We’re back with another basement update (here’s where we left off) and this week we focused on a few simple, high-impact improvements: painting the dingy built-in cabinet, adding art, obscuring the semi-sheer doors on our armoires, and bringing in a bunch of storage bins to get things organized. The space already feels cleaner, brighter, and much more usable.
Before diving into the details, a huge thank-you to the wonderful team at True Value for their generous gift card that helped make many of these updates possible. We used the gift card to buy paint for the built-in cabinet and a selection of storage bins to maximize space inside both armoires and under the small Ikea table by the door. The difference is night and day—our basement looks refreshed, and even the spiders who used to claim it as home might not recognize it anymore.
First up: the built-in wall cabinet. It came with the house and had seen better days, so we picked up a crisp white semi-gloss and gave it several coats. The change is dramatic—what was once dingy now looks nearly new and fits well with the other pieces in the room, like the Ikea desk sitting nearby. A little paint goes a long way.
Next, we dealt with the semi-sheer fabric panels on the two wardrobes we recently picked up. Once we started filling one armoire with a giant Christmas tree bag and stacked a few bins on top, the colors showing through the semi-sheer panes looked chaotic—especially with a big red bag visible in one. To bring balance and introduce some pattern, we grabbed a couple of rolls of green-and-white wrapping paper from Target, cut each roll down the middle to create four panels, trimmed them to size, and attached them to the inside of the doors with double-stick tape.
The result is instant: playful color and subtle texture visible through the panes, tying the room together without permanently altering the furniture. The total cost was about $6, and we still have leftover paper for wrapping gifts. It’s an inexpensive, reversible trick that makes a big visual difference.
We also added artwork above the armoire and leaned a large black-and-white framed print above the small table near the window. The print was something we already had, and its moody tones and black frame complement the black stripes in the rug nicely. The long framed piece above the armoire was actually a recent groomsman gift—photos that spell out our last name with objects shaped like letters—and it fit the basement’s refreshed palette perfectly.
Hanging art on cinder block walls can be a nightmare—screws tend to pull out and leave dust and frustration in their wake. To avoid drilling, we used Command Picture Hanging Strips. These heavy-duty adhesive strips work like an extra-strong Velcro: press one side to the back of the frame and the matching side to the wall, apply firm pressure for about a minute, separate the pieces so the strips on the wall can cure for an hour or two without bearing the frame’s weight, then reattach the frame. The strips held the piece securely and saved us from battling with the temperamental cinder block.
With the armoires sorted, we also organized what goes under the table by the window. Two large green bins now house all of our Christmas decorations, which is a huge improvement over having ornaments and seasonal items scattered across kitchen cabinets, under beds, and in closets. Consolidating everything into a couple of cheerful, oversized containers makes seasonal decorating and storage so much easier—and oddly satisfying.
We’re not finished yet. Upcoming tasks include adding privacy solutions for the windows, building a screen to hide the water heater, and creating designated storage inside the freshly painted built-in cabinet. But the progress so far is encouraging and shows how a few low-cost tweaks—paint, paper, adhesive strips, and strategically chosen bins—can transform a neglected basement into a functional, appealing space.
Are any of you working on projects that are only half done? We’d love to hear about your in-progress work—there’s comfort in shared unfinished business, and we can definitely relate.
P.S. Want to revisit the basement makeover from the beginning? Check out the earlier posts in the series: the first post, the second post, the third post, the fourth post, and the fifth post.