From Hoarder to Order (Part 1): The Basement Blues

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July 6, 2012 by Decorum DIYer

Hello all!  Today I am sharing with you a dirty, little secret that I have kept for a long time.  You see, my unfinished basement has become an unruly storage area for anything that has no room in our modest 1960’s ranch-style home’s upper level.  Well, and to house all of the things that we may one day use in our make-believe basement.

Recently, I became aware of a contest that can help me do something about my basement once and for all. (More on that later.)  This past week I have been scrambling to create order out of chaos.  This weekend (yes, even in this heat) Chris and I will be hosting our first yard sale since moving into this home in 2007.  I am nervous and excited all at once.  Since a picture is worth a thousand words, I thought I would share a completely embarrassing video.  That has to be worth at least a billion words, right?  After viewing the video, I am less embarrassed about the basement and even more embarrassed about my completely annoying voice and poor grammar.  Sorry, I was nervous!  Also, as a disclaimer, I was recording my commentary in the spare five minutes I had before Ascher woke up from his nap and/or Roman and Claire starting fighting, crying, etc….  Anyway, without further ado, here is my subterranean dungeon.

The scary basement…
(click photo above to view video)

(P.S.  I know I joke about my basement looking like an episode of Hoarders, but I say this in jest.  I in no way intend to be hurtful to anyone that actually suffers from hoarding.  I understand that hoarding is a bona fide mental health condition that requires medical treatment.  Sorry, I just had to say that, or I would be up all night worried about offending others.)  Cheers!

As I stated in the video, I have very specific ideas of how I want this space to look.  Check out my Basement Pinterest board (click here) or click the photo below.

I also drafted a little sketchy-sketch that I Drumgoogled up (yeah, I just made that up) on Homestyler that you can view by clicking the image below.  Feel free to explore the space in both 2D and 3D by clicking the ‘explore’ button.  Please note that I am a novice using Homestyler and the program did have some limitations between my inexperience and items not offered on the website.  For example, some of my furnishings and accessories disappear is the 3D view. Other than that, Homestyler is a great tool.  Just to be clear, the two tables adjacent to each other are stand-ins for our pool table that we inherited when we purchased the house.  The furniture pieces and placement are to serve as my dream set up and to help you identify how I intend to use the space. Also, the diagram is of a completely finished basement and the floor plan is subject to permits.  I intent to initially concentrate my efforts on the main living space.  As time and budget allow, we will be chipping away at the secondary spaces (full bath, laundry room, playhouse, etc..). Enjoy!

To see the continuation of the saga, please click here to see Part II.