I have put it off long enough...the dreadful basement clutter is taking over and starting to spill up the stairs!
Our basement has become a catch all for random projects half started, nails and screws of all sizes, leftover building materials including plumbing, electric, and cabinetry and the list goes on. It is to the point where it is easier to go buy what we need than to sift through all the crap-o-la in the basement to find it. Pathetic, I know. I am some what embarrassed to show the state of our basement but everyone knows the first step to getting help is to admit that you have a problem. We have become hoarders of random odds and ends and we are ready for some help. Here is where we were at this morning:
The place is a wreck. We also had some items stored dangerously close to our furnace and water heater which is a big no no. There are so many things wrong with these pictures but overall my biggest problem is the ugliness! It doesn't help that the previous owners painted the basement from floor to ceiling in horrendous beigey/yellow/gold tones. I feel pretty confident in saying if the palate was a prettier color, such as some bluish grays or white and a creamy beige, this part of our house may not have turned out like this. I mean, who would want to clutter up a nice clean looking space? I know I certainly wouldn't have let it get this far.
Time to revamp the space - thanks to E and a trip to Costco he brought me back the second of our giant storage racks. You can see his in action above which begs me to ask, "how many computers does one man need??"
After a half hour putting this baby together (not counting the 20 minutes it took me to get this heavy sucker down the stairs by myself against E's wishes) I was on my way to a happier clutter free existence. I did take some liberties, of course, as to the directions in constructing this shelving unit. They suggest you put the whole length together and then add the shelves. I decided to add the lower shelves first and then add the extension poles and keep going from there. It was much easier for me working alone but regardless of which way you do it this project shouldn't take too long to complete. It is the actual organizing that will get ya!
There are no guidelines as to how you should space your shelves although once you start loading it up it is always best to make sure your heaviest items are on the bottom. I put my largest box on the bottom and placed the spacer for the next shelf an inch or so up from that. It helps to have a rubber mallet to make sure your racks are all the way in place and also in the event you change your mind and have to re-space something.
Like I said, this took all of 30 minutes to get completed...the organizing took quite a bit longer. I decided instead of a full organizing session I would just get things in "about" the right place and come back later to overhaul the whole thing. This basement is UGLY - I don't want to spend my whole day surrounded by grossness!
I rest my case - here is how I am leaving it for today:
Much better - not the best, but better. I got a lot put away on the shelves but kept the things I use the most out and accessible. The work bench I have back there would be great in theory but we really need some lighting (that works) over the desk and an outlet. I also have big plans to use the peg board for some tools and building supplies but I haven't quite gotten around to that. Here is a some before and after side by sides...I think you can see the difference much better this way!
The greatest outcome of the whole clean up is the fact that I have my laundry folding table back! That thing was so full of random junk I could never use it for its intended purpose. Back to folding in the basement - oh, and as a bonus I got to plug in my radio for some tunes to whistle while Iwork fold!
In hindsight this basement should have been repainted right away and then used for storage but alas we can not live in hindsight. Someday we will get around to painting. Some day we will get around to building shelves for the rest of the area. Some day...someday...someday...
Anyone else get some organizing done this week and feel like sharing? Leave a comment below and tell us what you did!
Bianca
Our basement has become a catch all for random projects half started, nails and screws of all sizes, leftover building materials including plumbing, electric, and cabinetry and the list goes on. It is to the point where it is easier to go buy what we need than to sift through all the crap-o-la in the basement to find it. Pathetic, I know. I am some what embarrassed to show the state of our basement but everyone knows the first step to getting help is to admit that you have a problem. We have become hoarders of random odds and ends and we are ready for some help. Here is where we were at this morning:
The place is a wreck. We also had some items stored dangerously close to our furnace and water heater which is a big no no. There are so many things wrong with these pictures but overall my biggest problem is the ugliness! It doesn't help that the previous owners painted the basement from floor to ceiling in horrendous beigey/yellow/gold tones. I feel pretty confident in saying if the palate was a prettier color, such as some bluish grays or white and a creamy beige, this part of our house may not have turned out like this. I mean, who would want to clutter up a nice clean looking space? I know I certainly wouldn't have let it get this far.
Time to revamp the space - thanks to E and a trip to Costco he brought me back the second of our giant storage racks. You can see his in action above which begs me to ask, "how many computers does one man need??"
After a half hour putting this baby together (not counting the 20 minutes it took me to get this heavy sucker down the stairs by myself against E's wishes) I was on my way to a happier clutter free existence. I did take some liberties, of course, as to the directions in constructing this shelving unit. They suggest you put the whole length together and then add the shelves. I decided to add the lower shelves first and then add the extension poles and keep going from there. It was much easier for me working alone but regardless of which way you do it this project shouldn't take too long to complete. It is the actual organizing that will get ya!
There are no guidelines as to how you should space your shelves although once you start loading it up it is always best to make sure your heaviest items are on the bottom. I put my largest box on the bottom and placed the spacer for the next shelf an inch or so up from that. It helps to have a rubber mallet to make sure your racks are all the way in place and also in the event you change your mind and have to re-space something.
Like I said, this took all of 30 minutes to get completed...the organizing took quite a bit longer. I decided instead of a full organizing session I would just get things in "about" the right place and come back later to overhaul the whole thing. This basement is UGLY - I don't want to spend my whole day surrounded by grossness!
 |
| Creepy HUGE spider....where there is one there is many many more... |
I rest my case - here is how I am leaving it for today:
Much better - not the best, but better. I got a lot put away on the shelves but kept the things I use the most out and accessible. The work bench I have back there would be great in theory but we really need some lighting (that works) over the desk and an outlet. I also have big plans to use the peg board for some tools and building supplies but I haven't quite gotten around to that. Here is a some before and after side by sides...I think you can see the difference much better this way!
The greatest outcome of the whole clean up is the fact that I have my laundry folding table back! That thing was so full of random junk I could never use it for its intended purpose. Back to folding in the basement - oh, and as a bonus I got to plug in my radio for some tunes to whistle while I
In hindsight this basement should have been repainted right away and then used for storage but alas we can not live in hindsight. Someday we will get around to painting. Some day we will get around to building shelves for the rest of the area. Some day...someday...someday...
Anyone else get some organizing done this week and feel like sharing? Leave a comment below and tell us what you did!
Bianca
