...because home doesn't happen overnight.

My good friend, Robyn, and her hubby, Scott, are finishing their basement.  Robyn asked me for some input on furniture pieces and colors for the new space.  Don’t let her fool you…she’s an amazing decorator herself.  But since I like to pretend I’m an interior designer, I put together a little mood board for her.

I broke the basement into zones: 1) an eat-in kitchen 2) a TV area 3) a sitting area 4) a kids’ play area.

1) A mocha pub dining table would contrast with white chairs while a round jute/seagrass rug and circular mirror soften all the hard lines of the basement.

2) A few green and navy pillows in fun geometric patterns would add interest to a comfy, khaki sectional.  Large number art (possibly DIY art that celebrates Robyn and Scott’s anniversary date?) above the couch would anchor the couch and hide a fuse box on the wall.  A modern mobile could fill the empty area above a tricky corner that houses a sump pump.  A flat screen TV hung above/set upon a streamlined console makes this space perfect for family movies.

3) A small reading area off of the TV room could house a pair of slipcovered chairs angled in towards each other.  Two seagrass ottomans could be stacked on top of each other to mimic a coffee table.  Just add a green tray!  The dark ladder shelf would add some contrast, height and storage.

4) Last, but not least, we can’t forget the kiddos!  A large bookcase placed against one wall and stuffed with baskets, bins and toys would keep the little ones occupied.

All the white, mocha, khaki, navy and green would be set against a taupey greige backdrop…possibly Benjamin Moore’s Coastal Fog?

Makes me want to finish our basement!  All in good time.

12 Comments

21.July.2010

Looks great! Someday I will get around to redoing our basement!

I was wondering where you found the Number Art Canvas shown in #2?

21.July.2010

Melissa – The number art is an old canvas print from Pottery Barn. It’s not meant to be literal…I was using it as an inspiration for DIY wall art. It could be easily (and inexpensively!) copied using canvas, fabric or wood and some paint.

21.July.2010

lovely mood board! are you going to be doing these regularly? how much would you charge? i love your style and i need to redo my master bedroom:)

21.July.2010

Love it, you are inspiring me. Where did you find the round white mirror? Thanks!

21.July.2010

Michelle – Honestly, I’ve never thought about offering mood boards before. Maybe after I get a few before & afters in my portfolio I could offer them. At the moment, I’m in the process of helping my sister come up with a plan for her bedroom. I’ll be sure to post a mood board of it when I get it together. You can always contact me via email with pictures of your bedroom and ideas about what you like/dislike. See the “contact me” link located in the sidebar. I’d be happy to help!

Erin – Sadly, the white mirror has been in my inspiration folder for a while now…since before I even considered blogging. I have no idea where it hails from. (If anyone does know, please chime in.) All the pieces in the mood board are not meant to be prescriptive. I just like to put mood boards together with items that would work and then I sometimes find alternatives along the way during the actual makeover process. However, check out this similar mirror from JCPenney. It would look GREAT spray painted white.

http://www2.jcpenney.com/jcp/X6.aspx?GrpTyp=PRD&ItemID=16736d1&DeptID=71371&CatID=71793&SO=0&x5view=1&Ne=4+5+1031+18+904+949+833&shopperType=G&N=4294953196&Nao=21&PSO=0&CmCatId=71371|71793

Other places I like to find mirrors are Overstock.com, Homegoods, TJMaxx, Target, HomeDecoratorsOutlet.com and Hobby Lobby. Be sure to consider the shape/style of mirror you want and not get too caught up on the material/color…you can always paint it to suit your needs! Hope that helps!

21.July.2010

Erin! – I just found the mirror! See it here…

http://www.moderndose.com/product_info.php?cPath=48_80&products_id=269

It’s too pricey for me but I’m sure you could find a much cheaper alternative at one of the places I mentioned above…or even at a flea market/garage sale. Just keep your eyes open!

22.July.2010

beautiful mood board! I love the pillows in 2 and 3 – I was wondering where you found them?

23.July.2010

Erica – All the pillow images are ones I found by googling for ‘navy pillow’ and ‘green pillow’. In #2, the chevron pillow is from here: http://www.csnstores.com/Twinkle-Living-P01NW-TWL1227.html and the green is from here: http://piecesinc.com/pillows In #2, the coral/seaweed-like pillow by Thomas Paul but has been discontinued and the solid green pillow is from here: http://www.pillowdecor.com/Sunbrella-Macaw-Green-Pillow-p/pd1-0002-01-20.htm. All of these pillows I would consider too expensive. When I start thinking about how to decorate a room, I find pieces that I absolutely love (no matter the cost) and then try to find more budget-friendly alternatives. For pillows and pillow covers, Etsy.com is a great source! Here are a few navy and green pillows that are cheaper and could be used in place of the ones in Scott & Robyn’s mood board.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/50647859/decorative-designer-pillow-cover-20-inch

http://www.etsy.com/listing/50994652/free-shipping-throw-pillow-covers-sewn

http://www.etsy.com/listing/48497851/navy-blue-and-white-coral-reef

http://www.etsy.com/listing/50526222/two-birds-sitting-on-a-wire-decorative

http://www.etsy.com/listing/51911014/navy-blue-linen-with-white-nautical?ref=sr_gallery_34&ga_search_query=navy+pillow&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_page=2&order=&includes%5B%5D=tags&includes%5B%5D=title

http://www.etsy.com/listing/51644449/lattice-work-designer-pillow-18-inch?ref=sr_gallery_31&ga_search_query=navy+pillow&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_page=3&order=&includes%5B%5D=tags&includes%5B%5D=title

http://www.etsy.com/listing/51476818/decorative-designer-lumber-pillow-cover?ref=sr_gallery_26&ga_search_query=green+pillow&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_page=4&order=&includes%5B%5D=tags&includes%5B%5D=title

18.November.2010

If you were to choose a flooring option in this style basement other than ceramic tile or carpet what would you choose?

18.November.2010

Kristin – That’s a great question! And one that Handy Hubby and I will address ourselves at some point when we finish our basement. I’ve seen some pretty convincing vinyl ‘wood’ planks that would work great in a basement…durable, moisture-resistant and easy to install. I also like the {way inexpensive} idea of just staining and sealing the original concrete floors and using large carpet rugs in the seating areas. I’ve heard of so many wood/laminate basement floors being ruined/warped by unexpected water leaks that I would probably steer clear of them. We had a very leaky basement in our first home and replaced the flooring there 3 times! I don’t ever want to go through that again.

18.November.2010

Thanks for you thoughts! I love your style and I knew you’d have similar thoughts on basement flooring. It is so tricky with the whole water factor. Ours is an old basement so the floor is not in the best condition so staining would still show a lot of the cracks & stains. A friend of mine just epoxy painted her basement floor and it looks great, I guess they mixed 2 shades of gray. It is shiny with some texture. I am really interested in marmoleum but it seems they warn against any moisture. Anyway, thanks for your input.

19.November.2010

Kristin – If we stain our basement floor, we’ll probably use some kind of two-tone, marbling technique to add depth. I’m all about imperfect perfection over here so I tend to think the cracks and stains wouldn’t be much of a deal breaker {we’ve got some also}. The epoxy technique that your friend used sounds interesting, too.