House Project: Basement Family Room

Look a post not about the kids... kinda. Mike has been working hard converting the semi-finished half of the basement into a finished play/family room. I for one am SO EXCITED for them to have a space to get to run and play inside - not to mention toy storage that isn't our living room!

Here's the basement as we bought it:

And after some destruction, some electrical (that^^ was the light switch. It's now by the stairs) and some framing...

...lots and lots of framing and doors to the back and closet. The corner cabinet will be a TV stand and covers a pipe that pops out of the floor and the water shut off valves to the city.

Starting to drywall:

My dad came again and helped with some electrical (fixing old wiring to the lights and adding a circuit to the panel for a baseboard heater) and half the ceiling drywall. 

Done with drywall! On to mud and tape, and LOTS of sanding:

drywall dust escaping the basement

Now for the finishes! 

Paint!!

Lots more paint, baseboard and the cabinet topper. 

Topper for the shelf along the stairs. 

Painting trim

When your wife asks for risers on the stairs so they're not open, you measure and realize none of the steps are the same height... or level. Then you get whole new stairs. It's like If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, just for grown-ups :) 

More paint...

Cabinet door and window trim

Carpet install!

Finishing the carpet and moving in the toys!

Electronics set up courtesy of Auntie Amanda

AND IT'S DONE DONE!

including the baseboard heater.