We’re back with our weekly basement update, and since we’re getting closer to the best word ever — finished — this week’s project was quick and simple. It centers on the built-in cabinet to the right of the Ikea workstation that we painted white last week. It started out bare, but we promised a storage idea was coming. Here it is.
Yes, those are matching paint cans — and yes, call us nerds if you must. We’d been meaning to move our paint from the garage into the basement for a while. The basement stays cooler in summer and warmer in winter because it’s underground, which helps protect paint from freezing, drying out, or otherwise spoiling. After reading about how paint cans can off-gas and affect indoor air quality, storing them in a less-used basement or garage seemed like a smarter choice than keeping them inside the living spaces.
We could have simply moved our mismatched, gunked-up cans into the basement and been done with it, but we love the organized look of our refreshed basement and wanted a cohesive solution. New cans not only look better, they seal more tightly and help paint last longer. That’s preferable to losing cans each year to dried-out paint — a waste of money and material. For a few dollars apiece, empty new cans seemed like sensible insurance to keep our $25+ cans ready to use.
True Value carries empty paint cans in gallon and quart sizes, which we picked up to unify our supplies on the open basement shelf and to keep paint fresh for years. (Side note: True Value has been great to us in the past, so we were happy to shop there.)
Transferring paint into fresh cans also gave us a chance to sort through old colors and eliminate shades we no longer need, like the green we once used in the living room and the yellow from the front door. We try to pare down and donate items when we can — giving paint a second life is a win for both organization and sustainability. Note: never toss old paint in the regular trash; take it to a recycling center that accepts paint or donate it to a community reuse program.
Before buying cans we counted how many gallons and quarts we’d need and grabbed a few extras. Then John’s inner accountant suggested getting printable labels from Office Max so we could transfer the brand, finish, and paint formula to each new can. It felt a bit obsessive, but printing the labels took about 15 minutes and the neat result made us both happy. John even left a small thumbprint of each color on its label so we always have a quick visual reference for touch-ups.
The end result is attractive open storage that matches the rest of the basement and keeps paint fresher thanks to a cleaner, tighter seal. Removing dried paint buildup from can lips and lids is a simple form of maintenance that prevents repurchasing paint when you only need a little for a touch-up. There’s nothing more frustrating than finding a can dried out just when you need a tiny bit of color.
What’s next for the basement? We still need to obscure some no-privacy windows and build a DIY screen to hide the water heater. Expect those details next week in what will be the final chapter of our basement makeover. After that comes a big bathroom renovation that has us obsessing about tile options. Any of you tackling a major project before the holidays — maybe to prepare for guests or because you’ll be traveling and won’t mind some disruption while work happens? Share your plans.
Update: A reader suggested a latch-on pour spout that clips to a gallon or quart can and helps pour paint without getting it all over the lip. We’ll pick one up to keep our cans looking pristine and sealing tightly for years to come.
Want to revisit our basement makeover from the beginning? Check out the earlier chapter posts for the full story and progress photos.