New Project: Basement Makeover (And a Giveaway from 3M!)

Good morning! I’m back from a little family vacation – did you have a good holiday weekend? I can’t believe it’s already September, and now that Labor Day has passed – summer is over. Every year seems to go faster than the last.

The hint of fall weather in the air is reminding me – like an annoying kid poking you in the side – that last winter I failed to complete the one home decor project I really wanted to tackle: decorating our basement rec room and guest room. Well, it’s time to put a stop to this procrastination.

Our Basement, circa 2010

I’ve been trying to get motivated to dive in and start, but wasn’t sure where to start, exactly. Fortunately a sweet kick in the pants came in the form of a bundle of DIY project must-haves sent to me by the generous people at 3M Frameworks.

Remember our mid-century modern credenza?

How about our $20 yard sale coffee table with the stains and paint on the top?

We need to refinish both of these bad boys. While the credenza may look totally fine the way it is, it’s not structurally sound. It’s like the Ikea of the 50’s, which means the corners are actually coming apart.

In order to make the credenza more sturdy, we may have to alter the exterior – which means we’ll then be turning to paint to cover up the work. I’m thinking it would look sweet with a white frame and walnut stained doors and legs, like this gorgeous piece:

As for the coffee table, it’s in such great shape that all it needs is a light sanding and then a nice new coat of walnut stain.

To get the job done, we’ll be using these goodies from 3M Frameworks:

Of course a refinishing project couldn’t happen without a few 3M Sandblaster blocks.
The TEKK Protection respirator masks will help us avoid breathing in the sanding dust or smelling the paint fumes, which will be awesome. I still remember the color of things coming out of my nose after sanding down my bedside tables!
I’ll protect my eyes in style with the tortoiseshell safety goggles, and keep the paint off my hands – that’s a nice change from the norm – with the blue TEKK painter’s gloves.
As for the Scotch Blue Painter’s Tape – that’s going to help me rock some seriously straight lines when I do the two-tone paint application.

I’ll check back in in a few weeks to let you know how these projects went. Here’s hoping they go a lot faster than the bedside tables that took 3 months to build last summer!

Now while I’m tackling that project, wouldn’t you love to win a set of your own 3M Frameworks DIY project goodies? Now is your chance! Our friends at 3M have offered up the following prize pack for one lucky reader who participates in the CoupleSpeak contest.

Remember that contest? It’s being hosted on the 3M Frameworks Facebook page, where fans get a chance to translate hilarious couple speak that ensues when two people attempt to tackle a DIY project together. And you could win some cash in the process – because every single week, one lucky script-writer will win a cash prize of $250.

The prize pack contains:

3M LeadCheck Swabs (so you can test the surface of old furniture before you start sanding)
1 Roll of Scotch Blue Painter’s Tape
3 Stages of Sanding (which includes green, maroon, and gold sandpaper)
TEKK Gloves
TEKK Respirator Mask (which really we should all be wearing when tackling any painting/sanding project)
TEKK safety goggles

If you’d like to enter to win, here’s what to do:

1) Hop on over to the 3M Framework Facebook Page, “like” the page, and participate in the CoupleSpeak translation contest.

2) Come back here and comment on this post, letting us know you participated – and sharing the translation that you wrote.

This giveaway will close on Monday, 9/12 and is open to anyone in the United States. A winner will be chosen using Random.org.

In the spirit of hooking other DIYers up with the chance to win this prize pack and/or some cash for future projects, feel free to share the contest on Twitter and Facebook.

In the interest of keepin’ it real: This post is officially sponsored by 3M. I was happy to partner up with them because I’m a fan of their blue painter’s tape and the entire family of Command adhesive products (especially for renters!). As with the rest of my business, a portion of all proceeds will be donated to the Carpenter Center, a local homeless shelter.

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