Paneled basement with the avocado bar
Jennifer Wilton
6 years ago
I recently posted about the mid century avocado green wet bar in my new house. Thought it might be good to give more context about the room overall, because I'm not sure if I should paint the paneling and modernize, leave it as is and play up the MCM, or some combo. I have a large red sectional with matching armchair (pretty plain, contemporary/transitional style, I guess) that I was hoping to use in this room because I don't want to buy new furniture yet. I also have a pair of IKEA Poäng chairs with black cushions, and a couple of *very* midcentury gold velvet loveseats (which are cool but not the most comfortable and not great for group seating). The red sofa is the clear outlier but also the best for seating. I'll post photos of the room and furniture (some as comments bc of 4 photo limit in post). Appreciate any ideas- I'm stumped.
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (9)
Related Discussions
How important is it to recycle, really?
Comments (42)There should be no such thing as waste. Everything is part of a cycle, which should not be broken. And we ARE part of the planet - which gives us our life and can easily take our life away! Even if you have children, it is possible to minimise the need to recycle. Think about value, quality and ethics rather than quantity. Start by not buying things that are not required to keep you alive and healthy; especially things that are not 'life-supporting' or that alienate you from the natural world. Think carefully and plan; - don't be feather - blown along by the mindless wind of the western world... Such a policy saves you money, or will help reduce your need to work (or exploit the planet by being part of this dangerous, unsustainable game called 'economic growth, no matter the cost'). Of course, being a vegan or vegetarian will really help, as will preparing and eating real food - rather than buying expensive 'rubbish' food from supermarkets or take-aways. You will have better nutrition, and it will save you time and money! Of course the by-products of the food you have eaten are an essential part of the ecological cycle and should not be incinerated or flushed away; they should be aerobically composted and returned to recreate soil fertility. If you can, try growing your own food organically. Then enjoy the extra taste, vitamin and mineral content! Paper or cardboard can be composted, as can vegetable trimmings. We cannot and should not attempt to evade the responsibility we all have to close the cycle. I have a neighbour (the same age as me) who cannot fit her fortnightly rubbish into her weelie-bin, yet I need not put out my bin for a whole year (and then it mainly contains types of plastic packaging that cannot be taken to the recycling centre). If you set out to live lightly on the planet by using recycled items or by trying to buy only good quality essential items (and mend them when they go wrong), there is less need to discard and waste the energy and resources invested in our purchases. As far as clothing (assuming you cannot make your own) is concerned, buying good quality, then not getting it needlessly dirty (by wearing an apron or overall) and of course not washing your clothes to death - are sensible policies which save water, energy and waste. Drink water, rather than be ripped off by buying rubbish in a can or bottle. Plain water is much better for your internal organs and keeping you healthy than complicated concoctions. Maybe filter the water and/or boil off the chlorine using your kettle first. If you want to avoid the hormones/antibiotics etc in tap water, then find an uncontaminated source. Most of the tap water we pay for is wasted - (it just ends up down the drain having not even done anything useful) - because we do not have spray nozzles or sensor taps. In our 1970's autonomous dwelling I fitted foot controls (used on trains) to the taps and you only pressed when you needed a flow. We also used mist-spray nozzles. And you do not need to wet your toothbrush as you have saliva in your mouth, - just rinse it after use! A well-designed waterless toilet (sadly its not easy to find out how to build one, as all the books give completely rubbish information) will cut your toilet water use to zero, other than for washing your hands. Collect water from your roof and use it in the garden and for other tasks, (we filtered it and used it for drinking in our 1970's house - tests by the water authority showed it was as clean as well water). By moving gradually in such a direction, we can change the world towards what is valuable for a sustainable life on this very special, tiny jewel of a planet. Even small steps are positive and valuable....See MoreBasement Conversion
Comments (12)Well we did the same thing but on a smaller scale as the space was kind of already in place although we had it tanked. We used a non RIBA architect who was recommended by someone who's in the trade, would never do that again and we didn't carry out checks due to recommendation... We've got windows in our basement below street level but I really regret not excavating one of them with garden access. If you don't have windows then I agree with Jonathan plus also think about fire exit. We also had to dig up our patio to get our sofa in so think about the staircase!! Given the size you may also want 2 staircases? Ours is split into a utility room with small store cupboards (room was already there when we moved in), then we have a large room with 3 areas with a pool table, tv and sofa, then a bar with table and seats etc. It works brilliantly as a party space for all ages plus somewhere for my husband to watch sport at weekends and everyone raves about it tbh. We also have an old corridor that we hope to convert if we have the money at some point to a wine cellar (not quite sure how the wine is being funded either!!). We did consider a gym space and decided against it although my husband now wants one a year on! If you have sufficient space upstairs for living and sleeping I agree with Jonathans suggestions which are similar to what we have which I think work brilliantly for a basement. Costs went over budget by at least 25% so blew my contingency! I also made the decision to have radiators run off electricity rather than extend the central heating, not the best decision and in the end not financially either! The work also caused a huge amount of dust/dirt. I think typically you would start a house refurb from the top down (?) but not sure if you'd also do that if you have a basement although it depends if you excavate obviously....See MoreVictorian Renovation in London - Part 2
Comments (201)Thanks guys - we did a lot of experimenting and testing on some old floorboards before deciding on this stuff. The Osmo oil gives a deep and rich finish on old pitch pine that looks very different to varnish - deeper and with more of the grain being brought out. It's more like a beeswax finish from olden times, without the backbreaking labour and maintenance. Interestingly on the new boards (in the top bedroom), it makes far less difference: the new pine just looks yellow and shiny, much as it would if varnished. But the oil should be tougher and lower maintenance. We decided to restore these floors rather than replace as they were actually in remarkably good condition: this house has never had fitted carpets fitted, nor central heating fitted until 2014, and when it was installed it was installed with regard to keeping the floors intact (many systems installed in past decades saw the boards sawn up and hacked about). I wanted look that is obviously original, and can't be mistaken for engineered wood. I did think about a limewashed finish, but bottled it at the last minute and went totally traditional, as I thought less risk of a finish done to a trend that would be hard to reverse....See MoreNZ house...tweak the layout
Comments (19)Walk in pantry idea? shelves 300 deep along wall, for plates, appliances, and food, bench at end for breakfast...toaster, kettle , etc. NO units, just shelves. I have this now. works well. You can store a lot of "stuff' we will be getting one of those swivel recliner lazy boy things, i put it on plan, hubby thinks he is getting sky........See MoreJennifer Wilton
6 years ago
PROJodie White Designs
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoJennifer, what a fun basement. Is the second photo part of the basement? Are the photos your furnishings? I would update the lighting on ceiling and paint ceiling black. The paneling is nice and I would not rush to paint , that being said I would paint the window trim in photo two to blend and unify the wall space. A photo of the bookshelves please.
Jennifer Wilton thanked Jodie White DesignsJennifer Wilton
6 years ago- PRO
Jodie White Designs
6 years agoI do think it would look fantastic as your wood has hues of black. Updated photos of space would be helpful.
J Gregory
6 years agoJennifer Wilton
6 years ago
PROCoastal Radiance Lighting
6 years ago
Queen of Style & Décor