Our (rented) townhouse has a very bleak cement block basement. Right now the blocks are painted white and cream (and not in a pretty pattern) and the floor is painted dark gray. We want to use the basement as a fitness room and a crafting area for scrapbooking. The lighting is also terrible. What are some ways we can brighten up the space and make it more hospitable without doing any permanent construction (remember we are renting) or spending a lot of money?
get some cheap floresent light fixture at lowes or home depot get lots of them get some heat lamps and some potting mix and large pots and start your own basement marijuanna farm and rake in the dough then with the money by your dream home
Because of your scrapbooking and since it is a basement you are going to want to consider storage options. Inexpensive shelving, either metal shelves or even sturdy boards and cinder blocks can be concealed behind curtains. I’ve even seen decorative shower curtains used for this. Curtains might help hide or break up some of the longer expanses of wall too. Take your time and watch clearance sales. You are probably going to want mirrors for your work out area. Inexpensive long, narrow dressing mirrors would be perfect for this and would also increase your lighting. They could be taken out of the cheap frames they come in and hung side by side or left in the frames for a more focused area. Some could even be hung side ways for a different effect on an adjoining wall. For the lighting I would think that an overhead in the work out area and halogen in your craft area would suffice and wouldn’t be too expensive. You don't want to scrimp on the lighting for your craft area, you will see the difference in the end product of your work if you do. All of these ideas leave you where anything you do have to purchase can easily be converted to another use in a new home. Good luck in your new place!
A cheap way to decorate for a workout room and scrap book room is to buy some stand up mirrors and place them up against the walls. Any lighting that you have will magnify and you will be able to see your physical development while working out, and you can take them with you when you leave. Good Luck
Craig's List will have inexpensive items (albeit used) for decorating. As for light construction work: The most important issue is waterproofing. Use Super ThoroCoat to seal and color the walls. For the floor, use oops paint from home depot. A 5 gallon bucket of an off color should do the trick, and it is normally marked down from $125 to $15. Yes, that is $110 off the normal price. Our local store ALWAYS has one or two garage or concrete floor 5 gallon buckets in the oops area that someone didn't pick up or didn't particularly like the color of. (Remember the most important rules in painting a concrete floor: Clean the floor first, make sure it is dry, apply paint and WAIT 48 hours before walking on it and three more days before putting furniture down on it.) Then, area rugs are cheap enough on Craig's list as well as Ikea furniture. They are BOTH available in good condition on Craig's list with little time wasted looking and great prices. Your landlord will appreciate your use of ThoroCoat or ThoroSeal on the walls and concrete paint on the floor. You will have done the right thing and have made it moisture resistant and waterproof too. FYI, our townhouse basement is done with these sealants. It worked well at keeping dust sealed in as well as taking away the dampness associated with normal basements.
