I really should have taken pictures before and after my basement cleanup because you just cannot appreciate how much work I really accomplished down there this past month without the before pics. oh well…let me share the “after” photos with you and you can guess on the “before”. Just use your imagination and think CLUTTER!
tHE FIRST PICTURE ABOVE SHOWS THE AREA YOU COME UPON WHEN YOU FIRST COME DOWN THE BASEMENT STAIRS. I DECIDED TO MAKE THIS MY SITTING AREA. THERE ARE A COUPLE OF DIY PROJECTS HERE THAT I’LL MENTION BRIEFLY, AND IF YOU WANT MORE DETAILS, LET ME KNOW.
THE FIRST IS THE COFFEE TABLE. THE TOP WAS PRETTY ROUGH WHEN I BOUGHT IT AT A YARDSALE. I HAD TO DECIDE WHETHER TO DO SOME HEAVY DUTY REFINISHING ON IT, OR GO WITH THE DISTRESSED LOOK BY PAINTING IT. I DIDN’T KNOW WHICH WHEN I STARTED. I BEGAN BY USING A SHARP EDGED WOOD CHISEL TO TAKE THE TOP LAYER OF FINISH OFF. THEN I SANDED THE ENTIRE SURFACE WITH A LOW GRIT SANDPAPER. THERE WERE SOME DEEPER GOUGES IN THE WOOD THAT WOULD HAVE TAKEN A LOT OF WORK TO SAND DOWN, AND I REALLY LIKED THE CHARACTER THE MARKS LEFT IN THE SURFACE. SO, I DECIDED TO TRY THE DISTRESSED LOOK ON THE TOP ONLY. I APPLIED A COAT OF CREAMY OFF-WHITE PAINT, LET IT DRY, AND THEN SOFTLY SANDED IT AGAIN WITH THE LOW GRit SANDPAPER. I APPLIED THE SECOND COAT AND AGAIN SANDED IT. THIS REMOVES ANY BRUSH STROKES OR PAINT BUILDUP FROM TOO MUCH PAINT ON YOUR BRUSH. aS YOU CAN SEE, I ALSO PAINTED THE SIDES OF THE TOP. ONCE THE SECOND COAT WAS DRY, I TOOK THE SAND PAPER AND LIGHTLY WENT OVER THE CURVED CORNERS AND OTHER AREAS WHERE THE TOP AND SIDE MEET. YOU CAN SEE THE WOOD UNDERNEATH WHERE I DID THAT. I ALSO DID THAT IN A FEW PLACE ON THE TOP ITSELF. IT’S KIND OF A TOUCHY FEELY PROCESS, BECAUSE YOU WANT IT TO LOOK WORN AND DISTRESSED BY USE RATHER THAN BY SANDPAPER. IF YOU GO A LITTLE CRAZY WITH THE SANDPAPER, YOU CAN ALWAYS APPLY MORE PAINT AND THEN SAND AGAIN. WHEN FINISHED, I WAS VERY PLEASED WITH THE END RESULT AND REALLY LIKE THE COMBINATION OF PAINT AND WOOD.
THE OTHER PROJECT WAS A QUICK FIX I DID TO COVER THE OTTOMAN. MY DAUGHTER HAD A DOG THAT LIKED TO LIFT HIS LEG ON THE BOTTOM OF THE ORIGINAL OTTOMAN COVER….IF YOU GET MY DRIFT. IT WAS ATTACHED TO THE OTTOMAN AND NO MATTER HOW I TRIED, I COULD NOT GET THE STAINS NOR THE SMELL OUT. I DECIDED THE ONLY WAY TO GET RID OF IT WAS TO CUT IT OFF, WHICH I DID AND IT LOOKED AWFUL…SO I HAD TO COVER THE WHOLE THING SOMEHOW. NOT SURE WHAT I WAS DOING, I GRABBED SOME FABRIC AND CUT OUT A PIECE FOR THE TOP OUT OF A HEAVIER, SOLID PINK MATERIAL. I PINNED IT DOWN INTO THE SEAM AROUND THE EDGES. I THEN TOOK A PIECE OF WHITE COTTON AND ANOTHER OF PINK COTTON AND DECIDED TO USE THEM TO GATHER AND PIN TO THE TOP OF THE FABRIC I PUT ON TOP. ARE YOU FOLLOWING ME SO FAR? MAYBE I SHOULD PUT A CLOSEUP PICTURE HERE.
AS YOU CAN SEE, I ALTERNATED MY FABRIC PINK, WHITE, PINK, WHITE. I DID THIS BECAUSE I DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH ON HAND OF THE PINK AND WHEN I WANT TO DO SOMETHING, I WANT TO DO IT RIGHT NOW, WITH WHAT I HAVE ON HAND. AFTER CAREFULLY USING LONG UPHOLSTERY PINS TO PIN IN PLACE, I THEN TOOK A PIECE OF BRAIDED TRIM AND HOT GLUED IT TO THE FABRIC TO COVER UP THE PINS. WHOO-LA! INSTANT OTTOMAN COVER! KEEP IN MIND, THIS WOULD NOT HOLD UP TO A LOT OF WEAR AND TEAR! I CAN SIT ON IT WITHOUT DISLODGLING THE PINS, BUT I WOULD NOT TRUST IT IF I HAD SMALL CHILDREN ABOUT. BUT IN A QUICK FIX SITUATION, THIS WORKS GREAT AND I HAD IT DONE IN ABOUT 1 1/2 HOURS.
NEXT IS A PICTURE OF THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THIS SITTING AREA, WHERE THE FIREPLACE IS. THE FUTON ABOVE FACES THE FIREPLACE.
I SEE A FEW THINGS IN THIS AREA THAT YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN, BUT I’LL SAVE THOSE FOR ANOTHER DAY. TOMORROW I’LL TRY TO POST MORE PICTURES OF MY “CREATIVE SPACES” IN THE BASEMENT. HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS LITTLE LOOK-SEE AND PROJECT BRIEFING. I’M REALLY GOING TO TRY TO FOCUS MORE ON THIS TYPE OF POSTING IN THE FUTURE. I’M STILL FINDING MY WAY ON THIS BLOGGING VENTURE….SisterBrendy
