Basement Bar Finds!

 **COME MEET-UP WITH ME AT IMATS LA!! I'll be at the Sigma Beauty booth from 10:30am-12:30 pm on January 18th (Saturday's show). Be sure to stop by and say hi! I'd love to meet you!!

So for this week's home decor break, we're headed down to the basement.  I had mentioned in previous posts that we had made some changes down there. Two HUGE things in particular that we had been on the search for since we moved in, and one lighting update I mentioned in my recent home decor haul here.

Before I get ahead of myself, here's what we started with...


We had been on the hunt for the perfect piece for that big blank wall since before we moved in. We knew it had to be pretty huge. Notice how tiny that mirror looks against it! That mirror used to hang in the living room at our old house and I actually considered it quite large!
Also, the big empty space in the middle. Having the little bar built in is really nice, however, we really wanted an actual "bar" that people could sit at for the middle area. We looked at a lot of them (they're not easy to find), and they definitely aren't cheap. We considered getting one eventually when we found the perfect one, but I also didn't want to limit that area to JUST a bar, you know? A giant bar isn't exactly the most versatile piece of furniture...  Plus, for the price we'd be paying (the cheapest option we found came in around $1700), I just couldn't justify it. There was no reason we needed an actual "bar" with storage and all that good stuff that a typical bar would have since we already have more storage than we need for that area in the cabinets. I really just wanted a seating area, at least counter-height.
So the bar idea was toast.

So I had seen some photos of large counter-height tables (a little taller than an average table, but not quite as tall as "bar" height) used in basements and kitchens and decided that one would eventually be mine.  I didn't expect to find the perfect one so soon...


First of all, this thing is huge.  The guys who delivered it said it was the heaviest table they had ever lifted. It's really made nice and solid too which is a huge plus.


This photo shows off the pretty natural grain in the wood.  It's the same height as the adjacent counters which makes it all look "pulled together".


Notice the huge leaner mirror?? I'm SO in love with it! I got a great deal on it at Ballard Designs during a recent mirror sale. It goes with the whole "industrial" theme and really opens up the space by bouncing around a ton of light. It makes the room feel so much larger! We waited on that baby for almost 4 weeks... Getting that thing delivered was not easy.

I'm planning to refinish the light colored base of the table to something a little more dark and rich to compliment all the bronze and darker finishes down there.  We'll get there soon!
Also, I'm going to keep my eyes peeled for six industrial-style counter-height stools so we can put three on each side.

I actually found the table at a local furniture store when I had gone to look for my tufted chairs. I wasn't looking for it at all. I just turned a corner and there it was! They had the exact same one with a darker base for $1700. This one was normally that price and I got it for $500 because it was marked down because of some inexplicable sale.

I'm loving the versatility of the table- It's taller and the dimensions are a bit more "stretched" than a typical table. By that I mean it's super shallow front to back, and very wide left to right.  So we can use it as a bar, serve food on it during get-togethers, or sit at it like a typical table for game nights.  We could even push it back further toward the wall if we needed more floor space for whatever.

Here's another good shot of the mirror...


It has sort of an antiqued finish so that's why the actual mirror looks cloudy in some places. It's super pretty in person.

As far as adding any accessories to the table top, I think I'm going to keep it really simple.  I posted a photo on Instagram a few days back of some pretty hurricane style candleholders I found at Target. I actually purchased a large size as well. I think before the day is over he'll be living atop the new table. Totally just got that idea as I'm writing this post...haha.
Here it is...

Here's that Instagram photo of the smaller ones in our dining room...

Totally just got an idea for next week's post. ;)



I think it worked out pretty perfectly in that little stairway heading down to there.  Still can't believe what a great deal I got on it! I actually found the fixture on the website and was mistaken about the original price... It was actually $198 originally and I got it for $60. Always fun finding an amazing deal on something you'd been wanting and didn't expect to go on sale!

So that's it for the basement...for now. Like I've said before, we've got SO many plans for it! Including a completely empty room that is twice the size of the area I just showed you that we can't wait to get our hands on...  I'll keep you guys updated!