Basement Renovating 101

Last year we decided to tackle renovating our basement. I knew the basement was something we wanted to renovate since we first bought our house, it was mostly finished but it was totally 1970’s. Originally, we had planned to renovate our primary bathroom, but the pandemic made me completely rethink everything, as I am sure it did for a lot of people. I decided our basement would take priority since in Chicago, you are basically stuck inside all winter. I needed a place where our kids could run around, especially since the pandemic had closed everything and literally we were stuck inside our homes.

So last fall we went ahead with our basement renovation and there are a few things I learned all the way that I am happy to share with you on this week’s blog.

Tip #1: An Exposed Ceiling is a Good Idea if You Don’t Have the Height!

We live in the Chicago suburbs and many of the homes here do not have tall basement ceilings because they are older homes, some of which were built 100+ years ago. Since Chris is 6’4 we decided to keep the ceiling exposed to give it the most height we possibly could. It really doesn’t matter for me, but ceiling height is always something tall people (aka Chris) are concerned with. I knew I wanted to paint the basement white, to make it as bright as possible, but a white ceiling that is exposed shows everything, and I mean everything. From dirt to rusting pipes, a white painted ceiling does not work. I learned this lesson when we painted our laundry room white and that included the ceiling. Over time, you could see rust on the pipes on the painted ceiling, so this time around we opted for a black ceiling, using Benjamin Moore's Black Onyx. And although the ceiling is black it is still bright down there because everything else is white. Our contractors also used a piece of white plastic end caps at the top of the wall to make where the ceiling and wall meet more even. Those are found at any local hardware store like Home Depot and that piece really helped make the wall more finished. So remember even if you don’t have the height, just leave the ceiling exposed, it really does create a cool industrial, architectural piece in any space.

Tip #2: Decide on Flooring

When dealing with basement renovations, flooring plays a major role. We literally just had a huge storm in Chicago and many people in our area had major flooding. So if you do get water in your basement, I recommend using a vinyl flooring that is water resistant and mildew resistant. You do not want to lay down carpet and then have to replace it every time a major storm happens. If you do elect to go with a vinyl flooring or even a tile, you can use area rugs to create a sense of warmth and easily throw them out if flooding occurs, as opposed to an entire basement worth of carpeting. Using light, wide planks of flooring will help elevate your basement. However, we have never gotten water so we opted for carpeting to give our basement a cozy feel. I really wanted a cozy space to curl up and have family movie nights in the dead of a Chicago winter. We did choose a highly stain resistant carpet made for pets and kids so that if someone does spill it will clean up and I won’t have a heart attack. I mean I just found a glitter pen on the carpet not that long ago and it easily cleaned up. So make sure you spend a little extra to get the highly stain resistant carpet especially if you have kids. When it comes to basement flooring, consider who is going to use it and if you ever get water down there.

Tip #3:  Create Different Zones

I knew from the start that the basement was going to be a kids' space, despite the fact that Chris thought it was going to be his own personal man cave. We have a playroom on our main level, but as the kids get older I want them to contain their chaos to the basement. However, I still wanted the basement to be a place where our family and other adults could hang out. So I created different zones in our basement to give it some functionality. When you walk down the stairs to the left is the play area for our kids. We have cubes (from Ikea) which house the different toys, everything from puzzles, trucks, Barbie’s, all the Barbie accessories, games and so on. Next to that we have a dress up zone where I hung my daughter’s dress up clothes on hooks so that she could see them. We also have the massive Barbie dream house on the other side near where the Barbie’s are housed. In the middle is our coloring and craft table. We have a dresser unit I found at Urban Outfitters that houses all the craft stuff like beads, crayons, stickers, kinetic sand, etc.… I got plastic inserts from Target (that are $2-$4) to organize the drawers and contain all our crafts. Paint I keep on an Ikea cart in our storage room, because my kids are little and cannot use paint unsupervised, haha!!!! Lastly, to the right of the stairs is our media area. We have a big sectional from Interior Define. (I highly recommend them because you get to customize your piece exactly how you want it). We went with the Charly sectional and the cushions are washable which I love. We also laid down a rug on top of our carpet (Chris thought this was ridiculous) but it really defines the space. Lastly, we opted for a leather ottoman as our coffee table (this is the Round Saddle Leather Pouf  from CB2) since leather really holds up against kids and used inexpensive side tables from Target to finish the space. This area is really the perfect place for family movie nights.

Tip #4: Leave Room for Storage

Storage in any area of your home is essential but especially in a basement, since most people house anything extra down there. In our basement, there was a room off the kids play area that the previous owners used as an office, but we have an extra bedroom upstairs that houses our office so we did not need one. We opted to keep that area as a storage room to house all those extras like holiday décor, wrapping paper, extra décor pieces, birthday decorations, air mattresses, etc.…. The storage room, I can say, has easily become my favorite rooms in our entire home. I opted for the same clear plastic bins and labeled everything so that when I go in there I can easily find it. All bins were purchased from Target and the metal shelving units are from Amazon, which can also be put on wheels. I created a wrapping and craft space in what once was a closet. We ended up taking the closet out and I purchased the drawers and peg boards from Ikea to create this multi-purpose space. I decided to keep everything to the sides and leave the middle of the room open to house projects we are working on or just if I wanted to add more storage in the future. This is all the storage we have so I only buy what can fit in here. Remember when it comes to storage you only have a finite space so you have to get rid of things if they don’t fit. When renovating any space, think about functionality and always leave room for storage.

Tip #5: Add Your Own Personal Touches

The last thing is to have fun when renovating a space, add your own personal touches to make it truly yours. The first thing we wanted to add was a built-in media center. Chris found inspiration on Pinterest and our amazing contractors brought it to life with some 2x4’s, shiplap and butcher block to make this amazing media cabinet. We also used the Ikea Besta media cabinet but got doors from a place called Semi-Handmade to make it look more custom. I rounded out the media cabinet with accessories from Target, At Home, Amazon and Home Goods to make the stylized, but affordable shelves I have always wanted. The last unique touch we added, was the color block painting above the couch. I originally bought a piece for our great room when we first moved in that Chris absolutely hated. Eventually we found this amazing felt piece from CB2 for the great room, but I had this huge painting I did not want to throw away but also did not go anywhere else in our home. So I decided to make a one of a kind art piece for our basement with colors that fit in perfectly. I started by painting the picture white, to create a blank canvas. Now, I am no artist but I figured I could do an abstract color piece. I got paint samples in colors that fit within our basement and I started painting. I did not want it to be perfect, because imperfect art is always the most exciting. It turned out a lot better than I expected and Chris too, it really is a unique piece of art. So before you throw that old Bed Bath and Beyond painting you bought when you were 22, reuse the canvas and make a piece of artwork that is one of a kind.

Check out the gallery below for more photos from our basement renovation!

Reorganize With The Rabbitts

When tackling your homes’ organization it can feel a bit overwhelming. Sometimes we want to do it all at once but then lose focus or we just don’t know where to start because there is so so SO much chaos. Well today on the blog I am giving you with a step by step guide to help reorganize any space in your home. A little reorg will help you fall in love with your home, I promise!

I honestly love to organize, it gives me a total sense of calm and let’s face it with 2 kids under 5 there is absolutely no calm in my life. I tell Chris all the time that an organized home does not always mean a perfectly clean home, although he wishes it did. He definitely is a clean freak, which I admit I am not. Instead having a designated spot for every item in your home helps when it does come time to clean. Sometimes I see beautifully designed spaces in homes, however, they don’t function for everyday use. To me organization is all about having function in your life. As things begin to go back to normal in this post pandemic world, we will no doubt become so busy again. It is often during the busiest times in life that organization is hard to maintain. But finding an organization system that works for you and your family will help keep you calm when things are in complete chaos. And remember being organized does not mean there are not toys on the floor or clothes on a chair, rather giving items a home will help you maintain a functioning system for your busy life.

The six steps below will help you organize any space in your home and I can’t wait to hear your success stories!

Step 1: Decide On A Space

We would all love to tackle the organization of our whole home at once, but most of us do not have the time, focus, money, etc.… to do that. So choose what space you want to organize first. What space is the most problematic in your home? What space seems the least overwhelming to tackle first? If you are not an avid organizer try a small space first. Start with a drawer, a cabinet or a small closet. When you decide on the space you are going to tackle, decide what items need to be housed in that space. What is that space most useful and functional for? Think about what currently works and what is not working in the space? Once you decide on the space it’s time to empty everything out.

Step 2: Empty Your Space

This step is a NECESSITY. I cannot stress that enough. You must take everything out of a space in order to organize it. Once the space is empty, make sure to measure it. Measure any shelves, drawers, cabinets, etc.… Then decide if you are just going to be purchasing bins, baskets or containers to go in the space or do you need to purchase a new system. For example, if it's a closet do you need new shelves or a new closet system? Make sure to follow the rule, measure twice and buy once. Once the space is completely emptied it’s time to categorize what you will house in the space.

Step 3: Categorize Everything

Once you empty the space it is important to categorize all items that are going to be housed in the space. In a bathroom for example, you will have categories like hair, make-up, shower, medicine, etc... Create categories that are specific to you and your family. Say bye-bye to items that are expired, worn out, broken, things you can’t stand or simply don’t use or wear. Take a tip from Marie Kondo and if it does not bring you joy its time to go. Each space is finite, so it can only fit a certain amount of stuff. Get rid of items to leave room for any items that you may want to purchase in the future. If items cannot fit in your home it is definitely time to get rid of some things.

Step 4: Find Products That Work For You

Everyone is different and that is true in organization as well. What works for one person might not work for someone else. The key to a good organization system is to find one that works that you can maintain and continue to stay organized. Once you find a system stick with it, it will be much easier to maintain if the system works for you. So, once you figure out what needs to go in the space and you have categorized everything you will need to figure out the organization products that work best for you. If you want to be able to see everything, you may need clear bins or a lazy-susan (one of my fall time favorite organizational pieces). Or if you are messy you may want bins that you can just toss items into but cannot necessarily see through. Do you like open shelving or closed cabinets? Think about these things before buying products and again make sure to measure that they will fit. Some of my favorite places for organizational products are Amazon, Target, Ikea, The Container Store, Home Goods and At Home.

Step 5: Reorganizing The Space

The time has finally come for you to organize everything. Put your categories into their appropriate bins and decide where they will go in the space to keep everything organized. Make sure to create different zones in your space for the different categories. Put excess items in the back (The Home Edit lovingly calls this backstock). Color coordinate items in a rainbow to make it easy to find items and also aesthetically pleasing. Once items are in their appropriate bins and places in the space, LABEL EVERYTHING & ANYTHING. For toy bins, try using pictures instead of words, especially if you have young children who cannot read yet. It helps make clean-up time a breeze.

Step 6: Edit & Maintain Your Space

Once everything has been organized it is important that you actually use it and that it functions for you. As you get new items, make sure to edit out any items that are worn, broken, expired, you don’t use or don’t like anymore. If the system or parts of the organization system don’t work, modify it to make it work for you. The key to organization is maintaining, so if the system is broken you need to fix it. Remember, for organization to be successful it needs to be a system you can maintain even during the most chaotic times.

I hope you can take these steps and apply them to your own home to bring organization to your life giving you a sense of calm amongst the chaos that is life.

Ready For a Shelfie!

Ahhh, styling those shelves, it can often feel like a huge, daunting task. You see those pictures online, on tv or in a magazine, but somehow yours never quite look the same way. So what do we do, throw some items up on the shelves and call it a day because we are busy and have a million things to do before the kids get home.

When talking with my girlfriends before I started my business, I asked them what they would want to see on my blog and social media. What tips were they looking for when designing their own home? Unanimously, most of them said tips for styling shelves with décor pieces. And they all agreed they did not want to buy pieces that broke the bank. So today I am here to give you a few tips on how to style those built-ins, bookcases, or whatever you have in your home that could use a little TLC.

When you set out to buy items to style your shelves, I always like to overbuy and return whatever I don’t use. That way I have pieces to play around with. I also like to incorporate pieces I already own in styling shelves. If you have pieces that are important to you and tell your story they should be displayed. When looking for pieces to style your home with it doesn’t have to break the bank. I love to shop at places like Target (specifically brands Studio McGee, Hearth and Hand, Opalhouse, Project 62, and Threshold) At Home, Home Goods, World Market, and Amazon. If you find a piece you absolutely love that is more expensive go for it, but don’t feel you need to buy only expensive pieces to get a higher end look.

When styling shelves here are a few tips to keep in mind.

1. Stay Neutral

When picking décor pieces I tend to stay in a neutral color palette. This allows the décor pieces to work in any space and stand the test of time. Stick with pieces that are white, black, gray, beige, cream and natural wood tones to get that modern, organic feel. Neutral doesn’t mean boring, so use a variety of décor pieces to have fun and keep it playful. If you do want to work in color, which I absolutely love, keep it consistent with one or two colors that you repeat throughout the shelves. Try using varying shades of the same color weaved throughout to make it feel consistent.

2. Add Greenery

If you do not know what color to add into your shelves, greenery is a great way to do that. Greenery always gives shelves a nice fresh feeling. I tend to go faux with all the greenery in my home, because let’s face it, I have a black thumb not a green one. But if you have that green thumb, go for it and add in real greenery. Use a variety of greenery by mixing in plants, flowers or greenery stems. Greenery gives us that feeling of nature and creates a sense of calming that we all so desperately need sometimes.

3. Group Items

When organizing items to actually start decorating your shelves start with the large pieces first. Put those into place to see what works and what doesn’t. If an item is large and a statement piece, try putting it by itself. From there try putting pieces into groupings of 2, 3, 4 or 5. Mix items in those groupings, by varying heights, varying texture, and varying pieces. When using books, try stacking them and adding items on top if you are looking for height. Layer pieces on shelves to give it that “collected over time” look. Not all items will look together so play around until you find the combo you love. Be sure that the meaningful pieces stand out on the shelves because they tell people your story.

4. Use Variety

Remember the old saying, variety is the spice of life. I couldn’t agree more. So make sure to use variety when styling those shelves. I like to use a variety of items when styling shelves including: artwork, framed photos, vases, bowls, pottery, plants, flowers, baskets, bins, decorative objects, and books. Having a variety of items will make your shelves feel less constructed. Take that variety even further by using items that have a variety of texture. Don’t find pieces that are all the same material, use texture to create dimension and variety in neutral pieces.

5. Edit, Edit, Edit

Remember I said I typically overbuy pieces for my shelves, well that doesn’t mean I use them all. You have to edit, edit again, and then edit some more. Shelves should never feel packed. You want them to feel like a collection of items that you have accumulated over time, but don’t want it to look like you have jammed a bunch of pieces on the shelves. More is not better in this case. We all need space sometimes and shelves need space and room to breathe too. So live by the motto, LESS is MORE. Editing is a process, so live with the shelves for a little bit and then change out whatever is not working.

Lastly, have fun and be playful. The shelves are never going to be perfect, and neither are we. It’s ok if they are a work in progress, aren’t we all!

Welcome to Redesign with the Rabbitts

I am so excited you are here and reading our first blog post!!! Launching this business is definitely an adventure. Our goal at Rabbitt Redesign is simple, to help people fall in LOVE with their home all over. Starting this business has been a long journey for me, and although I had originally started a business with a friend, it did not quite work out as I had hoped. So now I am venturing out on my own, which is scary and at times intimidating, but my husband Chris is along for the ride. He is helping me with the business side of things and also serves as my own personal handyman, as we tackle projects in our own home. Every other week I will be sharing projects and ideas with you that we have done or are currently doing in our own house. My hope is that I provide inspiration for you to tackle projects in your own home that make it beautiful and functional. Because a beautiful home is great, but if it doesn’t function for you and your family what’s the point? I can’t wait to share what I have learned as Chris and I continue to renovate our home. 

Meet the Rabbitt’s! Chris, Lauren, Zoe & Charlie

I decided that my first blog should tell you a little bit more about myself as you venture out on this journey with me. I am a mother, wife, high school teacher, lover of history, travel enthusiast (or at least used to be) and passionate about all things home design and home organization. I love everything about design, décor and organization. Honestly, doing it makes me feel centered and calm, which is not something I always am. It is my own personal therapy and helping others find the joy and love for their home is something that inspires me on a daily basis.

When Chris and I bought our home in the suburbs of Chicago almost 3 years ago, I immediately fell in love with it. We loved the location and the house had the space we were desperately looking for. It was something we knew we could grow into. However, it was outdated and needed some work to say the least. So for the last 3 years we have been slowly renovating our home to make it our own. I definitely rushed into a few design choices but have come to realize that some of my original ideas need to be adjusted. But you know what they say we are all a work in progress and our home is no different. I have recently been trying to determine my own style for our home and I would call it Modern American Traditional. What that is, I am still in the process of defining but hope to share it with you all on this journey.

Our home when we purchased it 3 years ago

So what better way to introduce myself then by sharing my top design and organization rules that I live by. I hope these rules will guide you in making you love your own home.

Top Ten Design & Organization Rules I Live By:

1. Imperfect Perfection

2. Stay true to your own style and your home’s style

3. Your home should be a reflection you and your family

4. Create a functional system that works for YOU no one else

5. LABELS = LOVE

6. Less is always more

7. Have fun with color, life is more fun in color

8. LIVE in your HOME

9. Remember one day at a time, one space at a time

10. It takes a village

Thank you for coming on this adventure with Rabbitt Redesign!!!!