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You are here: Home / Home / DIY BASEMENT UPDATE

DIY BASEMENT UPDATE

August 17, 2021 By Anna Groves No Comments

I turned our kids’ basement hang out into a mom cave! When we bought our house, it was a new home without much character and the bare minimum in finishes.  We made our offer and negotiated to have them finish out the basement and add a small bath.  Knowing we would be doing a DIY basement update, we chose the least expensive options.  

Ew.

Mom Cave

This basement is an awkward shape. When you come down the stairs you turn right to the small bathroom (see the bath update on instagram and below), or go straight and see a blank wall (which I turned into an office) below. 

  • bath to the right
  • office as you come downstairs

To the left, you will find a verrrrry long room.  We had it set up on both sides like two living rooms for the boys to play video games.  I knew I wanted to redo them but what I thought was going to be a teen hangout turned into a mom cave!

Inspiration

I was inspired by my tea kettle’s gorgeous blue hue.   It was a sign that this room would be for me!  

my inspiration color for the cabinets

First I took a pic of the dungeon and marked it up. (Do you like my professional rendering??)

I wanted some storage and shelving, and thought floating shelves and a drink cooler would be great.  I almost built everything from scratch using plywood but quickly changed my mind.  Why reinvent the wheel when I can do an IKEA hack? More on that later.

Brighten Things Up

The first step was paining the room white.  That made a huge difference.  I used Snowcap White in the eggshell finish by Valspar Reserve- a good contrast to the black wall in the office.  Sometimes you go with the lack of natural light and opt not to fight it, like I did in the office.  And other times you do your best to enhance the light!  There is one small window, so I kept it light and airy.   I also knew I was painting the cabinets dark blue, which was a factor.

Cabinets

Next, I moved onto cabinets. I purchased some Havsta IKEA cabinets with the intention of painting them and adding a butcher block countertop. I assembled the base of the cabinets and left the doors off to paint separately. The tops would go unused due to the butcher block countertop. The Valspar furniture and cabinet paint says you don’t need to sand or prime, but I HIGHLY recommend that you do on these particular cabinets.

I started to paint directly onto the IKEA cabinet doors, thinking the existing paint was like a primer. It wasn’t, plus the grain on the wood was really pronounced.

  • Ikea Havsta Cabinets
  • Should have sanded first lol
  • You should sand and prime these particular cabinets!
  • This paint is amazing – it settles beautifully
  • painted the base separately

That said, I sanded for forever, used a tack cloth to remove the dust, and the paint turned out perfect. I love this paint. It takes a loooooong time to dry since it is an oil blend, but it settles so beautifully that it looks like you used a sprayer.

I used a roller and brush to apply a thin coat, then brushed the corners, and rolled once more to smooth it out. I waited 24 hours before applying the second coat, and another 24 hours before handling. While the doors were drying, I painted the base and then started on the countertops. The color is Valspar Pitch Cobalt and the finish is satin in the Cabinet and Furniture paint.

Countertops

The cabinets were about 18 inches deep and the butcher block countertop was about 30 inches wide. I cut it down to 24 inches using a jig saw. Big mistake! After bending the blade and the saw going rogue, (see my highlights) it dawned on me that I had a circular saw sitting in the garage! Don’t ask me how one forgets they have a whole circular saw, lol!

So, I tried again with the circular saw. This time it turned out perfectly. I was using two countertops for length, so I repeated the process. (If you don’t have a table saw, use a piece of trim as a straight edge).

right before the blade bent!

Staining Wood to Remove Yellow

I like to work with raw wood, but for this project I decided to stain to remove some of the yellow. I sanded with 220 grit sandpaper and used tack cloth to remove all dust. Then I mixed Minwax Silvered Oak with a splash of Simply White to get the perfect color, taking out the yellow. This is all about trial and error so you will need to have a piece of wood to practice on. I probably tried about 6 times to get the perfect color, then stained and let dry. We used these inexpensive countertops.

left is unstained, right is stained.
I used silvered oak mixed with a splash of simply white.

While the countertop was drying I applied the same stain mixture to the wood for the floating shelves.  For these I chose 2 x 12 pine.   In hindsight, I would have chosen something lighter.  These were 8 foot long solid pine boards- the weight was no joke!  

Hardware

When they were dry, I assembled the cabinets. I added beautiful gold Rejuvenation hardware. It is spendy, but justifiable if it’s only a few doors. It really elevates the look of the cabinets and makes them look higher-end. Mine were leftover from a previous project.

rejuvenation cabinet pull

Joining the Countertop

For joining the countertop, I had no idea what I was doing. I’m not a woodworker, but I decided I would use dowels left over from the IKEA cabinets to join the them together. If it were for a kitchen or bathroom I would have added pocket holes for a tighter fit.  (Here’s a video from a real pro on how to properly join the countertops.)

  • drill hole for the dowel
  • make sure it fits
  • dry fitting
  • wood glue on dowel
  • wood glue on one of the boards
  • fit together
  • fill gap with wood filler
  • stain over the seam

I marked and drilled holes into the counter top for the dowels and dry fit them.  It fit!  Then I added wood glue to connect it. There was a small gap so I filled it with wood filler, sanded, and added a quick wash of stain over the seam. I used the wrong color wood filler so I will go back and fix that soon. I opted to leave the countertop without sealing,  since there will be no water source anywhere near it.  Finally, you’ll want to attach the countertop from the inside top of the cabinet using L brackets.  Now onto the shelves.

Floating Shelves

We used these brackets from Amazon. I found and marked the studs on the wall. Using the studs as a guide, I measured where the holes would be on the wood and we used a drill bit to carve them out.  Finally, we attached the brackets to the wall and pushed the wood onto the brackets.  We had to pull it off and try again, as one hole was slightly off.  We drilled a larger hole and it worked out great!

To finish the look, I added a few decorative items to the shelf, moved our sofa and ottoman from the other side of the basement and popped in a rug from Target.  I love the way it turned out!  It might be my favorite project to date!

What do you think??

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Filed Under: Home, Lifestyle, Style, Uncategorized Tagged With: basement update, diy bar, diy basement

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A vessel sharing positivity through beauty, wellness, and personal style.
I LOVE this Grilled Peach Salad with Lemon Blackbe I LOVE this Grilled Peach Salad with Lemon Blackberry Honey Dressing! #sponsored Everything’s from @aldiusa which means fresh, affordable, high quality ingredients for summer grilling and entertaining! I picked up the Crofton acacia wood bowl and wood block in ALDI Finds aisle, too! #ALDILove 
 
Here’s what you’ll need for the salad: (Serving Size: 2 Cups) 
1 package Simply Nature Organic Arugula & Spinach Mix  
6-8 small peaches  
4 Simply Nature Organic Chicken Breasts, cooked to your desire  
1 cup blackberries  
1 Emporium Selection Goat Cheese Log 
1 cup Southern Grove Shelled Pistachios, roughly chopped  
2 tbsp Simply Nature 100% Avocado Oil 
 
For the salad dressing:  
1 small lemon, zested and juiced 
2 Tbsp Specially Selected Raw Honey  
1/2 cup blackberries  
3 Tbs Priano Balsamic Vinegar 
1 1/2 tsp salt  
1/4 cup Simply Nature Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil 
 
1. Preheat grill to 400 degrees.  Slice peaches in half and remove pits.  
2. Brush halved peaches all over with avocado oil, and place sliced side down on preheated grill. Let cook 3-4 minutes, moving as needed to achieve more grill marks. Flip over and cook 3-4 more minutes. Meanwhile make salad dressing.  
3. Take peaches off the grill and assemble the salad.  Place greens in bowl. Salt and pepper to taste. 
4. Slice peaches and add to top of greens. Lay sliced chicken on top.  
5. Slice and add the goat cheese, then sprinkle on blackberries and chopped pistachios. Drizzle with a little salad dressing and serve with additional dressing.  
 
While peaches are grilling, make your dressing:  
1. Pour lemon juice and zest in small bowl.  
2. Add honey and salt. Mix until combined. 
3. Add 1/2 cup blackberries and smash with a fork. Add balsamic vinegar.  
4. Whisk mixture while slowly drizzling in the olive oil until emulsified.
Lots of q’s about this dress- it has pockets…. Lots of q’s about this dress- it has pockets…. Because as you know, we carry lots of important things in our dress pockets 😂 A perfect vacay dress if you’re going somewhere warm- Tarte gifted it to me when I was in Miami (swipe) and I’m gonna bring it with me to florida when I go again pretty soon ! Linked in stories and LTK for you:)

#liketkit #LTKtravel #LTKSeasonal
@shop.ltk
https://liketk.it/3I8i5
Wanna know a fun fact? Something about Rob that I’m super grateful for?  
 
He was born 10 years before his three sisters. He was the best big bro and built-in babysitter… and it was the greatest preparation for being a father.  
 
Rob was always ready to change diapers, hop up in the middle of the night, feed hungry babies… he carried just as much weight as I did over the years raising our four sons.  
 
And can I be really honest? Of the two of us, he is the best parent. The most aware- always the one asking the right questions and making sure parents were present at parties.  The one who kept one eye open - not falling asleep waiting for our sons to come home safely on New Year’s Eve. The first one to check in, every single time.  
 
Rob Groves, I’m so proud to call you my partner and father to our four sons. Thank you for being a remarkable example. Happy Father’s Day to a real one!
I’ve said it to you before, but as long as there I’ve said it to you before, but as long as there is someone within earshot who is afraid to pursue their dream, it’s worth saying again and again and again: You have to start.  
 
I saw this picture last night and cried. I remembered that as a small child, I’d often pick up a pretend mic and speak to an imaginary crowd. I knew I was going to talk to people. I didn’t know about what, but it was a seed planted in my heart by God.  
 
It dawned on me last night that it came to pass. But not how or when I’d imagined.  
 
It didn’t happen when I was 5, or a teenager, or in my twenties, or when I turned 30.  
 
It didn’t happen when I was 37 and buying domain names.  
 
It didn’t happen when I was 38, reading blogs about how to start my own.  
 
It didn’t happen when I was 39, watching friends pursue their dreams while I was watching YouTubes about how to begin mine.  
 
It didn’t happen when I was 40, writing secret blog posts but not publishing them, paralyzed by the inner critic telling me it was too late. That I’d look dumb. That the space was too saturated.  That mocked, “They’re gonna see you fail.”  
 
It didn’t happen when I turned 41, or 42 or 43.  
 
It happened after I STARTED. When God told me to put those lies in the trash where they belong and to just GET GOING, even though I didn’t know how to do everything.  
 
It’s year three. Every morning I get up and speak to thousands on this app. I recently shot a commercial for Toyota. And yesterday, I sat down in this chair to host a web series with the same company who I purchased that domain name from.  
 
I don’t know if you want to go to med school, make pottery or teach kindergarten. I don’t know If you dream of getting your masters, or your AA. Maybe you want to design clothing, take up photography, start coding, become a nurse, or you want to write that book.  
 
Whatever it is, it’s not too late.  But if you don’t START, it’s not going to happen.  So please, take it from this 46 year old with tears of gratitude and hope streaming down her face: GET UP AND GET GOING.
Mom and Dad. 🌺🌼💮🌸 By the grace of God, Mom and Dad. 🌺🌼💮🌸 By the grace of God, we really did that. #4Boys2Men 😭
23 years ago, I remember looking at Rob and whispe 23 years ago, I remember looking at Rob and whispering, “I want a noisy house.”  
 
I was pregnant with my oldest of four, and visiting my friend’s house.  She was pregnant with her youngest of four.  Her house was filled with joy… and noise.  
 
Welp, here we are- four grown boys later. That whisper became reality.  I got that noisy house, and sometimes when I start to complain, I remember- this was my desire, and God really did deliver.  
 
Thankful for my crew and 23 years of yelling, wrestling, “look at the camera!”, bickering, tears, holes in walls, super hero comparisons (still), “did you brush your teeth?!”, music versus battles, “STOP touching me!”, video games, one word answers, “MOMMMM!!”, boy hugs, and all of my most cringy mom moments. 
 
I hope you had an amazing weekend, and if it wasn’t very amazing, please know that I thought of you on Mother’s Day, and I hold space for you in my heart.
Rob and I are in a very strange season. What we be Rob and I are in a very strange season. What we believed was “next” is no longer. Many people around us are either trying to solve it like it’s a problem to be figured out, or asking us, “So…what’s next?”   
  
I get it. We also want to know.  But the truth is, we don’t know.  We are waiting to hear from God. It’s hard. It’s uncomfortable. It certainly hasn’t been fun. We feel discouraged at times. That’s where we find ourselves.   
  
But I am thankful. For friends who are fine to sit and wait WITH us. And a God whose greatest desire is to just BE with us in every moment- especially the ones that aren’t epic. The ones when life looks plain. When it seems there is no movement, no vision, no plan, no seemingly huge accomplishment, or mountaintop moment.   
  
What a miracle it is that Peace Himself sits down beside us, scoots in close, and whispers contentment, joy and that He is proud of us into our ears. Proud of us in the mundane. Proud of us in this stillness.   
  
I receive it. I hold onto it. Let me grasp it so tightly and fully that I don’t CARE what’s next, and instead savor who is next to me.   
  
Let right now be our next, and let us find the utmost peace right here.  
  
“Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him.”  
‭‭  
Psalms‬ ‭62:5‬
#3MinuteMakeupChallenge You guys this was SO hard #3MinuteMakeupChallenge You guys this was SO hard 😂😂 you gotta try this and tell me how it went!  #makeup #quickmakeup #quickmakeuplook #FearlessFriday on a Wednesday
💇🏽‍♀️Did I leave you hanging???! I had 💇🏽‍♀️Did I leave you hanging???! I had an epic April fools day hair reveal to share but then decided maybe it’s too soon in the decade for more jokes 😂 Here’s the actual new hair :) 
 
I was using black box dye, and as my grays were coming in, they were very obvious, with a line of demarcation showing the grow out.  
 
As a solution, Brittany gave me “lived in color” to camouflage my gray -instead of covering it- by subtly and strategically lightening my hair so the gray “blends.” 
 
She said that camouflage instead of covering is the more modern way of coloring and I’m here for all of the dimension!  
 
First and last slides are day 3 hair, and I kid you not, I hadn’t done anything to it since Brittany styled it on Friday!! I wish I could curl my hair like she does!  
 
Also I like seeing the different tones in varying lights- at sundown (day 1 slide 2) morning light (day 2 slide 3) and golden hour (day 3 slides 1 and 4)  
 
The goal will be less and less red and more warm browns as we progress and slowly go lighter over the coming months!  
 
Love it!
Just found out it’s husband appreciation day so Just found out it’s husband appreciation day so here’s my appreciation post for Rob Groves! Best father, friend, leader and overall person I know! Dances with me in an empty party bus before the party ever starts, puts up with my “dancing”which is saying a lot, puts God, me and our family first, makes me laugh, is always striving to grow for the better, sings Tender Roni with me (which is all I ever wanted ever since 8th grade and needless to say it was worth the wait!) I appreciate him for waiting patiently until I’m done with my try ons, that he loves good food, does a good Daniel Russo, is the finest dookie picker upper, and that I finally broke the “can’t be pranked” door down (last slide). I Love you and I like you Rob Groves!
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