Convert or construct a beautiful basement…

Basement ideas

What are basements used for?

Every family is different, so when looking for finished basement ideas make sure you pinpoint how you spend your time and then cater to those hobbies and interests. If you host parties often or are beer and wine aficionados, focus your basement remodel on creating a home bar or wine cellar. If you're looking for a kid-friendly hangout, become the neighborhood hot spot with a massive family and media room combo. Give the guy in your family the ultimate escape with a man cave, game room and home gym, or be practical above all else by adding extra bedrooms and another bathroom. 

Should I use built-ins in my basement design?

With such large spaces, basements can hard to define; clever built-ins can help clarify room divisions while simultaneously aiding organization. For the ultimate video game/movie hub, install a custom entertainment center, complete with bookshelves and cabinets for storing small electronic accessories, movies and books. For those family movie nights, add a wet bar that includes a microwave and mini fridge for popcorn and beverages. A craft room with a built-in counter and shelves, or a long booth or bench for extra seating are also popular basement ideas. The options are endless, so consult a designer or builder to see what works for your basement remodel. 

How should I decorate my basement?

If you take a look at most basement decorating ideas, you’ll see that typically bigger is better. Unlike other rooms where space might be tight, basement designs usually have room to spare, so your furniture can be oversized and chunky to help fill them up. Sectionals are a great way to avoid an empty-looking room, and they provide plenty of seating for when guests come to visit. Be sure to add other common living room pieces — like armchairs, side tables and coffee tables — to fully complete the look. If your family loves games, add a pool table, foosball or poker table, or include an oversized table for regular board games. Other excellent basement ideas include giving your kids their own corner with an indoor playhouse or swing, or creating your ultimate getaway with a daybed and bookshelves for reading, napping and relaxing.

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Improve Part of the Basement
If your budget limits the amount of space you can finish, consider partially finishing the basement, which will reduce the cost by cutting down on the square footage you’ll be working on. Haste says his company will occasionally finish part of a basement, building out a secondary living room and half bath, and then plan with the homeowner to add a bedroom or other basement space a few years later.

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You can also hang drapes or curtains to informally close off a space or create a partition between an entertainment space and a laundry room, for example. However, if your basement is particularly humid, textiles including drapes and upholstered furniture can easily grow mold. If you’re using fabric in your basement, be sure you have a dehumidifier to keep humidity levels low.

Light Up the Space

You’ll never want to spend time in a basement that’s lit by a single, bare lightbulb. Mond recommends lighting upward from wall sconces or lamps, allowing light to bounce off walls instead of hanging light fixtures from the ceiling. "Anything hanging down makes the basement feel lower," he says.