Personally, I don’t like storage bins that you can see through. I think the purpose of storage bins is to hide away your clutter and if you can see what’s in the bins, that kind of defeats its purpose. I like fabric storage boxes or baskets.

The basement looks great!

Two words of warning when using cardboard storage boxes: SILVER FISH. Maybe the colorclad boxes don’t attract the critters, but I dumped every corregated box I owned in favor of clear and opaque plastic (depended on which was on sale).

Love, love the green and white boxes. I was actually thinking about getting some of them myself. Ikea is annoying, but you can’t beat the prices! :)

Boxes: Wicker baskets. Bamboo lid-less boxes. or Cardboard. Basically anything natural and eco-friendly, with a very earthy texture. You could even get some of those white kassett boxes you have from IKEA and simply glue some neutral fabric on them to match the light shade.

And please please tell me you’re going to add something next to the white ANEBODA wardrobes like a large plant or some artwork, so that they look a little less like a police waiting room?

Flor! The perfect giveaway at the perfect time because I need to replace my bedroom rug. Fingers crossed on that.

I agree with Sally “pretending that my life is in perfect order … requires opacity” and Katy Campbell. But I did just buy a clear acrylic mini set of drawers from Muji for some of my jewelry. Right now the bottoms are lined with paper but I’m planning on getting some felt. Muji’s storage somehow has that Kartell expensive minimalist look without the price tag. I needed bins to fit in a very shallow bathroom cabinet and their stackable polypropylene bins were the only ones that fit the bill (not seeing them in the online store).

A variation on the Expedit desk theme is Muji’s desk/shelving combo (http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/01/08/garden/20090108-desks_5.html). I’ve seen it in person and it looks really durable and designer. I would probably cough up more money than I actually have for it if the desk weren’t too low (27 inches). That might be perfect for some people though. Sherry and John, can you tell me how sturdy the Expedit desk is? I’m looking for a project surface, so I might put some pressure on it while cutting mat boards, etc. Do you think it can stand up to that?

It looks great! Thanks for including the close up the lamp shade, LOVE THAT!

I am thinking of getting the Flor tiles for my sons bedroom but wasn’t sure they would stay together. Thanks for filling me in.

Looks so great guys! Of course even your basement is now chic and amazing:)

I am on a tight budget most of the time so I buy all sizes and types of baskets from thrift stores or garage sales and spray paint them white…to unify them even though they are different. I group them together on shelves or spread them out around the house. The different shapes and sizes make them great for storing all kinds of stuff.

Love the blog! Thanks for all the tips and ideas:)

why an incandescent light bulb? :)

I love the Flor carpet tiles, I had to spend sometime on the website since we are in need of some rug ideas for our new office!! Love what you did with the boring ‘ol basement.

If you DON’t do clear, then at least get a labelmaker or something so you know what’s inside. I prefer clear storage bins in plastic. Especially if they are in your basement. Cardboard just isn’t reliable enough for me :-)

I love the way your basement is turning out. Love the carpet FLORing. I use the see thru, quick peek plastic boxes for organizing in my garage and I love them. If you were going to have them sitting out in plain view I would opt for the opaque variety but since they are in the wardrobe I say go with the see thru.
maureen

Looking good! I really like the lamp shade touch.

If at all possible I like plastic storage bins. They look so much more put together, last longer and are more durable. I like clear plastic, but also opaque. I love the idea of color cordinating such as all Christmas stuff in green/red bins. With opaque bins I like the idea of putting stickers somewhere on them of what’s inside. I have a sticker maker, so anything can become a sticker: magazine pics of your stuff, or your own pic of everything that’s inside the bin. That way you don’t have to go digging all the time to find what you’re looking for.

I’ve always thought of using the Flor tiles for our bedroom. They look great in your basement.

I guess I prefer natural storage, so wicker or rattan baskets and mixed in with natural linen covered bins. I also love the white Ikat (?) boxes from Ikea. I bought some about 9 years ago as a newlywed and they’re great for things that you need to keep but definitely don’t want to look at (i.e., taxes!).

I guess it depends on what you are storing and if seeing it in all it’s messy glory (inside a clear container) would bother you. I have a huge number of the vintage Ball jars with lots of ribbon in them in my craft studio. That doesn’t bother me because I love the colors and like seeing the many pretty ribbons. In other rooms though I prefer the opaque storage (magazine articles torn out, recipe cards, etc.) so things look less messy.

Hey, you used my carpet tiles idea! It looks great — I never would have thought to use stripes, but it adds so much!

How can I enter the giveaway?

It’s looking good!! I don’t have a basement here in Lexington, KY so my husband bike is being stored in our guest bedroom – classy huh??

With the exception of shoe boxes (which I prefer to be clear), I like the idea of hiding my mess. Personally I think a nice canvas box with a label on the front is classic and functional. Who could go wrong with that? Plus you can get them in a ton of different colors. Stylish!

The basement if looking great!

Don’t use clear bins for anything that might be damaged by light.

I brilliantly stored some vintage Christmas cards in a see-through plastic container one year and I still mourn the extent to which they faded (even in a dark attic).

You guys are going to hate me, but I love those KASSET boxes from IKEA. They come in great colors, and the little label caddies in the front are just uber handy. The matching magazine files help make my pack-rattery manageable.

I’m a fan of wicker or reed or whatever those other baskets are from Ikea that fit in the Expedit. If I have a box on a shelf, it’s to HIDE in addition to store, LOL. Clear is not my way!

It looks so clean and polished, you guys did a fabulous job!

Love the Flor Tiles too, what a great surprise!

I so adore your light fixture update and what a great coincidence that your bike rack was on sale?!… it was meant to be. Oh, and the rug just makes the room feel more like, well, a ROOM. I wish someone would offer up some free home decor to me! (hint, hint) Anyhoo, I really REALLY appreciate you guys sharing the process of your basement makeover instead of the before, then BAM!, after. It’s great to see it in stages. Love y’all!

The bike rack looks great….glad it worked out for you!

It’s looking so good! I love the linen lampshade light you chose. I’m not so patiently waiting for my husband to hang my new chandelier that has linen shades up in our dining room that I bought of eBay a while back.

The rug pattern you chose was a great pick, too! You’ve got me thinking a FLOR area rug would be a good choice for our entryway that’s bare right now.

For in-sight storage, such as on our leaning shelves in the living room, we use wicker baskets; it blends in best with the look of our room. We each have a small basket for our keys/wallets/sunglasses/etc., there’s medium-sized one for mail and other stuff that needs sorted/filed away, and then there’s a BIG one that I keep whatever purses/totes/resusable grocery bags I’ve got out.

For actual storage (holiday decorations, etc.), I prefer solid-colored plastic boxes with labels. The OCD organizer in me doesn’t want to see the piles of junk inside!

looking good! i use all types of storage bins, because each location is different.

I listening to the radio this weekend, heard the weather report for the rest of the state, and as soon as I heard there was flooding in Richmond, I thought of your basement! Funny, right? Hope the drylock was able to keep up with all the water!

Your basement looks amazing. If you don’t have water in it after all the rain we had last week you probably never will! I go for storage that you can’t see through or a cupboard to hide things in.

Really like everything you’ve done so far! My favorites so far are the punches of green against the white and the graphic rug.

Your basement is coming along so nice! It doesn’t even look like a typical basement, gosh if we could only get to the projects that we want to do around the house, I’d love to make our basement pretty like yours!

Speaking of rugs, I was wondering if you could help me out with making a rug-purchasing decision. We need a new rug for under our dining table. I bought a jute rug from West Elm a few months ago for under the table but our 8 month old puppy seems to think that the big woven knots in the rug are for him to chew on.

We’ve corrected his bad habit but now we’re left with a rug that has “pulls” in it and to be honest, he almost did me a favor because I wasn’t totally thrilled with it to begin with. It just seemed too thick when we’d pull our chairs in and out over the rug but my husband just didn’t want to hear that. So now I’ve convinced him that we need a new rug and we’re stuck between 2 rugs from Pottery Barn…either the “color-bound sisal rug” or the “color-bound seagrass” rug. Both rugs looks so similar to me…we just want one that adds some interest/definition to the room, lies flat, and doesn’t act as a chew toy for our puppy! Can I ask you your opinion in which rug would probably be best for us?

Thanks so much!
(And sorry for the lengthy comment)

We bought that same lampshade for our living room about a month ago and I LOVE it! Target is the best. I wish we could redo our basement space but it’s 135 years old… low ceilings and just old. Your space looks great!

Speaking of Richmond, VA, designer Eddie Ross was evidently in your town today.

He’s terrific! I missed him the last time he was doing a gig out my way.

you guys are really making headway on your basement! how exciting :-)

i’ve got a question–i remeber awhile back reading a post where you mentioned a great online discount fabric source, but haven’t been able to find it in old posts. could you tell e soe of the sources you have the best luck with? i’m looking for the perfect fabric at the perfect price to reupholster my livingroom chairs :-) thanks!!!

I prefer boxes you can’t see thru for areas that are publicly accessible. But in closets or other places where you don’t have people parading thru clear is nice!

BTW – that light fixture is awesome!

I LOVE FLOR tiles! We have 2 FLOR rugs in our house…one in the living room and a runner down the hallway. Great choice!

Basement looks great. It’s amazing what you can get done pre-children. We’ve been in our house for 6 years and with 3 kiddies running around, our basement still needs alot of work.
I’m curious what you plan to use it for, ‘specially since it appears you cannot access it from the main house.
Also, just wondering why you chose to keep the bikes in there, rather than the garage.
Keep up the great work! You two seem to have found awesome little careers, just because you bought a fixer upper.

NO WAY Sherry and John! I was just talking to my hubby about getting these carpet squares for our living room! Our problem is dog hair, so they seemed to make products that would hold up to our mutts! Looks great!

I prefer the clear plastic bins so I can see what is inside. I am seriously opposed to baskets and wire mesh containers, because everything inside just gets dusty! Containers with air-tight lids is the way to go.

I much prefer opaque bins – but I am madly devoted to my Brother labeler, so it’s no chore to remember what’s where. In fact, I label just about every drawer and cupboard in the house (unobtrusively) because I live as an organized brain in a sea of ADHD kiddos and husband, LOL!! It helps them all so, so much to have polished, labeled areas . . . they can follow any system I set in place, but are befuddled by trying to keep their own stuff organized. My only exception is clear bins (with lids) for rx meds, because it’s easier to fish out what I need in the moment . . . but that lives inside a closed cupboard.

Also, my husband is totally coming home to one of those gravity racks for his bikes. He doesn’t know it yet; Happy birthday to me LOL!! (Because less clutter is always a present!!)

And PS, I don’t mind open bins (no lids) if it’s in a fairly snug spot, as with the Expedit units (and so serving more or less as a drawer) or in a closed cupboard. Otherwise, I like lids on things.

Holy cow!! I take a few days off to visit Philly and AC and come back to find this GORGEOUS space completed!! What an incredible transformation in a very short amount of time! You guys never cease to amaze me :)

i am in awe of the bike rack! and i was expecting it to be much pricier. with no garage, we are forced to keep both of our bikes in our guest room, which is fine, until we have guests, which we often do. what a handy little stand that will clear up so much space. can’t wait to pick one up and then to hopefully convince my husband that the basement would be a much better place to store them ;).