Many people have a dream to turn their dark, dreary basement into a habitable, functional space. When it comes to remodeling your basement, it often is limited by time, money, and inspiration. While your dreams are pushed to the wayside, your basement gets filled with old furniture, boxes of memorabilia, and any other unwanted item from your house. Your basement is precious space that can be turned into something great. While we don’t have the power to give you extra time, we can help somewhat in the inspiration and expense of it.
The Remodel
If your basement is a bare concrete slab of an area, the first thing you’ll have to plan for is remodeling it and turning it into a livable space. Whether you try the DIY route or hire on a professional to turn it around is up to you. This is the most important step, so be wise. Don’t attempt a DIY project you aren’t entirely confident in your ability to perform (and still not maybe then). Address any serious problems, too, like leaking and flooding. Lack of attention to these things will hurt you in the long run.
The Space
Once you have a blank canvas to work with, this is where our expertise comes in. To begin, you will want to evaluate and discuss what kind of space to add. There are benefits and disadvantages to a basement space you’re going to want to keep in mind. The advantages of a basement are things like isolation. If you need a space where the kids can shout and play noisily, a basement has the advantage of sound dampening. Does your teenager want a more private space? The basement is a way to give them their privacy and isolation from others. Maybe you’re looking for a home office with more privacy and separation from the rest of the hustle and bustle of the family life. The basement can really be a benefit in these situations.
There also comes some disadvantages to a basement space to consider. Lighting is probably the most obvious disadvantage. Basements often have limited or a lack of windows. You won’t find a ton of natural light coming in to light up your space. Of course, you can always counter this aspect by lighting up the area with fixtures and lamps.
So what will the space become? If you have children, perhaps it will be a playroom. It could serve as a home classroom. It could be an extra bedroom. For entertainment purposes, you might be looking to add a game room or home theater. You may have always wanted a bar space to invite friends over to. Do you have a guest bedroom? Do you need a home office? Maybe its the answer to your desire for an independent cave space for yourself. Whatever you need in your life, the basement could be the answer.
Budget, Budget, Budget
It’s entirely likely that whatever you are planning for your basement is not deemed a necessity. It’s easy to budget the money towards a new dishwasher because that’s justifiable. Your life is so much more comfortable with a dishwasher. Some may even say it’s a need and not a want to have a high-end one. However, it might be more difficult to get yourself or a partner on board with spending a lot of money on a basement remodel. So, when you’re ready to get started, it’s a good idea to stay minimal. Think function. What is the bare minimum to design your space so that it is functional, but also looks nice? It doesn’t have to be over the top high end. You don’t need to fully stock the area from the beginning. Allow the space to evolve. A fabulous way to save money, also, is to shop used furniture stores or consignment businesses to find higher-end quality items at a great price. It also allows you to customize your area to your tastes and find a great eclectic mix of furniture to fill the area.
What Do You Need?
When you start thinking of remodeling, all the possibilities flood your mind. You need to stop and think. What does your family really need? Don’t get overwhelmed with the endless ideas that might come along. Do you really need that man/woman cave? Perhaps the answer is more about providing a space for your children to play. You’ll need to ask yourself questions and figure out what you truly need. Do you have enough bedrooms? Do your children have space to play? How often do you have overnight visitors? Do you work from home? If there isn’t a genuine need for additional space, then look at the options of entertainment like a theater room, game room, extra family room, a kitchenette, or anything else you can imagine. The basement tends to be a large space, and you may even be able to break it up into multiple spaces.
When your basement was just a vast storage for extra stuff, the size may have seemed overwhelming. Once the basement is renovated into a livable space, the expanse of it is a blessing.
Bedrooms
Bedrooms are a popular room that makes its way into a basement renovation project. As children get older, they want their own, independent, and private space. The basement gives a private and quiet space to them while giving you peace and quiet upstairs.
For those with frequent visitors, a guest bedroom is a no brainer addition. Guest bedrooms are much easier to furnish, as you don’t need to fill out everything a person may want in a bedroom. A bed, dresser, and nightstand are the basics that will fill out a complete guest room. Visitors will want a place to sleep and a place to put their clothes while visiting. You can skip the dresser, too, if you want to have the visitors keep their things in a closet or even just in their luggage. If you have the means, a TV, bathroom, and maybe even a kitchenette are luxury items for a guest. And when you don’t have visitors, these things make for a wonderful escape for you or other family members looking to do so.
Children’s Area
Our children have a way of taking over our lives, for the good, and for the messy, cluttery not as good. It doesn’t take much for your living room to turn into a playroom stuffed full of all your children’s Christmas, Birthday, and every other day of the year toys. Not to mention that having that TV on the wall is too enticing somedays and leads to less play and more screen time. Setting up a dedicated play space can save your mental health and increase your children’s enjoyment. You can take the time and have a place for each of their things. There are some things you might want to consider when putting together a children’s playroom. Do your children enjoy arts and crafts? A table and chairs and storage for the supplies should be on your redecoration list. Will you be spending a lot of time supervising play for younger children? You might want to include a place for yourself too. Do you want to have other parents and children over for playdates? Where will the parents sit to chat? Including a sofa is an excellent addition to a playroom. Thinking about your children’s age is another important consideration. A toddler will need a safe environment to play. You will want to select furniture that is soft and safe. Anything that is a tipping risk will need to be secured to the wall. Older children may be more interested in doing hobbies like LEGO or art. Plan accordingly. Where will the LEGO be stored, and do you have a large workspace to work on?
Entertainment Room
If your goal is a space to spend a lot of time at home relaxing or having fun, an entertainment room is a great option. It can be as simple as a TV or movie space, and setting that up can be as simple as the idea. A space to watch TV really only needs a TV and a place to sit. Whether you want to cuddle together on a love seat or spread out over a sectional, choose something for comfort. You’re going to want to really get the use out of this room. Consider something like a sleeper sofa for those lazy weekend nights when you don’t want to walk all the way upstairs to your bedroom and want to just fall asleep in front of the TV. It can then also double as a guest space for those in-law visits.
Consider thinking beyond the TV and couch box, too. For families looking to spend more quality time together, you may add features like a pool table, pinball machine, or a large dining room table for board games. Another fun idea is to add a bar area. A small, or full-sized, refrigerator can be stocked with snacks and drinks. A bartop comes in handy for sitting and snacking, drinking, or even just sitting around and having great conversations. A microwave addition allows for popcorn popping to happen right in the middle of your movie without much interruption.
Aesthetics
When it comes to a basement space, you are often fighting the darkness. Keep this in mind when selecting your color palettes and furniture. Consider where the stairs are located. Make certain not to block the stairwell and not to run into too much of a problem with its location in relation to the space you are setting up. A basement is usually a wide-open blank slate to work with. This can be a big benefit, or it can be a challenge. Consider using different styles to separate a multipurpose basement remodel, but not so much that it is jarring to see the differences between the spaces. Make the most of it.
Whatever space you make, consider shopping at your local consignment furniture business to furnish the area. Another Man’s Treasure in Lexington, KY, can help you to find unique, high-quality pieces at great prices to offset the expense of remodeling the basement space. Come on in and see what we have to offer.
