Downstairs Built Ins

A couple weeks ago a social media friend of mine posted a before/after photo of a dresser she transformed. Not gonna lie, I flipped between the two photos several times and wondered, wait, which was the before? Hey, as long as she likes it, it's her success.

We have a new before/after in our basement. I'd like to think it's clear what's before and what's after, though, of course, everyone has different tastes.

Pardon the black TV stand that we placed in there

You'll have to forgive my amateur photography skills, the lighting is not totally accurate. In person the cabinet color is not as dark, not as dull. Just trust me on this one.

It was a total can't-go-back-now risk to paint the wood, another risk to paint it dark. Everything else in the basement is now bright light gray, white, or beige though. THIS is where I wanted your eye to go when you walked downstairs. Not to the fireplace or office area, not to the Murphy bed. Here. Where we'll gather for future family movie nights or MSU football viewing parties. This is the main event.

I figured this project would be a good one to test out peel an stick wallpaper behind the open shelves. It felt like a safe time to take a gamble, and also I knew the dark color would need some lightening. Hanging this wallpaper cemented my faith we're a solid couple. SHEESH. But man does it look great.

I matched the hardware to the office area, which I matched to the existing kitchenette. B had yet to install the four drawer pulls when I snapped this shot, but they're on now.

Eventually we'll mount a TV within the large opening, and likely throw a few baskets of blankets beneath that on the bottom ledge to anchor the space. That'll come later, though. Right now I'm gonna wash the blue off my hands and kick my feet up upstairs.