Aaaaaannnd last but not least, the plans for the basement:

The floorpan of the ‘before’ basement is misleading in that it seems wide open and inviting – when in fact there were no proper lights, the mechanical was taking up a huge swatch of the floor plan, and the columns had large footers you could trip over. The ceiling was mostly around 7 feet tall already, which we’ll expand a bit so we have code-appropriate ceiling heights (we have to dig out the floor anyway to put in a totally new water service).
[Kripa: It’s current state has a real “I’m going to steal your organs” vibe. We’re hoping to move it into a less murder-y direction.]
In the new floorpan, we’ve defined the space a few ways:
Rec Room. When you come down the stairs, there will be basically an extra living room. Maybe we use it for a TV/projector room, maybe it’s where our kid plays as he gets older. There’s going to be a column in it, which is something we’ll have to figure out design-wise.
Mechanical. Nothing too exciting here, basically a room for the HVAC.
[Kripa: That’s a laugh. Brian needs central air like he needs actual air. I like how he’s all, “HVAC, NBD,” when in reality if we’re in a humid place and there is no A/C he has a toddler level meltdown.]
Bedroom. We’re adding a bedroom in the basement bump-out which will be across from a bathroom. Good for guests, might also be good for Airbnb?
[Kripa: We have definitely not talked about this yet. Glad to have heard about it through the blog. #rollingeyesemoji]
Bathroom. A basic bathroom where we might have a little more fun design-wise.
Mudroom. We’re imagining that during the rainy and snowy time in Chicago (e.g. November-April), we’ll want a space to track muddy shoes in when you’re coming from the detached garage through the back yard. This is a large mudroom, where we’ll add coat storage and benches. We’re also adding a laundry hookup so, if/when we sell the house, there’s an option for basement laundry (which some people prefer).
[Kripa: This is so strange to me but apparently laundry hookups in the basement and second floor is good for resale. Who are all these laundry-loving house buyers?]
Bedroom / Woodshop. This is the 2nd bedroom in the basement, but we’re going to use it as a WOODSHOP!! I enjoy doing house projects and woodworking, but haven’t ever had a dedicated space (though I was able to build a few pieces at the Chicago Industrial Arts & Design Center). When we lived in Arizona we did some house projects, which involved parking the car outside the garage until the project ended. My plan is to add a hearty dust collection system and operate a small indoor woodshop.

What’s next? Well, we have plans, we have permits – now it’s time for demolition!
Dark, dank, scary basement. That about sums it up. Can’t wait for the new one.
Rec Room: AKA the place where teenage Dhruv sneaks downstairs after you’ve gone to bed to drink beers he’s swiped from Brian’s built in beverage fridge.
By then, I’m assuming beer will be made on demand with a 3D protein printer and I’ll be able to have biometric security keys on my beer fridge – so I don’t anticipate any problems.
I’m pretty sure any child of yours and Kripa’s will be able to figure out how to copy your biometric data, Gattaca style.