Basement Update

As you know if you follow this blog, one of the big items on my list of resolutions is to organize the basement. This has been a challenge since Douglas moved in two and a half years ago. The last update was in May when I organized the bookshelves and cleaned the area where we sit to watch television.

The problem was that the rest of the basement was the kind of mess that caused me nightmares. We have way too much stuff!!!!!!! Another challenge has been getting Douglas to believe that as well. He does not like to let anything go. That meant that by August our living space in the basement looked like this.

August 01-08 we went to visit Douglas’ family in Michigan. It was a great trip, but it was hard for me to relax knowing that there was so much that needed to be done back home. That did not stop us from boating and kneeboarding, though.

When we arrived home, I knew that I should be finishing the backsplash, but for some reason I was not motivated in the least bit to get that done. I used to think that it was something that only I suffer from, the inability to finish projects. Since I discovered blogs, I have realized that most people tend to bounce around between projects rather than start something and focus on it until it is done. Therefore it should not surprise you that on Saturday night I found myself hysterically telling Douglas that I “could not live with the basement the way that it was, not for a single second more.” I do not have any pictures at this stage because I could not bear to take any.

I had a plan in my head that laid out the placement of every piece of furniture. Unfortunately, I had forgotten that one of the walls has a patch that is not painted. There must have been a piece of furniture in front of it that the former owners decided not to move when they painted.

Douglas convinced me that we could repaint or do something to cover that area once all of the furniture was rearranged. We spent a couple of hours taking all of the books off of the shelves and moving the bookcases and then refilling them with books.

We also spent about an hour trying to fit one of the taller bookshelves under a beam. Douglas had measured and was sure that one would fit, but we forgot to take into account that the floor is not level. That meant that no matter what we did, the top shelf was about a quarter of an inch too high.

Finally, we had everything in place… and I hated it. One of the tall bookshelves was right in the middle of the unpainted portion of wall. I knew that no matter what we did to try to cover it up it was going to be obvious. And it was going to drive me crazy! Did I mention that by now it was 11:00 p.m.?

At this point Douglas was starting the question why he had ever married me in the first place. Good thing for me he takes those vows seriously! I told him that I was going to rearrange the two biggest bookshelves… to put them right back where they had been to begin with. To his credit, he did not abandon me, hogtie me or throw anything, all things that I would have been tempted to do in his place. He poured himself a beer and helped me move the bookshelves. Then, he told me that the rest of the furniture was staying where it was for the night.

In bed by 1:00 a.m. I was up and ready to go in the morning. This is what I awoke to. I don’t think that Douglas was as excited as I was, but he helped me. He is such a good man.

Where did all those books come from? Do you think that we like to read?

Here is what the basement looked like by Sunday night.

There was a method to my madness. I am still not sure whether he shares my vision, but I am thrilled with how the basement looks now. Before, the basement was cut into quarters, but it always bothered me that the area we used to watch television was so small. That half of the basement is quite large, and it did not make sense to me to divide it the way that we originally did. Now that the television is under the window and the chairs are beside the stairs there is more room between them and the screen. The room seems so much larger this way.

I tried to think of an alternate placement for the table I use as my workspace, but since I like to watch television while working, I could not come up with a better solution.  For now my bicycle on the trainer is also in the middle of the room, but after we have our yard sale I will be able to put it away when I am not using it.

There are still a lot of boxes and furniture around that we are planning to put in the yard sale. I have vowed that nothing from the yard sale is to return to the house… no matter what. If it does not sell, then we will donate it to a local charity. Nothing is coming back in! I cannot wait to get everything out of my house!

Therefore, these are not true after pictures. Things will look much better once we empty the basement out more. If you live in the area come by Saturday, August 23 and Sunday, August 24 for the yard sale. My friend Nadia, from the blog MaMeMeMa is going to be here selling things as well.

Happy Homemaking!