Basement Reno-Part 1

Original basement kitchen photo from when we were house hunting.

Guys, I am so happy that the holidays are over and even happier that the holiday decor is put away (although I just know I am going to come across that one stray item sitting on a shelf somewhere that I missed)! Now that the craziness has passed and the house is somewhat back in order, I can get back to focusing on the basement renovation that we started a year ago; yes, a year ago! It has been 95% done for about two months and we are just waiting on a few furniture pieces, but we are finally to my favorite part…getting it decorated!

I thought adding boxes to the cabinetry would give a more custom look without having to replace what we had.

The basement project was done in several parts and I’ll eventually take you through all of them. We actually started renovation projects with the outside of the house when we moved in back in 2013 and we are now working our way through the inside, starting with basement kitchen. It is a walkout basement that is set up as a full in-law apartment; its own kitchen, laundry (the washer and dryer was behind the bifold door you see in the photo above, but we took it out-more on that later), living room, office, bedroom and a full bathroom. As my husbands family isn’t local to us, it was one of the reasons we liked the house because there was plenty of room for visitors AND plenty of room for entertaining, but we knew we’d be doing a pretty big renovation to it at some point. While super-functional, it just wasn’t my style AT ALL and after all the changes we had made to the outside, I was excited to get our indoor space on equal footing.

Things I knew I wanted right off the bat…new appliances, new countertops, an island and another set of cabinets opposite what you see here all with new hardware. I also needed a slider window instead of the two windows that existed so that it would be easier to pass food out to the grill area, and I knew I wanted to do something above the existing cabinets to not only utilize the empty/wasted space, but to also dress it up a bit. The cabinets are not high-end, but it is not our main kitchen and they were in great shape so I wanted to keep them and use the money saved elsewhere; that meant that there was definitely a need to do something to at least make them look better and more like a custom cabinet.

Middle of renovation with added boxes and crown molding to take cabinetry to ceiling.

My idea was to add boxes for decor or kitchen items that I use every now and then, but are nice enough to be displayed when not is use and then crown molding to finish it off for that more custom look. I love the way they turned out and can’t wait to get them decorated.

The other big add for this space was the island. I wanted it as big as I could get it for all of the entertaining we do; I needed more prep space and more storage space and the addition of an island would give me both. The one difference about the island I thought I would have and the one I ended up going with is the color. If you’ve read any other blog posts, you won’t be surprised when I tell you that my original plan was for it to be navy, but Brendan (Interior Designer who I worked with on this project and who I will be introducing you to in my next post) convinced me not to do it and I am so happy he did. The tan island is one of my favorite parts of the kitchen, along with the cabinet boxes, the lighting and wait for it….that backsplash!

I was seriously struggling with the backsplash. I had so many samples in my car and around the house that this is when I knew I needed help…I was driving myself crazy. Remember, it isn’t my main kitchen so I really wanted something different or maybe bold is a better way to explain it. I didn’t want subway tile or anything that looked safe; I wanted it to stand out and I think when you see the finished space we can all agree, whether you love it or hate it, it takes center stage. This tile comes in several colors and to try to give me some navy, Brendan actually showed pictures of it to me in blue first and then a dark brown. I then started looking for it myself online so I could see if there were better photos that may have shown in it a room already and that is when I came across the one we ended up going with. Same bold impact, but the “star” was in the brown color (its actually called black, but its muted and looks more brown in person) and let me just say that the more I got to know Brendan over the past year, the more I am pretty certain he planted that navy tile knowing he’d get me right where he wanted me…without it!

Kitchen complete!

This used to be twp separate windows and now its a slider, which makes passing food out to the grill master much easier!

This space used to be empty, but now offers additional storage and counter space.

An added island adds storage, prep space and a seating area.

That backsplash just pops!

I can’t tell you how much I love this new kitchen; I hate cooking yet I always want to be right here. It is so much brighter, feels so much more open and while there is a lot of white, its actually very inviting thanks to the LVT flooring and the Seagrass Pendants, which both add warmth and texture. For those of you who are local, all appliances are from Feiden's and they are the GE Cafe line. Countertops, sink, the island and new cabinetry are custom Omega and all from ProSource in Albany; the Bronze Cabinet Pulls are from Amazon and the Star Backsplash is from The Tile Shop. Just DM me if you have any sourcing questions that I may have missed!

And now…I’m off to decorate! Xoxo-ShelleyB.