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Basement Blues (and Greens)

You may have seen our recent post in which we relayed to you, dear reader, the trying tale of the great flood of 2010. But thanks to a lot of work, research, and  oh-so-much patience, we now have hot water restored to our condo (after 10 days without!). And it looks like the building’s insurance policy will be covering all (if not most) of the damage done to the basement. Phew. I can easily say that we were not looking forward to the possibility of a special assessment (in which each homeowner ponies up the cash for equal parts of a large repair bill, ew).

A quick inspection of the basement yielded some startling new developments. Take a peep at this unwanted green mold that had developed just above the line where the water crested. Being the handy (and slightly paranoid) fella that I am, I decided to cut a small rectangle of drywall from the interior of our unit to see if the mold had spread to the back surface. Luckily, the mold was only surface-deep, and we were free and clear.

A bottle of bleach, some rubber gloves, and a spiffy dish sponge made short work of the spores, so we wiped down our unit and emailed the rest of the residents of the building to make sure they planned on doing the same. As I mentioned above, we’ve come to find out that our insurance company will be calling on a professional restoration company to bring the basement back to it’s former grandeur, so no more cleaning for us. A pro will be handling the rest. Can’t beat that.

That said, we’ve decided that the next project on our list will capitalize on this opportunity of fresh drywall, a clean basement, and a need to better use our tiny 3’x6’x6′ space more efficiently. So after a brainstorming session (and slew of quick sketches, diagrams, and the usual back and forth project banter), a recent trip to Home Depot yielded some interesting possibilities and some perfectly planned purchases. Here’s a quick glimpse of what we’re up to. Any guesses from our favorite peanut gallery?

While we wait for the restoration pros to do what they do best, we’ve got some rather large goods severely limiting the already tight quarters of the mighty Corolla. (Not to mention the stacks of clear bins taking up that precious real estate in our office). But that fresh-wood sneak peek above sure lends a sweet smell to the ol’ four wheels. And that, my friends, is a handy man’s dream.

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  • Cait @ Hernando House8.6.10 - 9:21 AM

    While I don’t have any guesses (yet), I’m curious as to while you were on the gate hardware/latch aisle and look forward to seeing the undoubtly mind-bogglingly ingenious answer.

    And I’m glad the insurance is going to cover everything/almost everything!ReplyCancel

  • Danielle8.6.10 - 10:36 AM

    This is when insurance is good! lol. I am still sad that this happened to you though. Did you decide what to do with the old Minolta?ReplyCancel

    • Kim8.6.10 - 10:57 AM

      Danielle, I am still undecided. My gut was to paint it, but the “no” response was so overwhelming, which has me second guessing! Still trying to decide… Funny, I’m such a snap decision kind of gal, that this is very unusual for me to take so long on a decision. Maybe I thought the overwhelming answer would be yes? Hmm.ReplyCancel

  • Tina B8.9.10 - 8:32 AM

    Are you building a timeout/thinking box (a la FRIENDS) with the wood and locks? LOL!

    If you paint it (camera), go blue. A really pretty pop of blue. Like ocean water blue. I keep thinking about the blue you used on the curtain hook in your bedroom.ReplyCancel

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We’re Kim + Scott, Chicago based content creators behind the Home + Lifestyle brand Yellow Brick Home.

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