It’s a design project reveal day and one that honestly turned out far better than I had ever predicted. If you are popping over here after seeing me on Good Morning America then “Hiya 🙂 Thanks for coming and welcome (and I hope I didn’t say ‘um’ 19 times).” If you just want to buy the book, then head here (and thank you :)). But this reveal is pretty great, so I think you should keep reading. Today we have a basement makeover that I hope inspires all of you who suffer from “neglected basement disorder.” You are not alone. The basement has historically been relegated to leftover overstuffed furniture, dated wall paneling, and popcorn encrusted wall-to-wall carpet (and ceiling). My friend Robyn’s was no different, and yet during the pandemic, it was the most utilized room in the house – thus inspiring the transformation. But the thing is they liked a lot of the 1970s elements because a lot of them do provide the cozy vibe that you want in a colder climate basement – Those “dated” elements are great ways to make an underground space feel warm. I will defend wall-to-wall carpet in a cold room until I die. They hired the wonderful Priscilla Frost to lead, plan and design the whole basement renovation (check out their mudroom and bathroom), which was pretty extensive. I stepped in on this room to co-design it with her – involved in the furniture and lots of vintage shopping/styling. I was highly invested emotionally in making sure that Robyn and her husband Ryan retained the comfort and coziness that they loved, but it just needed it to be BETTER. And I’ll be honest with you I could tell Ryan was scared that we designers were going to make it less comfortable, less functional, just fancier, and more pretentious. And I get that! But not me. I’m in the “comfortable/cozy” portion of my life and will advocate for those elements before aesthetics for a basement TV room every single time.
Ok so as a reminder – this room needed to function for two parents, two tween/teen boys, a dog, and a lot of winter sports watching. We needed durability, extreme comfort, and kid/pet-friendly fabrics and materials. They loved the wall-to-wall carpet and there was a decent heated debate about the paneling.
TO PANEL OR TO PAINT THE “ORIGINAL” PANELING
This was a pretty hefty debate that Ryan felt strongly about (with a decent amount of pushback). He liked the wood look of the paneling and didn’t want it painted, but the two paneling treatments were different – one already white and one a 70s orange wood (Doug Fir, Pine, or Cedar – stained). An easy update would be to paint the entire room a darker cozy color and leave the paneling as it was. But they wanted to do more waterproofing and some foundational work on the exterior walls which meant that the interior walls were going to have to be torn out and replaced anyway. So, once we knew we had to open up the walls the options then became to simply drywall and paint or replace the paneling altogether. Finding the right wood took MONTHS and we considered everything from T and G wood flooring (applied vertically) to simple cedar or Doug Fir boards.
We were all pretty darn nervous that the Doug Fir would turn out orange despite messing with the stain colors. In my experience, anytime people try to make Doug Fir look like a hardwood such as walnut it does not look too bad. Priscilla had some excellent inspiration images that gave me hope and it could have worked out, but I felt nervous. Robyn and Ryan were both “is this going to look 70s and dated?” and I couldn’t guarantee them that it wouldn’t!
So before we committed to the risk I reached out to Ross Alan Reclaimed Lumber to see if we could partner up on this room (discount for PR and photography). Because they trust that we’d make it awesome (and because they are smart and wonderful business people), they agreed and sent us some samples. The second we got the sample we all were like, “OH, THIS!” It was a very easy/fast decision despite this being higher than the original budget (this is black walnut and splurgier, but as you can see worth it).
You should know that reclaimed wood will have more cracks and imperfections so you’ll need ample overage and a skilled yet flexible installer. JP Macy’s crew did a great job of installing it as you can see. We were blown away – it’s just so stunning. This is the seal we used!
OK now on to the full reveal … but before all the pretty photos, here’s a video walkthrough where I tour ya through the space (just wait for the ad to play!)
The Cozy U-Shaped Sectional
This room consists of very few pieces of furniture so what we chose had to really work. I wrote a whole post about customizing the sectional with Interior Define last week and it’s EXCELLENT. It’s very comfortable, has great proportions (deep enough to lounge, not too deep to sit upright), easy to maintain, and can fit so many people (or lounge the entire family). We styled it out with pillows from City Home (local and awesome), Rejuvenation (local and awesome), and Bloomist (sustainably sourced and so beautiful).
Coffee Table | Rug | Tray | Box (vintage) | Matchstriker (similar) | Mug | Coasters | Book🙂
The coffee table is from Rejuvenation and works perfectly with the dark moody vibe of the room (and the roundness fits beautifully inside the U-shaped sectional).
The Vintage Art Gallery Wall
Sconces (painted shades black with fabric paint) | Art (vintage)
I’ll always have a sentimental attachment to these vintage art pieces as I shopped for them during the rainiest month of my life – November 2021. The adventure was a real mood booster. I couldn’t really shop/buy for the farmhouse yet and at the time I was missing our life in Lake Arrowhead badly but the one thing that Arrowhead doesn’t have, and Portland thrives at, is vintage/thrift/antique shops. So strangely collecting all of these pieces made me so very happy. I just went for it and didn’t ask for approval, knowing their style pretty well (authentic, collected, warm, grandpa-vintage inspired). There were a few they didn’t respond to as much but we all agreed that Priscilla and I would finish the wall and then if they didn’t like the finished project they could replace a few (I didn’t charge then for the pieces until I knew what they’d like – a privilege of knowing that my business model is not residential clients, but blog content). I would say those pieces ranged from $15 – $150 – and frankly, I love SO MANY of them for myself, but can happily visit them when I come over to Robyn’s.
Pillows And Throws
Cross Pillow | Black and White Woven Pillow | Yellow Plaid Pillow | Lumbar Pillow (similar) | Faux Fur Pillow | Blue Plaid Pillow | Color Block Pillow | Velvet Pillow | Throw Blanket | Gold Lamp | Nesting Side Tables
Once I knew this project was going to be very “reveal worthy,” I started reaching out to companies I loved for accessories. On the sectional we have a pretty darn epic mix of City Home, Bloomist, and Rejuvenation – all look so cozy together and all are companies worthy of our support. That throw is not necessarily the curl-up and snuggle throw, but goodness it’s just so pretty. The lamp is from City Home as well.
Hold up: I want to give a huge shout out to City Home – a small local chain (3 total) of furniture and home decor stores in Portland that – get this – you can purchase and take home furniture pieces the same day. I feel like no stores do this anymore and is likely why they are thriving right now what with long lead times. The people who own it are lovely, they have awesome stuff, and just know that you are supporting a local retailer if you opt to shop with them.
Wait, What’s Up With All The Ducks?
You may notice that there are a lot of “ducks” in this room and it’s not an accident. We believe in ducks. Robyn met Ryan, and I met Brian in college at U of O and, he’s a HUGE duck fan (our school’s mascot in case you aren’t up on all college mascots). Ryan really didn’t have very many style requests outside of function for this room, but once said, off-hand – maybe something with a duck? And I took it and waddled. It’s like how Anna Wintour says, “Meh, I don’t really like purple right now” and then all of a sudden the brief to the entire Conde Naste universe is “don’t you dare put purple near her person or print a shade of it in the magazine” – except the opposite. I only had “duck vision” from there on out. He wanted ducks and I was going to shop for and give him DUCKS. Thus my obsession with decoys began and has yet to wane. That painting is an awesome duck painting, there are a few decoys on the fireplace mantel, and I feel the duck behind the sofa says, “Oregon Den” without screaming “FOWL DUCK.”
Wooden Chain | Mirror (vintage) | Art (vintage) | Ceramic Frog Block | Decoys (vintage) | Blanket Ladder | Top Plaid Blanket | Bottom Plaid Blanket (vintage)
The TV Wall
The TV had to be set off to the left of the fireplace because over the top would be too high (read this post if you are curious how to layout a tv and fireplace in one room). It works great here, especially since the walls are dark and it just disappears. Priscilla found them that awesome media console from Article that again, recedes, letting the wood and the general “vibe” be the focal point. We styled out the top of it but I kinda wish we had just left it with a couple of books, diminishing the busyness. Look at that sectional there – so comfy and cozy.
The Wall-To-Wall Carpet
Dog Bed | Carpet (color: cold winter) | Media Console | Checkered Box
Clyde is really stealing our wall-to-wall carpet shot – but the truth is we didn’t really get one. Priscilla and Robyn picked it out, I approved, it was installed, and then covered up til we brought in the furniture so we didn’t get any “carpet only” shots. This is from the brand Shaw, the Cozy Harbor II collection in color, Cold Winter which is great for the price, then they put it over a 1/2″ memory foam carpet pad and it’s very cozy. I think it’s a great medium-priced cozy carpet.
The Layered Rug
I will testify on the stand for this rug – I’ve used it many times and for good reason. It is neutral yet patterned making it very kid/pet friendly and forgiving. It’s plush but not a shag – making it so comfortable and cozy. We layered it to add coziness and protect the wall-to-wall carpet. It’s WONDERFUL. It goes with every style imaginable. I will likely have it at the farm because I love it so much. It’s called the Citra rug from Dash and Albert.
The Sofa Table + WFH Desk
Floor Lamp | Desk | Table Lamp | Leather Ottomans | Basket
I love this vignette so much (visually and functionally). We found the desk, lamp, and ottomans all at City Home (so excellent) and they tuck under just wonderfully. That floor lamp is leather brass and wood = my trifecta of favorite materials. What I love about this desk is that it can act as a sofa table (with lamp, etc) and a place to store extra seating as it is right now. It can act as a buffet for popcorn and snacks if they were to entertain, too. But, here’s the real genius move, it’s deep enough to be a good-sized desk, which was an added plus as Robyn needed a better WFH office.
I think that the desk as sofa table should be a way more popular move – I would use it all the time. There are so many nights where the kids want to watch something but I’d rather be pinning but near them. It’s a great hack to add an extra desk area without screaming “I’M AN OFFICE”.
Wood Vase (handmade gift) | Matchstriker (similar) | Candle
I’d like to give another shout-out to Taylor, a carpenter on the ARCIFORM team for carving me that wood vase from a piece of wood on the property that he collected on the first day of the job. I honestly hadn’t been that touched in so long – a gesture completely out of the blue that made me feel so good. I took it home with me after the shoot (obviously) but was so excited about it that I wanted to show it off. That table lamp is from Rejuvenation and it’s wood with beautiful modern carved striped into it – an absolute classic that will never go out of style.
I want to call something out real quick – Sara photoshopped out the recessed lighting – something I noticed immediately. I didn’t ask her to but yes, totally appreciated it photography-wise. So no, the ceiling didn’t change (although I wanted to clad it so bad) and the recessed lights remain. I would never suggest doing a family room without some good overhead lighting – I know we use ours all the time for crafting, puzzles, and games.
A big shout out to Priscilla Frost (on the left) who took the lead on the construction and did all the project management. Because partners were involved I was more heavily involved in the design and styling of this room, but she did the bulk of the construction and application of the finishes. If you are an architectural firm in Portland and looking for an in-house designer/project manager this girl is for you (she is currently pursuing that route so she can build her experience and skills, rather than taking on residential clients).
I hope you enjoyed the whole basement process and reveal. We have one more – the 14-year-old tween boys reveal (and y’all there are like no teen boys inspiration on the internet so come back for it).
Oh, and if you want an Interior Define sectional or sofa of your own, they are offering a one-time discount of 15% off through May 24th, 2022. Just use code: HENDERSON15
*Design by Emily Henderson and Priscilla Frost
**Styled by Emily Henderson
***Photos by Sara Ligorria-Tramp
What a breath of fresh air from all of the white minimalist rooms that have trotted past my eyeballs in the last decade! This room looks super comfortable, ready to stand up to some teenage rowdiness, and as PNW cozy as can possibly be. And that wood paneling is on point with wonderful warmth and texture. Love every inch!
I love all of the furniture–that sectional!–and accessories–the lamps!–and I see what you’re going for. But for me, the paneling and those paintings are definitely to be filed under: Huh, isn’t it fascinating what other people like and want? Good for them, but not for me.
I think the black walnut paneling and the vintage paintings are the best part. Did you have a chance to watch the video?
I did! I don’t know–maybe it just feels nostalgic for/the fancy version of something I really didn’t like the original version of? Again, I can see lots of other people like it, and I’d happily show up and steal all of the lamps!
“…nostalgic for/the fancy version of something I really didn’t like the original version of” Huh, don’t have much to add except you nailed a very specific feeling I have about a lot of designed/styled rooms and couldn’t phrase.
Okay just checking to make sure I wasn’t the only one. I just don’t want my basement to be dark, it’s already underground. Ground floor room with good natural light, sure maybe. Just seems like they went back instead of forward with this one. I can actually see this in the 1970s (especially since my house was built in ’69). The vintage art work isn’t helping either. This wasn’t made for me though but the homeowners. So hopefully this is the feel/style they love!
Good thing it’s not your basement then.
Yes, a cozy, paneled basement tv room – leaning into the basement vibes instead of trying to pretend it’s a lighter, brighter space. I think the before where it was painted white was depressing. This is warm and exactly what we in the PNW need in the midst of our long, wet winters. That paneling is lovely and I’m all about the vintage paintings. Love everything about this room!
Andrea, I totally agree with you that this may be a particularly PNW vibe. We have two living spaces in our Seattle home – one is light and airy with huge south-facing windows; the other sits under a low beamed ceiling with pale light from north-facing windows. And all the dark winter long, guess where we congregate with our blankets, candles and warm drinks galore? Mhmm. The cave room. We PNWers may be unusual in our willingness to lean into those dark and cozy vibes.
I’m on board with the paneling (especially seeing it in the video vs the photos), but the gallery wall of vintage art behind the sofa adds to the “dark vibe” I my opinion. Were it my basement, I would probably put the original lovely map of Oregon back up; I liked how it anchored that space, and it had some nice lightness to it. But that’s the neat this about art: everybody has their taste and nothing is “right” or “wrong,” and it is easy to swap out depending on mood!
I’m over gallery walls, especially in a room like this where the family splurged on the black walnut paneling and the collection of little pieces of art covers the beauty of the wood and adds more darkness to the room. I think you’re right about the map of Oregon, although it would need a new frame, I think. It would be beautiful over the fireplace.
I really like the styling! But honestly I’m squinting trying to look at the dark pictures.
Yes, I believe the photography is making it feel dark and, frankly, basement-y. It probably feels so cozy though. Seems like it gets good light with the windows. But the photography is reading Grandma’s basement. Lovely styling. I’m sure they hang down there all the time!
I was a good girl and went back to watch the video. It looks very high end. I think all the haters should take a minute to see that. The wood looks richer and, the furnishings more balanced.
No one likes being called names. No one is a “hater” just because they have a different opinion from you.
Same. It was hard to see
I don’t usually comment on typos on here and I really don’t want to make anybody feel bad (like seriously I have made so many typos – in important emails, in newsletters, probably somewhere in this comment) but I want I just want you to know that “Viola!!! The Reveal!!!” in the title picture has just brought me immense joy! May we all call on our Lady Viola for that she may bring us a good reveal! Idk why but it is just supremely funny to me. It is just…such an urgent summoning of our poor girl Viola – I hope she was ready for it… 😉 But in all seriousness the room is BEAUUUTIFULL and I wish I could move in right now!!! Thank you as always for sharing your beautiful content, occasional typos and all – they happen to all of us (despite what the typo-police might want you to believe) and sometimes they just add to the joy! Much love to the EHD-Team!!
All fixed! Thank you!
Jess….and the missing apostrophe in FRIEND’S .🙃
Still not fixed….
Jess, it’s not fixed.
In the lead header it still says “VIOLA”, which is a musical instrument.
VOILA is a TA-DA!
“The meaning of VOILÀ is —used to call attention, to express satisfaction or approval, or to suggest an appearance as if by magic.”
I’m the queen of typos in the comments!👸
I don’t read anything without noting the typos. I don’t watch anything (TV or movies) without noting continuity mistakes, wardrobe malfunctions and the like). It’s disruptive, but also comforting in a we’re all human way. (My own foible is the common comma, where DOES it go?)
Also, high five to another Priscilla!
Seriously made my day, too!!!! I saw it early this morning and was so happy! I play the viola professionally and just loved seeing it here. FYI for those who don’t know, the viola is the rich, big sister of the violin. It is warmer sounding, with more caramel and chocolate! So perfect for this room…
Looks so cosy! The moodiness and wood panelling remind me of being in the cabin of a yacht.
Just again, to say: that room ist just so gorgeous!!! It’s beautiful, cozy, lived in and most important of all looks very, very livable!! I love the combinations of the gold and mustard tones with deep blues and warm wood panneling. I honestly didn’t notice the carped and now that I see it I think it looks very cozy and the rug layered over it with a nearly identical tone is a genius way to distinguish a zone without hard breaks or contrasts. Also that pillow styling is A+++++ I’m currently trying to assemble pillows for my sofa and man for something so seemingly simply, I’m having such a hard time finding pillows that mesh with each other, the sofa and the surrounding artwork and are neither too loud or too matchy-matchy/boring. I know you already did more than one post on this, but if you ever wanna do another I would be so there for it 😅 Much, much love to the beautiful design of this room and a special hurray for really honouring the owners needs and concerns – it turned out beauuutfiul!!!
maybe this could help! https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/how-to-put-pillows-on-a-sofa
YES!!! I was looking for that thank you! It is SUCH a good guide!!! My main problem is probably mostly that I always want to buy the fun statement pillow and then end up surprised when my whole couch looks like an exclamation mark…. but I will get there yet! Thank you, Jess!! 🙂
Fellow Duck here! Just wanted to say this 100% reminds me of a basement apartment I lived in in Eugene – wood paneling everywhere!
How do we watch the video I keep trying but it shows another project? Thanks!
That wood paneling is just so, so gorgeous. Wow. Definitely check out the video to see it in all its glory. Love the original fireplace, what a gem!
That couch and pillows are just fantastic! Are the ottomans “one of a kind”? (or “two of a kind”, I guess?) I don’t see them on City Home’s website. They would be perfect for my entry.
I love this basement. i’ve been waiting for the basement with wood paneling that you had been mentioning. the wood is beautiful and rich looking and with all of the furnishings, it just feels soooo cozy. the vintage gallery wall is awesome. the feel of the space is so collected and chic grandpa-like. i kinda wish the can lights had not been photoshopped out though because it’s nice to be able to see what something really looks like. our basement is wood paneling with can lights. we had to rip all the wall to wall carpeting out when we bought the house a year ago due to mold (which is now all remediated), but i would love to add it back in, except my dust allergies wouldn’t love it. wall to wall carpet is very cozy.
Everything you said, ‘cept I don’t like wall-to-wall carpet and prefer huge rugs.
i prefer rugs due to my allergies, but i do love the feel of carpet under my feet. especially in a basement. but we will probably just do large rugs all over the basement over tile because i’ve also in my last house had the basement flood, so after going through that with wall to wall carpet, i learned my lesson and will never do that again.
Congratulations on the book!! So happy for you. This design reminds me of the basements I grew up in in the 70’s and 80’s (wood paneling and ducks 🙂 Very cozy. The fireplace is beautiful! Nicely done!
Dark wood paneling and nautical-duck theme are definitely not for everyone, but I can totally see why EHD used this project for the book’s press launch. I’m guessing that many, many Americans aspire to this basement. If you’ve been in a version of it that’s done carelessly or cheaply (esp in the PNW so cold and damp), the upgrades are clear: the finishes look genuinely warm, instead of the vinyl-paneled, thinly padded concrete, and orangey “warm-look” that this might distantly resemble but definitely is not. I think the ducks are cute and authentic to the area and have a lot of heart. Love the sofa. Hope the owners seal the deal and panel the ceiling someday!
Such a cozy, beautiful room!! I’m curious to know why you didn’t continue the timber cladding on that little section of wall in the other side of the door under the stairs?
This has such a Minnesota vibe! Lots of basements look this way here – just not as cool and pulled together. Love, love love!
same for South Dakota! nice to see inspiration on working with what we already have!!
Glad the man of the house stood up for the wood paneling – it really is special as is the entire room.
Gaaahhh I’ve been waiting for this reveal since the first little peek of that gorgeous wood paneling popped up in my stories! It’s SO cozy and gives me all the warm fuzzy family nostalgic feels. I would just love to be cozied up on that couch with my kids. And yet, it’s still very stylish and cool. We have wood paneling in our current basement, but the basement in our new house is just a plain, beige box. Zero on the cozy scale. This is going to serve as major inspiration for me when we eventually redo it. LOVE, and congrats on your gorgeous new book – got mine yesterday!!
I love everything about this (and even accept the need for the carpeting). My desire for an old cabin with original paneling even means I’d probably have loved the orangey wood. But this does look like a great improvement.
I want to hate this wood paneling so bad but I LOVE IT! I am just now in the planning stages of my own basement renovation and I wondered if you could share the height of the ceilings? I live in Chicago and my basement ceilings are so low! We also have the big block windows that I don’t quite understand the need for but everyone has them. The black windows are so much nicer!
I love this. One of my favorite rooms I’ve seen recently.
Love, love, love the bones of this space: the rich paneling, sectional, carpet, desk, simple fireplace mantel, even the lamps, but all the different pillows, vintage art and decor items on every single surface: coffee table, desk, console, mantle – way too much clutter for me! I’m sure it’s mostly styling done to achieve a cozy look for the photos (and the vignettes are indeed charming) but I’d have to toss most of it in with the holiday ornaments before I could sit calmly in the space 🙃
“– maybe something with a duck? And I took it and waddled”!!!!!🦆🦆🦆🦆🦆🦆🦆
Clyde is adorabbbbbbbble!!!!
This space is sooooo cozy! It looks livable, lived-in and livalicious!🤗
Idk, it feels tone-deaf to me not to even acknowledge that the bodily autonomy of half the population (including a huge % of your audience) might as well not exist soon. Congrats on the book tho.
“bodily autonomy”? I’m missing what you mean.
O! You mean the abortion mess, negating a woman’s right to choice?
Sorry for being a numbnut and not connecting the dots sooner.🥴
Choice comes before conception – who, where, when, how.
Not for everybody, babe.
Sometimes people have sex when they don’t want to make a baby. Sometimes contraception fails. Women are humans not broodmares.
Also, let’s not forget that they’re coming after our contraceptives as well.
The US has the highest maternal mortality rate of the “rich” countries and this is only going to make it skyrocket further. An ectopic pregnancy (a jaw-dropping 1 in 50 pregnancies) will become an automatic death sentence.
Women in the US are losing their right to choice, to bodily autonomy, to privacy. Less rights than a corpse.
Kelley, you are so correct and well informed. 👍
A corpse will, indeed, ga8ve more rights thsn a living, breathing woman, simply because she has a womb.
Organs cannot be taken from a corpse without consent.
Incest?
Rape?
NO! Choice does NOT come before conception for some.
😠
How apropos that you folks mentioned “corpses’ because that’s what your choice is all about – over 4 million of them in Canada since 1969 and many millions more in the US I imagine. That many is not because of rape, incest or failed contraception or what is called an edge case in the law. There is something very very wrong with this amount of violence done by women to their own offspring.
A fully-developed body becomes a corpse (as in one that is birthed), so a foetus cannot be a corpse.
In fact:
“…the annual number of males and females who were victims of rape or sexual assault in the U.S. each year from 2000 to 2019. In 2019, 406,970 women were raped or sexually assaulted while the corresponding number for men was 52,336.”
Come on now…aren’t you just playing word games with side facts? Many of these corpses could easily have been viable as Canada has no cut off developmental date for abortion procedures . Even in Australia there are severe legal consequences for abortions beyond 28 weeks which is deemed the viability point though foetal survival has occurred well before that . Maybe you want to rethink your position when satanic cults are offering their sacramental abortions. I know you will want the last word on this but I’m finished except to say I never thought I would live in a world that condoned infanticide or post-birth abortions or abortions up to the point of birth. Feminism is devolving into this!
What nonsense: “satanic cults are offering their sacramental abortions” Please spend some time learning how to get accurate information. Here’s a great place to start: https://guides.library.cornell.edu/evaluate_news/fakenews.
Rusty, Rusty, Rusty…no need for ad hominems (almost) for a simple googling of “satanic” and “abortion” would have saved you the embarrassment of being wrong. If only your outrage was for 4 million dead fetal corpses but your over reaction makes me think some part of your head or heart has been touched and it has frightened you into an excessive response.
What is your solution to all the unwanted babies that will be born? How do you plan on supporting these children and their mothers?
Just wanted to flag that Emily has been posting a ton of great, topical content around the potential end of Roe on her Instagram, she has been anything but silent ♥️
The sofa and the lamps are pretty, but not loving the wood paneling AT ALL…. But to each their own!
Oh I’m obsessed with this. We’re moving to Bend from Portland and I’ve been gathering alpine/high desert/cold places style inspiration and I’m just so stokef about this room. I grew up in Colorado and saw the whole gauntlet of “mountain cabin theme” from the chicest chic, to the truly awful. Obviously I’m trying to stay on one side of that spectrum, but we have small kiddos and a dog and cold feet and a coffee spilling habit, so no stark white anything for us! (Not even in a “performance fabric,” lolWhat.) It seems that like wallpaper, carpet has come a long way. I’ve seen a lot of genuinely beautiful 100% wool numbers. Bring on the wood and the pattern and the cozy layers!
“Stokef” sure yeah that why not
It might be THE next big thing?!🤣
What a delightful, cozy basement. I want to go there right now and start a movie marathon!
And, your comments about carpet remind me: I would SO LOVE if y’all did a post on wall-to-wall carpet: different types, their pros and cons, how often to replace it, good-looking and non-dated color options, how to incorporate it into a room’s design. I know it’s not always a designer’s first choice for a room. But, sometimes carpet is needed (like in this basement) or required (like in my 2nd-floor condo — literally required by condo documents in order to minimize noise for the condo unit below). Please, teach us about how to use wall-to-wall carpet well, like in this beautiful room!
Not crazy about vintage paintings or ducks, but obsessed with paneling. That is the cool thing, you can remove the accessories or what doesn’t work for you, and just take the inspo you like. No need for negativity. I am obsessed with The Design Files and everything designers are doing in Australia right now, and this feels like that. Love!
But poor Viola in title needs to be Voila! LOL
This is really inspiring for someone who just demoed the entire basement – it me. I like the basement to feel cozy and dark…..I will be adding a lot of pops of bright colors too. Also we are upgrading the lighting down there from 2 ceiling lights to recessed lighting on a dimmer – perfectly bright for crafting projects, and moody for movie watching! Not everyone appreciates the same aesthetic, I get it. I LOVED THIS ONE THOUGH
I’ve been looking forward to the details of this reveal for SO LONG hoping you’d found a solve for the orange knotty pine paneling. but alas, the solution is replacing it. hahahaha. The paneling in our basement is nearly 100 years old and it’s never been painted. I just can’t bring myself to ripping it out or painting it, but it’s SO ORANGE. Anyone else have any ideas / solves?? Or do I just embrace the 70’s vibes?
Do you like any of these inspo pics? https://carlaaston.com/designed/paint-wood-paneling
Kiki you can take some General Finishes Gel Stain in Antique Walnut right over the top of your orange paneling (it’s like a pigmented polyurethane product) – or Briwax in Brown? Not sure what she calls it. Both will tone down orange wood to a medium/dark brown without have to do anything besides clean it first. I used the GF product on my orange maple bathroom cabinets and now have a lovely walnut brown instead. Highly recommend.
I believe you can pickle it. Depending on the hue you choose, it can end up with undertones of pale yellow, orange, or pink (pink looks like the new cozy Scandy stuff that’s happening). It can also be a washed out grey that some people like, but I know lots of us are tired of grey. I think sometimes it has to be redone bc the wood continues to put out *whatever it is* that makes it go orange in the first place and it can overwhelm the pickle treatment, but it takes a good number of years. It’s not like resealing marble counters every 10 months.
This room screams cozy. I would love to lounge through fall and winter in it.
I love everything! The wall paneling seems to be the true star for sure – so cozy. Although I love the idea of the gallery wall, it seems there is too much trapped white space for me? I like all the paintings, just wish they were arranged a bit closer together with the large ones in the center and small on the outside to eliminate the trapped white space. But that’s just me! Well done:)
I loooove the palette for this room, walnut, indigo and black. Yay for carpet, it definitely has a place in this space. The vintage art gallery wall is fantastic. Looking at the pics, I think I would have put the paneling on the ceiling at an angle (so 70s) in order to have lighter walls. But for a sport-watching family of Duck fans, it’s perfection.
I love this room! I would 100% make my basement like this if it were a remotely habitable spot. The beautiful windows do a whole lot to modernize it, to my eye. And the rich colors are so cozy and nest-like.
The Viola in the lead image truly made me LOL – I have seen this particular typo several times at EHD over the years and it’s almost become endearing to me…. voila!
You have good chemistry with Michael Strahan! I just went and watched the short clip of you, I can’t do morning shows in general, but wanted to do my part to up the numbers for your segment. 🙂 You didn’t great, I don’t think I heard any Ums at all? Also, you avoided the one thing I simply can not overcome during public speaking: quick talking with a wobbly voice. Sigh. Anyway, good for you I think you knocked out out of the park!
I’ve noticed someone else is using the same username (anon) as I’ve been using for a long time. I’m going to switch my username because I don’t want to be mistaken for them.
I think the room looks equally luxurious and cozy. The fabrics and textures are so rich and look comfortable. I spent a lot of time in my cousin’s lower level game rooms in the 70s and early 80s and not going to lie, those were the best times.
Ok but where did the Peleton go?? We are thinking about getting one and I can’t figure out how to integrate it into our decor without a dedicated gym. I was hoping to see a nice solution in this remodel 🙂
I really love this room. I love how functional it looks and how it “feels.” I’m not usually a wood-panelling kind of person, but here it reminds me of the lake cabins of my childhood in the best and coziest way. I feel like this is an all-the-time room instead of a room just for show, and the family will love it.
Just out of curiosity, where did the Peleton go? Mine is an eyesore in our office, so I’m always curious how an expert would design around exercise equipment, when most homes don’t have a designated gym room.
Hi Emily,
This reminds me of what my nephew did for my parents’ basement a few years ago. In fact, the pictures above look very much like that basement, except for the windows. It was a very dark, damp place before the renovation. Now it’s actually quite a nice room. It’s amazing what a few changes can do to the living space.
What happened with the area underneath the staircase? There is now a box hanging underneath it. And what about a door emerging next to the fireplace?
BTW I would not have a carpet so close to the open fire. It may get burn-marks from sparks or get dirty.
There is a before/after floorplan of the basement on a previous post: https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/budget-friendly-basement-bathroom-ideas.
It’s so weird to see a BEFORE look like an AFTER and vice versa, but this is welcome trend to me. No more boring beige!
Oh, and I had a friend in high school with a gorgeous Samoyed named Clyde.
Love love love love
Love this as inspiration for my mountain house! Only disappointment is the wood you used is expensive and I was hoping for a more budget friendly option.