Oh, hello there. How good does this cantaloupe look? It’s not from my garden, but it is local:
There’s a seller at the farmers market right now who’s got an entire stand of muskmelons and honeydews, etc, and you can smell it from half an aisle away. They were a bit too pricey for me, but I later picked up a small cantaloupe from the co-op as a treat.
I’m sure I’ve waxed poetic about my love for breakfast before, but it really is my favourite time of day. Partly it’s the food involved — having that first cup of tea or coffee, looking forward to toast or yogurt or cereal (I definitely go through favourite breakfast food phases); partly it’s just the time of day. In the summer, it’s still a little cool in the morning (or at least not as hot), and the world around me is just getting going. There are days when I wish I could go to sleep around six in the evening, just to skip right to the morning bit.
So, I have a question for you. It has nothing to do with breakfast, although you can have bonus points if you link your answer to something to do with that meal. I’ve noticed that there are billions of inspirational photographs of kitchens and bathrooms (does plumbing inspire design?), bedrooms and even living rooms. But do you have any favourite images of basement remodels?
I’m talking serious basements, here. Not walk-outs, nothing naturally light and air-y. I’ve got a Minnesota-style basement, with tiny windows way up high. It’s got full-height ceilings, and I know it could be a great space someday, when I’ve got money to spend, but I’ve had a hard time finding inspiration in the meantime. I’d like to see some really impressive or creative remodels, not just dry-wall, carpet, entertainment center for the guys type jobs. So do you have any recommended links or favourite images to pass along?
What about p.95 of ‘The Crafter’s Companion’?! I think putting wood paneling (tongue and groove stuff) on the walls could help the space feel warm. I guess lots of light fittings will help too. I grew up in a basement flat and there were never too many lamps (and we had big windows and high ceilings)! Cx
Candice Olsen did a GORGEOUS basement on her show on HGTV. It would probably take some digging, but it should be on the HGTV website somewhere. It was a real basement, with tiny windows, and she turned into a gorgeous, airy place with light paint and wood (maybe laminate?) floors and lovely furniture.
We are still working on a basement remodel. We’re also in the midwest, so we had a choppy space to work with being that our home is a bungalow. We’ve done a lot of built-ins to try to make it look more original to the house. We did do wall to wall carpet,but with the hard cold floors it was a good choice for us. (We have no carpet any where else in the house.) In the playroom we did the foam floor tiles in a charcoal grey color which are soft underfoot and clean up well. This is the only thing that’s done so far– the built in shelf in my sewing area.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/adesonia/2762854888/
Oh I also wanted to mention that instead of a drop ceiling with tiles, we did large sections of wainscoting sections for the ceiling. It allowed us to avoid the drop ceiling look but gave us access to the pipes that we know we’ll need since this house is 80 years old. I’ll post pics when it’s done. (painting it white is a neck breaking chore we’ve been putting off!)
Love your blog! Sarah had a good idea…
My fave Canuck Candice Olsen has done A TON of basement remodels. Here’s the list with pics:
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/shows_hdivd/article/0,,HGTV_10736_2967302,00.html
This might not be your style, but I do find it inspiring how this couple managed to take a basement and make it look like anything but. They didn’t even have a window to work with, but the space is well lit and feels very inviting.
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/chicago/fall-colors-2006-midwest/2-marilyn-and-peters-home-studio-harmony-013079
If you scroll through the comments, the homeowners answer some questions about the flooring and stuff.
Good luck!