Before and After.... or just After....

I just love before and after shots. A picture is worth a thousand words and the comparison between a before and after speaks volumes! Sometimes you just can't believe what something used to look like, and explaining it with words doesn't begin to capture it like a picture would.

The reason I am so big on before shots is because a few years ago in our old home we completely redid our basement laundry area. It was an awful room. All concrete cinder block walls, a worn concrete floor, no ceiling just steel beams, a very old brown furnace, an oil drum (the house was heated by oil), and one hanging light bulb in the middle of the room. That is it..... we jokingly referred to it as the interrogation room. (Too many spy movies). Anyway, we completely re-did that room, and I never took a before picture. I'm kicking myself as the difference was so stark it was unbelievable! I think I may have one photo of dh framing in a wall, but that is it. But I'm going to post these after pictures for you anyway. :-) They are a little dark, as there was no natural light at all, except for one tiny basement window.

The floor we painted taupe and cream in a checkerboard pattern. Dh was doing a demolition and was given a perfectly good and clean drop ceiling. So he installed that with recessed lighting. The piece of furniture is actually an old dresser that I bought from a thrift shop for $10. We got rid of the drawers that didn't work, and put in heavy plywood. The furniture tacked fabric around the base. Inside we stored all our childrens board games. The mirror I also got at a thrift store for $5. The three tall cabinets in the back are from Ikea. The fronts were wood, and I painted them in a creamy color and then antiqued them with a brown glaze.

The picture to the right is of the laundry area. The cabinet above the laundry we bought at Lowes. It was just a plain flat front laundry cabinet. We re-did it with a bead board to give it more of a cottage feel. We also drilled holes for a dowel rod to hang fabric so we could hide the washer hoses. The bench was a find on ebay for $40. The frames I found at Michael's on clearance, and I had my boys (age 3 and 4 at the time) draw pictures of our family so I could frame them. We still have those as precious memories.

The picture to the left is of a magnetic board we made. Dh was working with a sheet metal subcontractor and he gave him a large scrap of metal they were going to pitch. We painted it the same color as the walls. Dh painted the frame the same taupe color as the floor, and then hung it. A few months before we had to have the magnetic strip replaced all around our refrigerator. The repairman asked me if I wanted to keep the magnetic piece. I had no idea what I would do with that, but I kept it. Sure glad I did! I cut it into small pieces and painted it cream. Voila! Magnets to hang the boys artwork and no thumb tacks for them to step on or get poked with. We had to leave almost all of my laundry room behind when we moved....what a bummer.

So now you see why I wish I had a before picture? Just picture a room with all concrete and cinder block, no ceiling, and one bare light bulb hanging from the ceiling. Bleck! :-) Lesson learned: I'll be sure to get my camera out before we start any new renovations.