A Nice Place to Be

And now... the moment you've all been waiting for and waiting for and then forgetting about and finally not even remembering you were ever waiting at all! I am now going to introduce the new basement. Ta Da! The before pictures were actually taken after some things had already been re-arranged and some clearing and cleaning had taken place, so the change is actually more dramatic than it appears. I really did get this done late during the night of the 19th, but then I hesitated to take the pictures because I am still wanting to sew a few more pillows and also put some more streamlined toy storage on the shelving unit. Then, after that, things really got crazy around here, so I am now finally getting around to this.

Before:
The basement lacked a specific purpose. It was kind of a place for kids to play, but it also was a place to store food (lots and lots of it), and it also provided a place for us to put a bunch of our stuff, not to mention a house for an industrial sewing machine that was not being used, and a big yellow chair that had been very loved.
After:
We found places to put things that were more appropriate and we also got rid of some things that were not in use. I added vibrant colors to make the room more warm and cheerful and tried to make a focal point (a stage) to define the room as a place to "play". Flowers, pillows, and window treatments were added as comfortable and cheerful accessories. The vases are plastic to insure safety to the children. I also made a rug to break up the commercial carpet floor and make it a little more soft and inviting. A black futon was covered and throw pillows were added to make comfortable seating for the audience or to curl up together and read books (which we've really enjoyed). I painted the dressers a bright white to give contrast to the vivid colors and to coordinate and balance the room. The kids table and chairs set was painted red to echo the strong color from the stage curtains. White curtains were hung in front of the food storage to focus little eyes toward things they CAN play with and hide the things that aren't toys. Special thanks goes to: JulieAnn and Allen, My Mom, Kara, Sherilyn, and Spencer. It's now a nice place to be.