This blog post is partly sponsored by Karndean Designflooring

Do you have a home project that’s been on your wishlist for years? Read to the end for some pretty scary “befores.” A basement renovation has been on our list of projects since we first bought our home four years ago. We had received estimates over the years but this year was finally the push we needed to get it done. A growing family, two adults that work from home, and maybe my biggest motivator was not having to do laundry in the dungeon anymore. The extra space is necessary and will be such a blessing as the kids grow up to have a place to go, that’s dedicated to them. By finishing our basement, we are gaining about 550 square feet of living space, and that is just pure gold.

I knew I wanted to keep the it as open as possible with the outlook that it will be a space in our home that is constantly changing and adapting to our family needs. With that, I wanted to keep the design as clean, straight-forward and timeless as possible. Finishing a basement is a big investment and it’s not something we want to have to change again in the future so it was really important that we chose finishes that could last a lifetime.

The flooring was actually my first (and surprisingly easiest) choice. I knew I wanted to go with a luxury vinyl floor for its durability, while still keeping design and aesthetics top of mind. I stumbled across Karndean Design flooring and instantly fell in love with not only their options, but their commitment to sustainability.

Not only is Karndean LVP flooring free of heavy chemicals and metals, but as a brand, they are committed to innovation and reducing negative impacts on the environment. You can read more about their sustainability commitment here.

The quality difference between Karndean flooring and other LVP brands can literally be felt the moment you take it out of the box. It’s thick but pliable, and it feels soft underfoot. I know it is the absolute perfect choice for our family and I can’t wait to share as we fill this space in.

While LVP flooring can be a good DIY project, we opted to have our contractor handle the installation since he and his team were doing the rest of the work on the basement. Before seeing the flooring we chose, he explained that we may encounter some issues due to how uneven our basement concrete flooring was. We talked about doing a subfloor or self-leveling concrete but opted to do install the floor right on top of the concrete and it installed like a dream.

Karndean loose-lay flooring is installed with an adhesive around the perimeter in spaces as large as ours and it works so well, our flooring is completely flush, and most importantly, comfortable and so easy to maintain. You can check out the installation guidelines on their website here.

Now for the options…

I wanted something that was a natural and neutral tone. We have darker hardwood flooring throughout our house but to help keep the basement feeling bright and airy, in a space with no windows, I opted for a lighter wood tone.

We landed on the Cambridge Looselay LLP113. It is a washed oak look with some open grain and looks beautiful next to our crisp white walls. While the basement is primarily serving as a playroom and laundry space right now, it will transition seamlessly over the years as the space evolves.

I can’t wait to get to decorating this space, once everything has a place and sharing along the way! If you don’t already, follow on Instagram for updates and sources.

And for the befores….this is the SAME view just a few months ago.