Katie is a one hour long talk show program aired by ABC television that features Katie Couric covering a range of different topics. Recently, she gave a 24 hour basement renovation to the Archer family after Allan Archer wrote to the show desperate for help in creating a safe and green environment for his family to spend time in. With two young children, the family believes strongly in environmentally friendly living. Before At the time that Mr. Archer contacted the show, the family’s basement left a lot to be desired. The space was cold with linoleum flooring covering only a portion of the basement. Exercise equipment cluttered up the main space leaving little room for toys or playing. The laundry area and random storage took up the rest of the space. The walls were a stark white cinderblock style. The basement was cluttered, unkempt, dusty and dingy – definitely not a space that would suffice for entertaining kids. The Renovation Team The Katie show called in the help of Courtney and Bob Novogratz to transform the basement from a “cautionary-tape disaster” into an environmentally friendly paradise that was suitable for all members of the family to enjoy time in. Overnight, this dynamic duo went to work removing old flooring, refreshing the color scheme and adding furniture to create an inviting area. Just 24 hours later, the grand reveal was filmed and can be seen on their YouTube channel here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5USDBpwGqk. After Once the old flooring was taken out, the team laid an environmentally friendly and adhesive free hardwood floor throughout the area. This gave the entire basement an instant update without adding in any of the nasty chemicals that are often found in adhesives. Instead, the floor uses a floating system to stay in place and helps to maintain the room’s temperature. A Mitsubishi unit was installed to provide heating and cooling. In addition, the unit filters the air to remove allergens and bacteria which is especially important for this family whose son has been diagnosed with asthma. This unit in Energy Star rated to show that it is energy efficient and an environmentally responsible choice. Décor The room’s look was livened up by adding horizontal grey stripes throughout the room. A soy based poly foam sofa provides a comfortable seating area while still maintaining the green requirements of this renovation project. Two pillows made with recycled cotton stripes make the couch an inviting place to sit and watch the children play. One of the storage shelves that was originally in the area was re-purposed to organize the assortment of eco-friendly toys that now occupy the space. The Green Toy company makes toys from recycled plastic such as plastic milk jugs into a number of different toys including trucks, colorful flowers and action figures. The children gravitated to the toys immediately. The family was interviewed by Katie Couric after the reveal and they stated that the basement is now a “perfect dream come true”. They have found themselves spending more and more time together there and even recently hosted a birthday party featuring a magician in the space.