Episode 20: Basement Art Studio Renovation — 5,000 Core English Words

📖 This lesson is part of the comprehensive series 5,000 Common English Words Through 46 Real-Life Conversations by Echo Stories English.

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Chapter twenty. A studio in the basement.

Under the house there is a large, cold basement. For Ryan, it is a place for boxes. For Emma, it is something else. She stands at the bottom of the stairs and sees a real art studio, where she could paint, and teach the children of the neighborhood.

Listen to how they talk about an idea, look through old things, and ask a contractor for an estimate.

Emma: Ryan, come down here. I want to show you something.

Ryan: In the basement? It's like a jail down there.

Emma: Stand here, with me. Now look at that wall. What do you see?

Ryan: A wall. And a metal pole. And my old fishing gear.

Emma: I see a studio. A long table there, shelves for paint, and a sink in the corner. The light from those two windows is sufficiently good in the afternoon.

Ryan: A studio for you?

Emma: For me, and for kids. I've wanted to teach a small class outside school for years. Six or seven children, on Saturdays. Rosa says half the street would sign up.

Ryan: That's a real idea. I like it. What's the trouble with it?

Emma: The size is fine. The trouble is that it's cold, the floor is wet in that corner, and the hot water barely works.

Ryan: That's the pump. It's been handling the water poorly since we moved in. I wonder how much a conversion would cost.

Emma: Less than you think, I hope. We have some saving in the bank. I checked our online banking this morning.

Ryan: You've thought about this closely.

Emma: I've thought about nothing else for a month. It's dear to me. I want it dearly.

Ryan: Then let's call someone. Nevertheless, first we have to move all of this. And most of it is mine, unfortunately.

Emma: What's in this box?

Ryan: Records. Real ones. That's my punk collection, from when I was fifteen. I went to a gig every weekend.

Emma: You? A punk?

Ryan: I had the hair. I knew every lyric. My mother has a picture, and you will never see it.

Emma: I'll ask her on Sunday. And this?

Ryan: Golf clubs. I played twice. And that's a baseball bat, and a trophy from school. Second place. I was the hero of a very small series.

Emma: And these videos?

Ryan: Horror films. I can't watch them now. I fall asleep with the television on and have bad dreams.

Emma: Here's a radio that's older than both of us. Does it work?

Ryan: It did. Turn that. There. A song! Is that opera?

Emma: It's an orchestra. Listen to the rhythm. My aunt used to play this for the ballet class. I know every interval.

Ryan: I only understand songs with three chords.

Emma: That's all right. We'll keep the records and the radio. They can stay in the studio. Kids love old things. The golf clubs can retire.

Ryan: Agreed. And the scissors, the tape, the paper rolls. Those are yours.

Emma: Ours. Everything down here is ours now.

On Thursday, a contractor comes to look at the basement. He walks around slowly, with a small notebook.

Contractor: So, tell me what you have in mind.

Emma: We'd like to turn this into an art studio. It needs to be warm and dry, with good light and a sink.

Contractor: Okay. Let me take a look. The walls are solid. The ceiling is a good height. What's wrong with the water?

Ryan: The pump is old, and the hot water takes forever.

Contractor: I see it. The mechanism is worn out. That's the first thing to release you from. I'd put in a new pump and a new water heater. Then I'd seal the floor, add heating, and improve the lights.

Emma: One more thing. One of the children who will come uses a wheelchair. Is it possible to adapt the back door, so she can get in without the stairs?

Contractor: That's a good question, and the answer is yes. There's a simple solution. There's a door to the garden on that side. I can build a ramp. For a child with a disability, the proportions have to be right, and the law is strict about it. I'll do it properly.

Emma: Thank you. That's of real importance to me.

Ryan: Can you give us an estimate?

Contractor: Roughly? For the pump, the heater, the floor, the lights and the ramp, about nine thousand dollars. I'll send you a written quote with my signature by Monday.

Ryan: And how long will it take?

Contractor: Three weeks, if there are no surprises. In the worst scenario, four.

Emma: When can you start?

Contractor: The first week of next month. Do you need a permit? For the ramp, yes. I'll take care of it.

Ryan: That's not exaggerated. I expected more.

Contractor: I don't exaggerate. I give you the real number, and then I defend it. Call me when you've decided.

Emma: Well? What do you think?

Ryan: I think it's a good price, and he seemed honest. But it's a lot of money.

Emma: I know. Listen. The gallery downtown has a sponsorship for programs with children. I can apply. And the classes will pay for some of it.

Ryan: You don't have to convince me. There's no opposition here. I'm proud of you.

Emma: Really?

Ryan: Really. You'll be the king of this basement. Or the queen. I'm not sure about the timing, with my job, but we'll make it work.

Emma: Thank you. I already know the first lesson. Abstract painting, with music. Each child interprets a sound as a color. It's a technique from contemporary art, and it conveys something they can't say in words.

Ryan: I don't understand that at all, and I love it.

Emma: Then you can be my first guest. And the kids will compose a song for you, with a solo.

Ryan: Can I kick a ball in here when you're not teaching?

Emma: No. But you can stand on the little stage I'm going to build and read something literary. Something with a happy ending.

Ryan: I'll illustrate it with my face.

Emma: That will be a memorable visual. The referee says yes. Let's do it.

Ryan: Happily. With you, it's always yes. I'd give you a diamond if I had another one.

Emma: Give me a warm floor. That's my theater now.

That is the end of chapter twenty. An empty basement is going to be a studio, with a new pump, a ramp, and a small stage.

Keep these with you: "Can you give us an estimate?" "How long will it take?" "When can you start?" "I'll send you a written quote."

In the next chapter, they need to make room and make a little money, so they open the garage door and sell what they do not need.

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