–how cool! We’re in the process of decorating our basement with an industrial/farmhouse vibe so you gave me some great ideas 🙂
Thanks Angela, good luck decorating your basement!
What color are your walls? I like it!
Merino Wool by Sherwin Williams
Love the whole look. Our basement is currently home to our son and his friends all of which are sixteen. So I love the easy/comfy look and adore the rustic old items. I will certainly be taking some tips from you. Nicely done!
Thanks so much Megan!
I needed to thank you for this good read!! I absolutely enjoyed every little bit of it. I’ve got you book marked to look at new stuff you post
I would love to know where you found the little magazine rack?
Hi Haley! I actually found that at an antique shop but you can find those old magazine racks all over. I’ve seen similar ones many times at Good Will. Just paint it white and voila!
Did your drop cloths have that seam in the middle? I can’t seem to find any without.
No, there’s no seam in the middle LeeAnn. Did you buy yours from Home Depot? That’s where I get mine.
I love that you decorate with a light touch; it is prettier than a style full of “stuff.” I live in a small apartment and don’t have room for “stuff” in every corner and on every shelf. I kept trying to put something on my wooden end table cubes where my two big living room lamps sit. I was frustrated with it because nothing looked right and things would fall off. Then I just took a step back and looked one day. The lamps were “enough” for the cubes on their own. My mindset was off! 🙂
Where I do have to store essentials that can be “clutter” if not careful, I have gotten baskets and cute wooden boxes and hide where I can. I have a trunk and some multi use furniture pieces, like the wood cubes with tops that slide on and off and store things. I am a book hoarder, so that is the one thing where I do have “a lot” and don’t hide it. I can’t anyway. 😉
I was so lucky to be given my loveseat. That helped because I couldn’t buy a sofa or loveseat at the time because it was a tough time financially at that point. (I left an abusive marriage and was starting over with very little, but a happy heart, my dog, and safety ). I had the two wooden cubes my mom gave me , books, the trunk, the TV and two lamps, things i made, and that was it for a while, plus the bed. I slowly got the other things I have now, from basics to fun splurges to gifts to things I inherited.
Most things are thrift store finds. I think people often feel that they can’t do really pretty in their homes with a small budget or free or thrift store treasures, or DIY, or art, or if they have a tough patch. The things I could do encouraged me very much with the fresh start and the style is a soothing one to the heart.
I love what you are doing in your home. Keep your posts coming!
I enjoyed reading your blog keep up the great work
Looks great, Sarah. I think you have done wonderfully well with the pillars/columns. Love the little table in front of the one pillar. 🙂 Also, that curtain rod! When I first saw it I thought, “Oh yeah, I could make that.” Then I saw that you got it at Target… for a lot less then it would to make it! (Plumbing hardware is expensive… even wholesale!) Very cool!
Right?! That curtain rod is a steal when you compare to the DIY costs. Not to mention your time! Definitely worth the money for that one.
Lovely and so inviting! Let’s talk drop cloth curtains. I’m in the mood to make some, but I’m concerned about light blocking. Our living room gets a lot of light in the afternoons. How are they at blocking light? Would I need something behind them to shield us from the sun? Thanks for being so inspiring!
They do just as good as a normal curtain at blocking the sun! They definitely aren’t black out, but they do a good job!
It’s beautiful. And it’s giving me inspiration!!! I have a lil smaller version of that chair in my place and it’s where I sit every day. Enjoy….your basement is cozy perfection!!!
Can you tell me what size drop cloths you used?