Acing the space

Once a space has been fully renovated, the next challenge revolves around subjective instincts regarding how to populate the space.

At the conclusion of my basement reno, the empty rec room began to take shape, with a little help from the old couch, love seat and side chair that had been our living room furniture for years, until the three were replaced with new seating earlier this year.

Although the old couch and love seat had begun to show signs of wear and tear (literally rips in the leather; hence why they were replaced in the main-floor living room), this old and worn-in seating was more than adequate for the basement rec room. As such, the appropriate couch covers were purchased and once installed, very easily conceal the blemishes.

Now that these old couches were given a second lease on life, the re-purposed seating also set the tone for both the spatial configuration in the new rec room, as well as the colour palette.

Earth tones have always been a go-to of mine, as in my opinion, they tend to never go out of style. Again, this is a very subjective viewpoint, but it has worked on my property as the house is of a rustic nature throughout. The walls are a muted beige-grey colour, which allows the stone face of the built-in wall-mount fireplace feature to stand out, if ever so subtly. The light-grey vinyl plank flooring that continues through and into the bathroom, laundry and pantry rooms is a nice way to tie-in the earthy colours, while keeping the basement spaces bright while lit.

The dividing wall between the main rec room and the other rooms of the basement had been a point of contention during the initial stages of the renovation — doors with an inward swing would require a certain amount of space that was not readily available while trying to maximize functional area. As such, barn doors were introduced on the rec room side of the main wall, which allows all doors to fully extend for opening and closing operations.

Although the proximity of the entry into the utility room is close to the bathroom, the barn door always remains closed, and only covers the bathroom entry slightly when being opened. Therefore, the three barn doors operate freely along the main track, and create a nice feature along that wall.

Beyond the main elements of the rec room used to create the layout, other amenities have been appropriated along the way to fully populating the space. The coffee and end tables in the main seating area, as well as the love seat console table, blend nicely with the greys of the flooring and wall colours, while the pillows, throws and various knick-knacks provide a splash of colour throughout. The tree-motif wall decorations and lamps reinforce the vision of an earthy-style rec room. And finally, faux-foliage and planters are strewn about to breathe some life into the space.

Coincidentally, we soon noticed the placement of the couch, love seat and side-chair is the exact mirror image of their original positions on the main floor, in the living room. As such, the rec room had a very familiar feel, from the onset.

We have now had the opportunity to spend some quality time in our new rec room, and it truly feels like an extension of the other floors of the house. It is a warm and soothing environment I’m certain we will enjoy for many years to come.

Populating a newly renovated space can be overwhelming at times. It usually takes one single element to trigger how best to proceed.

Way back when I first renovated the main floor, a single wall-art canvas with a plethora of bold earth tones eventually dictated the wall colours throughout, as well as all subsequent amenities while populating the living room. It appears that initial canvas obtained so many years ago has also indirectly influenced the look of the rec room. This comes as no surprise — our rustic-style abode sits on a rural acreage, and inside and out, the house should and does look the part.

RenoBoss.Inc@outlook.com