BEFORE & AFTER

Olaniyi (@jadoreledecor) and her husband tackled bringing fresh style and functionality to her home’s flood-damaged basement during the Spring ‘24 One Room Challenge, and this finished project has to be a contender for the world’s swankiest basement. 

She and her husband renovated it completely DIY, starting with completely updating the stairway leading into the basement. Per Ola, the stairwell wall was “wavier than a wet noodle,” so she added some architectural detail with boards to disguise the imperfections and give the walls some charm. She also replaced the dated railings with sleek stainless steel ones that added a polished, modern touch to the updated space.

Next on their list was addressing the moisture and the bulkhead, to things most basements unfortunately have in common. Olaniyi chose to use grasscloth wallpaper on most of the walls--because grasscloth wallpaper is porous and breathable, it can regulate humidity in a space, and insulate sound and heat. She disguised the bulkhead with a stylish dry bar, which is absolutely genius and one of our favorite details in this space. 

The centerpiece of the living area is a stunning plaster fireplace Olaniyi crafted to resemble black quartz or soapstone, flanked by glossy white IKEA cabinets for a touch of clean, modern style. 

Lastly, Olaniyi included a dedicated office area for her husband, complete with Star Wars artwork and a display for his motorcycle gear. This space took hard work and serious design skills to create, and Ola should be so proud!

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