This before-and-after update took place in a basement room in Calgary, Canada. The space was dark, cold, and mostly used for storage. The goal was to make it usable without a full basement renovation.
Before photo – dark cluttered basement.
The first step was clearing everything out and repainting the walls with a lighter color. I didn’t realize how uneven the walls were until the paint went on. A few patches needed extra sanding after the first coat dried.
During renovation – painting and patching walls.
Adding better lighting and a small area rug helped warm up the space. One light fixture flickered at first because of a loose connection, which took longer than expected to fix.
After photo – brighter, usable basement room.
The room isn’t perfect, and the ceiling still feels low, but it’s now a functional space instead of a storage area. For a Calgary home, this was a solid improvement without major construction.
Honest Note
Basements always reveal problems slowly, not all at once.