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House Of Hipsters

Home Decor How To Renovation and Home Improvement

Drywall The Basement and Karndean Flooring

January 17, 2017

Last Updated on November 29, 2022

Thankfully things are really starting to come together in the basement. Like, I can see a light at the end of the tunnel, and it isn’t fogged up with construction dust. All in all, Gerry and his crew have made the whole process smooth sailing, but I can officially say drywalling is the worst. Word to the wise — the smartest thing we did was shrink-wrapping everything exposed in the basement. The sofa, photo booth, pool table, coffee table…every single thing that was left out, was shrink-wrapped, covered in tarps, and sealed uptight.

choosing a color - luxury vinyl flooring from Karndean

drywall installation in the basement

Even though Gerry put up sheets of plastic to block off openings to the rest of the house and contain the destruction, drywall dust still gets into every single nook and cranny. We also turned off the central heat while the crew was working. Didn’t want all that dust getting caught up in the whole-house system.

basement renovation top tips

drywall installation in the basement

drywall installation in the basement

drywall installation in the basement

If you look close, you’ll notice we removed that hideous faux bricked unvented fireplace. The home inspector really spooked us when he told us we should install a CO2 detector and never fall asleep with the thing lit. Gerry ripped it out in about 2.5 seconds and capped off the gas line. Death machine is gone!

drywall installation in the basement

Since this project was taking place in the basement, the mudding took extra time to dry. It’s a bit more humid down there than in the rest of the house.

Knowing we were still working on the basement bathroom, we kept everything shrink-wrapped. It made the space pretty much unusable and the kids lost their playroom, but at least the furnishings were protected.

The painter was next up on the docket. He’s apparently painted enough walls in the new house that he can read me like a book. Didn’t even bother bringing in his paint swatches….just walked in the door, white paint in hand, and said, “Snowbound, right?” I kinda wanted to mess with him, but my quick wit was still dusty from the drywall.

drywall installation in the basement

The space was wide open, and the flooring hadn’t been installed, so Tom was able to get straight to work. He knocked the place out licketty split, and now it looks so bright and spacious! No longer dark and dingy. It also thankfully no longer smells like a frat house.

drywall installation in the basement

Luxury Vinyl Flooring In The Basement

The flooring was a go, and we made had to make color decisions. Remember when I turned my nose up at our insurance agent who said if he was renovating his own basement he’d install luxury vinyl flooring? The dude schooled me because I never knew beautiful flooring like this existed. We wanted a natural wood plank design that made a serious statement…not to mention something a bit more durable.

There are a handful of luxury vinyl flooring companies out there, but after ordering up a few samples, both The Boy and I knew immediately Karndean Flooring was the way to go. Their quality just stood out leaps and bounds from the rest.

choosing a color - luxury vinyl flooring from Karndean

Now it came down to colors. If you read the last basement post, I talked about how gray flooring is trending right now…my only problem to troubleshoot was that the sofa down there was gray as well. Hmmm. Buying a new sofa was definitely NOT in the budget.

The Boy and I ripped a tiny hole through the shrink-wrapped sofa and laid the samples next to the cushion peeping through one by one. Too brown, too beige, too light…ah, just right…although almost a perfect match. The solution, eventually a cream rug might be in order to add a bit of separation. Easy fix, but all in due time. I was informed new rugs were also not in the budget…besides, I didn’t really want to cover up the beautiful flooring.

The Karndean Flooring Limed Silk Oak was a winner-winner chicken dinner. Even better, this color came in the narrow planks. Exactly what I wanted. Yahtzee!

Because I double and triple check EVERYTHING, I created a mood board with the Karndean Flooring and Clé Tile in the soon-to-be installed in the bathroom renovation to make sure everything was shnazzy. Guess what…it’s better then shnazzy…it’s the bomb dot com.

The Karndean Flooring with the black penny round and white subway tile in the bathroom…oh my! Clutch the pearls and someone get me a phone…order it up. Do you see the light at the end of the tunnel? OMG, I DO! And that makes my stress levels dropped. The Great Flood of 2016 was unexpected and unfortunate, but we are SRSLY kicking ass, and the results looking incredible.

Limed Silk Oak - luxury vinyl flooring from Karndean

 

 

 

TAGS:basement renovationbathroomhome improvementluxury vinyl flooring
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Kyla Herbes

Kyla Herbes is an interior designer and home decor content creator based in Chicago, IL. She shares daily doses of home decor, corners of her home, interior styling tips, and will inspire you to do it yourself. House Of Hipsters has been featured in Architectural Digest, Apartment Therapy, House Beautiful, HGTV, The Huffington Post, Refinery29, Rue Magazine, and Style Me Pretty Living. Kyla has also made appearances on BravoTV and WGN TV and was named a Better Homes and Gardens Style Maker 3 years in a row.

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    Alex
    January 17, 2017

    Oh Freaking Swoon! I am loving the combination! And I have to agree with the vinyl flooring – so much easier to maintain in a case of washing machine overflowing, hot water tank breaking etc. etc. 🙂

    It’s going to look so beautiful!!

    Reply
    • blank
      kyla
      Alex
      January 19, 2017

      Hey girl hey! I’m so glad you like it as much as I do! I am super jazzed and can’t wait for it to be finished. I’m not a firm believer in vinyl flooring. Can’t believe I ever doubted it!

      Reply
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    Katie
    January 17, 2017

    Sweet combo with the penny tile and gray floors! I can’t wait to see the finished product!

    Reply
    • blank
      kyla
      Katie
      January 19, 2017

      I’m so glad you like it! I’m super excited about it and so relieved my basement no longer smells like a frat house =)

      Reply
  • blank
    [email protected]
    January 18, 2017

    Like I said on IG already, big fat yes to the vinyl flooring! Looks amazing already and can’t wait to see the floors installed. Such a pretty color

    Reply
    • blank
      kyla
      [email protected]
      January 19, 2017

      Now that everything has been picked out and insurance money is in, it’s going to move right along! WOOHOO! Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply
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    Kristin
    February 16, 2023

    How are these floors holding up after all these years? I’m considering the same brand for my basement. I’m a little concerned with scratching since it’s a “kid zone” and curious what your experience has been. I enjoy your content! Thank you!

    Reply
    • blank
      Kyla Herbes
      Kristin
      February 16, 2023

      Hi Kristin, Absolutely zero complaints. No scratches, and looks as good as new. If you want to see fresh photos, email me. Happy send a few. My only wish is that I didn’t purchase this floor in gray. I wish I had gone with something less trendy and classic.

      My daughter has spilled paint, and I can use 409 spray to clean it. I have a 13 year old boy and his friends are down there every day screwing around, dropping pool balls. We also have a dog now and he runs around down there as well. No dents. No chips. No scratches. It’s freaking awesome and you’re reminding me that I should do an update post on this flooring.

      Reply

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