Tackling The Basement: Chapter Five
We’re back with our weekly basement update (here’s where we left off) and this time we conquered the bare-bulb ceiling fixture (by dressing it up with a polished linen shade). We also snagged a vertical balancing bike rack (on sale!) since our cinder block walls make hanging weight-baring hooks and stands close to impossible) and got the ultimate surprise from Flor in the form of an awesome 5 x 8 rug thanks to their amazing carpet squares. Sure we still have to add privacy to the windows, paint the built-in cabinet near the bikes, build a screen to hide our eyesore of a water heater, and more… but here’s what the room looks like these days with the new DIY light fixture, discount bike rack and fun new area rug:
And you might wonder why the fine folks at Flor would offer us a free area rug of our choosing (other than the fact that they’re insanely sweet over there) but we’re actually teaming up with them for this week’s giveaway so they’re also dishing out a free area rug to one of our readers this afternoon (!). It’s a win-win situation. And installing the floor tiles we picked (after careful consideration we went for the fun and durable Ascot Stripe variety) was super easy. They even come with simple little sticky circles that adhere all of the corners from underneath…
… for a seamless and secure end result.
Now for the details on the bike rack. We were on the lookout for a rack that would allow us to store the bikes above one another for to maximize space and create some interest on the back wall… but the impossible cinder block walls made anything that has to be screwed or anchored to the wall totally out of the question. Enter this baby stage right (it was actually suggested by a reader in our last post- thanks Lauren!). Plus when we got to Target it happened to be on sale for $39 (down from $49) so we grabbed it and wasted no time getting both bikes off the floor. It’s kind of industial-chic, no?
The lamp shade also hails from Target, where we were immediately struck by the chic linen look, generous size, and great price. Twenty-five beans later we got it home, removed the ceiling bulb, slipped the metal ring that’s attached to the inside the shade onto the bulb, and screwed the bulb back into the formerly bare fixture box. Basically it’s the same way you’d put a shade on a table lamp, but it hangs from the ceiling instead.
Here’s a detail shot where you can see the metal ring from the shade slipped over the bulb and held in place by screwing the bulb into place in the overhead fixture box. So easy and so much cleaner looking! We also emplyed this method in the den to class up our ceiling fan (here’s that link for ya).
So that’s where we are with the basement. As we mentioned, we still have the windows and the water heater (among other things) to address, so stick around for those updates soon. And we also plan to load up on containers and bins to store a whole mess of stuff in the armoires that we added last week so stay tuned for all the nitty gritty organizing details when we throw open the doors and bare all.
And while we’re on the subject of organizing, what do you guys prefer? Clear plastic bins so you can see everything inside? Opaque bins so you can’t? Wire baskets for Parisian flair? Fabric boxes or cardboard ones in fun colors? Name your favorite organization accessories at the beep. Beeeeeep.
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Comments
Hey Jen,
Yup, found it right at Target in the aisle with the bike and the car stuff. And it’s about six feet tall or so. As for your sideways bulb scenario, is there any way to get one giant shade that can still very safely be hung around both bulbs without getting to close to become a fire hazard. If you believe you can find one large enough you might be able to use small metal plant hooks from the ceiling to hook the shade directly to the ceiling so it covers the entire fixture to create one flush-mount-looking-shade instead. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Hey Sherry!
You may have already mentioned this, but I wanted to find out if the lamp shade is meant as a ceiling mount over existing bulbs or did you just improvise? Your basement looks awesome!
Teesha
Hey Teesha,
The lamp shade is just a basic table lamp variety from Target that we flipped over and retrofitted to work with our ceiling fixture. We’re all about improvising! Hope it helps!
xo,
s
I prefer opaque bins with lids but then I have to label them. At one point we had a bin labeled “Santa Outfit, Gulf War, Boxing Gloves.” It cracked us up every time we’d see it, but that’s what was in there!
Before we put our house on the market I needed a new light fixture in my dining space/living room that would give me more light than the old heavily frosted one that was there originally. I totally stole your fixture idea and bought a porceline fixture and a lamp shade from Target. Its actually the same lamp shade as yours, but a smaller size. Total cost…$12!!! AMAZING!!! Thinking about doing the same thing in the hallway where my DH broke the light fixture…Thanks for the idea!!!
WOW I’m sooo impressed. and like some of the other readers I am constantly forwarding your blog emails onto my boyfriend.. !!
We need a bike rack for our garage/storage shed… You found it in store at Target, with the bike stuff? and how tall is it exactly??
I love bins but to me they have to look like bins and NOT baskets! LOL, i prefer opaque ones so that you can’t see what’s in them and to add their own element of design.
I love how you just put the lampshade right over the existing fixture but I have a question/inquiry. In our apt we have these bare bulb fixtures as well, but they are up in the skylight area, hence not facing downwards like yours, but sideways. any recs on how to not just cover the fixture up (by taking out the lightbulb) but actually putting something over them like a shade and still look modern??
Thanks!!