Basement Walls

I love how paint transforms a space. Every room in our home is painted except for - you got it - the basement. It has been decades, I am guessing, since it’s seen fresh paint, so I am very excited to freshen up this space. Every time I am down there to exercise or do the laundry, I think about how grungy it looks. Now that the kids are in school, I have time to devote to it.

I have a long way to go until the basement is done, but I love, love, love the fresh clean look of the walls and pipes so far. It also hasn't been as terrible as I thought. I had to scrape some sections where old paint was peeling off, but I kept the shop vac handy and got rid of that dirt in no time. Then I took a scrub brush and washed down the walls with slightly soapy water in order to get rid of as much dirt as possible before painting. Let me tell you, this basement is dirty!

I plan to paint the basement using what I call the "Edie Method." This means I do this project in increments all the while continuing to mostly keep up with other work around the house. I remember my mom repainting the basement while I was younger, and she recently finished painting it again, fitting in her painting before or after her day job. If I really want to follow her example, however, I need to wake up early in the morning, paint for about an hour, and then get ready for my regular day. (Please ignore the clutter - that will be a whole other project.)

Before

                            

After

Before

After