Basement Apartment Living Room
Long story short: We are two Californians who moved to a basement apartment in Seattle, and were silly enough to be surprised when we realized our apartment got less sunlight.
Working within a side-of-the-road-or-Goodwill budget, we decided to not fight the darkness and go for something a little more dramatic rather than trying to inject lightness and airiness where there's none. It's very cozy, and a great place to sit with a cat on your lap and a glass of hot chocolate in the dark northwestern evenings.
First, here's a single before picture just to give you a taste of what we were working with. White walls? Check. Dorm carpet? Check. Huge circuit breaker box? Check. Only light in room comes from ugly inset light? Check. Tiny window of unfinished wood that for some reason the previous tenant painted white and fuchsia on the inside where it is hardest to sand? Check.
The lithograph above the couch is by a friend of my partner. Before anyone tells me to hang it lower, at eye level, let me reveal that our basement ceilings are 6'8", and that it is at eye level.
This is also the music room. There are probably six or seven instruments in this room, five of which are plainly visible. Some are unusual. Can you find them all?
This bamboo area rug is for us to play make believe that we have hardwoods.
No sooner did I say "I was thinking we could give it sort of a Victorian feeling" than my partner said "I need to have this 70s rocking chair." Compromises were made.
This window took way too long to refinish.
A lamp I made myself out of a nonfunctioning radio. For those wondering, yes, that is a Klein bottle next to it.
I love the old-timey feel of a deer mounted on the wall, but we're both tree-hugging vegetarian animal lovers and just can't stomach it. So this recycled cardboard deer head was perfect. Also, finding this antique Teddy Roosevelt photo at the Goodwill basically shaped all future ideas for this room.
One last detail shot. The guy in the lower right corner is from the art behind the two tall candles, which are actually costume designs for a production of Three Penny Opera.
A panorama, because I like to see how a room is laid out, so maybe you do too.
Thanks for looking, and a huge thanks to my BFF kaflurbaleen for her mad photography and panorama skills.