My husband, Zach thinks just like a businessman. He does not like to spend money on anything that doesn’t make a profit. As you can imagine that makes finishing a home pretty complicated. I set out on a mission to make our cold basement into a space we like to utilize. To keep Zach happy, I used mostly used items and inexpensive finds. I used Facebook marketplace, Secondhand stores, garage sales, family heirlooms, and a sofa left by one of Zach’s kind tenants to transform our basement. What I learned was everything does not need to be new and expensive to create something great. It actually means a lot more when there is a bit of history behind everything in the room. We started the basement by Painting the walls a light grey/green called “Pigeon” by Farrow and Ball and lining the room with 2×6 pine boards about 18 inches apart. This was a splurge but it was well worth it.
Mirror – Garage Sale ($5) / Wooden lamp – Goodwill ($3) / Antique Desk – Second Hand Store ($100) / Brass Candlestick – Amazon ($80) / 6pk Battery Operated Candles – Amazon ($21) / Bird Art – Old Walmart ($12) / Faux Plant – Target ($15) / Decanter – Secondhand Store ($3)
Fireplace – Zach’s Grandma Jody’s (Painted Benjamin Moore Van Buren Brown) / Lamp – Zach’s Grandma Jody’s / Coffee Table – Facebook Marketplace ($50) / Faux Plants – Old Target ($20/$25) Similar Plants / Book Ends – Old Target ($20) Similar Bookends / Canvas – Old Target found second hand ($10) / Bench – Found Second Hand ($50)
Finding a Counsel under the TV was difficult. I wanted something long and tall that was proportional to the space, but I knew I would be doing all of the heavy lifting myself. I settled on three bookshelves stacked side by side. I was really happy with the result. This was not necessarily an inexpensive option but given the size it was considerably less than anything comparable.
Bookshelves – (Vintage Oak Finish) Amazon ($84.79ea) / Rattan Wall Sconce Lamps 2 pk – Amazon ($114) / Rattan Storage Baskets 6pk – Amazon currently unavailable ($100)
I found the books at my local Secondhand store. It was “fill your cart for $1” sale!
I hope this motivates you to find pieces you like, new or old and utilize them in your home. You don’t need to hold out for the furniture that costs an arm and a leg because it is trendy and popular. You can create the same atmosphere with things that still make you happy, for half of the cost.
It’s a youths sports world and we’re 
#happine
#sunse
