2nd House Remodel: Basement Part 8 - Play-house

This was easily the most fun project I've done.  A friend of mine built a new house in our neighborhood a couple years ago and had his builder add a small playhouse using the typically wasted space beneath their stairs.  Since I have two little girls, I decided this was something I wanted to do.

So, a couple years ago Laura wanted to head out to Utah to visit her friend while I went off to a wrestling camp.  There were a few days on either side of the camp where I worked on the playhouse and some tile projects.  I took progress photos of all of them, but I appear to have lost them when I changed phones a few times these last 2 years.

I didn't have a lot of space to play with, so I fit in a small window with a planter box underneath and made a door that resembles a gate you might built in a picket fence.  Beside that there is just a small light in the playhouse, carpet, and some trim.  I also made a chalkboard on the wall outside the playhouse using some panel moulding and chalkboard paint.

Needless to say, the girls REALLY liked their new playhouse and chalkboard!

The only "in progress" shot I still have.  Boo.

Window, planter box and chalkboard. 

Another view of the window an planter box.

Window and door.

Door, latch, and entrance.

Door trim and hinge detail.

From inside.

2nd House Remodel: Basement Part 7 - Family Room Shelves

Another small project.  I had some grand plans for very elaborate built-in shelving surrounding the basement fireplace, but ultimately as my decision to change careers led us to put our house on the market to move closer to school and my job, I decided to do something a bit less.  Still, I think it worked out nicely.  We use these shelves to stack the blankets and pillows we keep in the basement.

Shelves added!  I built them during the process of
repainting the basement.

Close-up of shelf edge trim.

Closer view.

In use!

2nd House Remodel: Basement Part 6 - Ledge Upgrade

This was a fun and quick update project.  I just couldn't stand how boring the ledges on the southeast and southwest corners of the house ended up, so I finally got around to updating them, increasing the size of the ledge and adding some trim built-up underneath the ledge.

Original family room ledge...BORING!  8in ledge, barely reaches the edge
of the drywall.

Another view of the original family room ledge.

Original large bedroom ledge.  8in ledge barely reaches the edge of the
drywall.

Updated family room ledge. Paint unfinished in this picture, but
a big improvement.  This is now a 12in ledge.

Another view of the updated family room ledge.

Large bedroom updated ledge, now a 10in ledge.

Also paint unfinished in this picture, but gives you an
idea of the trim built-up underneath the ledge.