When giving a space a makeover, pay attention to the little details, such as hardware. Taking the time to update those and add functional beauty will help to pull the room together.
I went into this week of the $100 room challenge, not quite knowing which projects would be tackled. It all depended upon James hanging sheetrock on the lower staircase. In the back of my mind, one of two scenarios would play out and I was fine with doing either one.
{Post contains affiliate links. You can read our disclosure here.}
In the end, we focused on the details and he helped me out with some shelving, as well as with finishing up the sheetrock. It was a really good week of work on our basement staircase makeover and it took a few steps forward.
HARDWARE MAKEOVER
Some of the hardware on the door is old and some was new. I decided to take the easy way out and give them a cohesive look with a little spray paint. Maybe someday I will regret that decision, but for now it was the easiest solution to bring a fresh look to the space.
MILK DOOR REFRESH
Our home was built in 1915 and I love that there is still a little milk door. This was for the milkman to deliver from the outside and the homeowner could open their door on the inside. I love old homes for this very reason!
It was in a need of a paint scraping and a good cleaning, followed by a few fresh coats of paint inside and out.
LIGHTING
Most of the light fixtures in our home are old…possibly original. Every single one has been painted by previous owners, except for this one in our basement staircase. In an effort to bring out some of it’s natural beauty, I spiffed it up with a little Brasso. Switching out the light bulb was an easy update too.
WINDOW CURTAIN
The curtain rod and curtain were quick after-thoughts for the door when we moved in. I wanted to add privacy since neighbors could easily look in through this door. But after two years, it needed a little attention.
To tie the curtain rod in with the rest of the hardware, I spray painted it black. And the extra-long curtain that was just draped over the rod was hemmed to fit this door.
BEHIND THE SCENES
NEW SHELVING
We try and optimize every space in our home and this basement staircase is no different. There was shelving along this wall, but the configuration wasn’t working for our family.
I did a little measuring and bought some boards to make shelves and I stained them using Minwax Early American. James used some wood scraps we already had to create wood triangle shaped brackets to support the shelving.
FIRE SAFETY
We have had a fire extinguisher just hanging out on this staircase for two years. {Very thankful we’ve never needed to use it!} But I wanted to get it up off the ground. In all honesty, I’d rather not even have it visible, but practicality won out. Safety first. 😉
It came with a hook, so James hung it in the little space between the milk door and the kitchen door.
THE LITTLE DETAILS
This week felt like a lot of projects were going on, but when I step back and look, it doesn’t appear to be much. But I know that we laid the groundwork that will be noticeable when it’s all done. {Next week!}
If you peek around the corner, you can see the new sheetrock. It already looks so much better, even though it hasn’t been painted yet. Adding sheetrock gives our basement staircase a finished look.
It was a fun week and I am beside myself excited for the reveal next week. I promise that the actual stairs will finally get a makeover and I thank you for bearing with it in this awful state for 3 whole weeks! It’s gonna be worth the wait…I promise!
PROJECT CHECKLIST
√ Paint door hardware
√ Paint curtain rod and hem curtain
√ Clean up light fixture and change out bulb
√ Paint milk door
√ Add shelving
√ Hang fire extinguisher
√ Finish hanging sheetrock
WEEK TWO BUDGET
{Any $0 cost items are things we already had on hand.}
Spray paint: $0
Curtain: $0
Brasso: $0
Light bulb: $0
Shelving boards: $18.88
Wood stain: $0
Fire extinguisher: $0
Sheetrock and supplies: $0
Week One Expenses: $34.85
Week Two Expenses: $18.88
Total Spent: $53.73
Amount Left: $46.27
If you love budget makeovers, you’ll need to check out these other $100 Room Challenge makeovers:
$100 ROOM CHALLENGE: BEFORE / WEEK ONE / WEEK TWO / REVEAL
CHECK OUT THESE OTHER $100 ROOM MAKEOVERS
Wow! What a difference the painted hardware makes. The curtain is perfect.
Wow you’ve been busy! You’re so right about details like hardware, and I love your fresh black hardware with the white paint. But I have to say, that little milk cubby has my heart!
Wow that door hardware cleaned up nicely and looks brand new. I would never have known it had a previously life or was so worn, you did a great job.
The little details make all the difference. My favorite is the little milk door! I love it. I think this week made a huge difference and I love all the smaller projects you did. Its really coming along nicely!
I love the little things like the milk cabinet❤️ The hardware and shelving looks fantastic!
Spray painting the hardware made a big difference! The milk cabinet is so cute!
That little milk box is so cute, and a great little detail. I am really liking the black hardware and stained wood shelves. Looking forward to the reveal!
Amazing the changes made with just the hardware refresh! Love how it’s coming together.
I love the new shelves! They will be so handy and make the space so much more functional 🙂 Isn’t it always amazing what you can do with a few pieces of wood. I love the update to the hardware as well. It has been so fun watching your space transform 🙂
I LOVE that you have a milk door! How cool!!! You got a ton done this week… even if it was a lot of smaller things. Everything looks fresh. Cannot wait to see the reveal on Wednesday!
It really is looking way better. I love the painted hardware!
You’ve done a great job so far! I am in love with that milk door!!!