5 Basement Renovations Designed for Fun
Get inspired to take your basement to the next level with ideas from these great multipurpose family spaces
It's easy for a basement to become a home's catch-all, much like the garage. Tucked down a small flight of stairs, everything that's tossed into the basement is out of sight and out of mind. But in these four homes, the clients took this often-unused space to great use. From an indoor hockey rink, to an elegant bar and wine cellar, to special play spaces for kids, these designs put the traditional idea of a basement rec room to the test.
Morris and team divided this basement into several designated spaces. The boys love to play hockey, so they had a custom rubber flooring made to resemble a hockey rink, and had it installed in one portion of the basement. Morris also had columns around the space padded and upholstered so the boys wouldn't hurt themselves while goofing around.
Two large closets store the kids' endless toys and games. The cubbies add a decorative touch, and have low enough spaces for even the youngest child to store his goodies. Morris and her team thought the design of this basement through carefully, and even added a small bathroom so the kids wouldn't have to constantly run up and down the stairs while playing in their new play area.
2. A new room for entertaining in Portland, Oregon. Designer Garrison Hullinger transformed a finished but blank basement space into a eclectic and colorful place for his clients to relax and entertain. The basement is just under 500 feet, but its flexible floor plan allowed Hullinger to divide up the square footage into different activity areas.
Plumbing was added to the new wet bar, which Hullinger designed for easy entertaining. Chic light fixtures were strategically placed around the room, and pops of red and gold were added to offset the otherwise neutral pallette. "I wanted the room to appear to be a sophisticated but casual space, where you didn't have to worry about putting your feet up or spilling a drink on the carpet," says Hullinger.
Plumbing was added to the new wet bar, which Hullinger designed for easy entertaining. Chic light fixtures were strategically placed around the room, and pops of red and gold were added to offset the otherwise neutral pallette. "I wanted the room to appear to be a sophisticated but casual space, where you didn't have to worry about putting your feet up or spilling a drink on the carpet," says Hullinger.
A cheerful yellow sectional was nestled into the corner, creating a perfect lounge for relaxing and watching movies. The windows above the television don't open, but are lit with natural light from the home office on the other side of the wall.
Portland has a long rainy season, so Hullinger took extra care to make sure the basement stays warm and dry. A vapor barrier was installed around the foundation, a backyard cistern was put in to draw water away from the house, and a large trench was dug below the basement and filled with asphalt, clay, and river rock.
Portland has a long rainy season, so Hullinger took extra care to make sure the basement stays warm and dry. A vapor barrier was installed around the foundation, a backyard cistern was put in to draw water away from the house, and a large trench was dug below the basement and filled with asphalt, clay, and river rock.
3. Sleek and sophisticated in London. The owners of this home in South London's Battersea district wanted to turn their basement into a glamourous new space for entertaining, as well as a play space for their kids. They hired London-based design firm Urban Cape, who created a dramatic and sophisticated design that's durable, versatile and fun.
The basement of this house is huge — plenty of room for a custom bar, media unit, and a wine area. For the bar, lead designer Sarah Radhanauth installed dark brown leather doors handcrafted in South Africa. The leather is embossed with a shiny crocodile print.
The basement of this house is huge — plenty of room for a custom bar, media unit, and a wine area. For the bar, lead designer Sarah Radhanauth installed dark brown leather doors handcrafted in South Africa. The leather is embossed with a shiny crocodile print.
Radhanauth and her team broke up the room into multiple areas designated for different activities. This helps make the large space feel warm and balanced.
The leather doors on the bar slide close to seal off the bar during the day while the children are using the media center.
The leather doors on the bar slide close to seal off the bar during the day while the children are using the media center.
Radhanauth used durable, timeless leather for the sides of the media center as well. Slabs of dark Emperador marble from Spain were installed on both the media center and the bar, contrasting the warm walnut paneling.
A temperature-controlled wine room sits in the back corner near the basement stairs — a perfect position for grabbing an extra bottle during a party.
4. A colorful family space in Pennsylvania.The owners of this home in Breinigsville, Penn. wanted to remodel their unfinished basement into a space where they could entertain friends and family, and let their kids have a special play space of their very own. Above all else, they wanted to renovate the area so that it wouldn't feel like a dark and damp basement. Designer Shoshana Gosselin divided this open 930-square-foot space into zones. "We didn't want any walls separating each zone because the basement would shrink in size, so we worked with an open floor plan," says Gosselin. "This is also a good way to think if you're unsure of how you might use the basement in a few years."
The kids' play space, tucked away towards the back of the basement, is slightly hidden from guests but still has plenty of space to store toys and games. Built-in shelving along one wall takes up minimal floor space, leaving more room for the children to play. A bright green paint from Sherwin Williams helps keep this room bright and light.
The kids' play space, tucked away towards the back of the basement, is slightly hidden from guests but still has plenty of space to store toys and games. Built-in shelving along one wall takes up minimal floor space, leaving more room for the children to play. A bright green paint from Sherwin Williams helps keep this room bright and light.
Gosselin installed a stainless steel bar area with counter space around the corner where the clients could host guests and mix drinks. The brown-and-green mosaic backsplash is a perfect complement to the space's dark chocolate laminate flooring.
A sitting area with a TV is nestled next to a small and flexible desk space. Gosselin mixed in chic and glamorous accessories and lighting to help integrate the room with the rest of the house. "Whenever you're looking for basement furniture, make sure to measure doorways and access areas so that it'll fit down the stairs," says Gosselin.
5. Open and bright in New York. Joseph Eisner and his team at Eisner Design transformed a bare-bones basement into this open, light, and multi-purpose space. The family in Westchester, New York, wanted the space to include room for a home office, a gym, a bar/lounge, a guest bedroom, and a large play area.
The design was more about taking away elements than adding them. A large glazed wall with sliding glass doors is located to the right of the home gym. In the initial construction, this was a large foundation wall, which Eisner and his team removed to open up the space.
The design was more about taking away elements than adding them. A large glazed wall with sliding glass doors is located to the right of the home gym. In the initial construction, this was a large foundation wall, which Eisner and his team removed to open up the space.
The large play area has a long desk made out of double laminate where the children can draw and work on crafts. The bar and lounge area is visible just beyond this space. The bar itself was made with Eco-Terr, an aggregate constructed of all recycled materials.
Playful cube storage units were custom designed and painted in bright colors to (hopefully) encourage the children to put their toys away. Everything in this basement — the materials, products, and finishes — were chosen for their low- or zero-VOC and high recycled content.
More:
Below Ground Beauty: Making the Most of Basement Space
Beat the Heat: Escape to the Basement
Cool, Contemporary Wine Storage
More:
Below Ground Beauty: Making the Most of Basement Space
Beat the Heat: Escape to the Basement
Cool, Contemporary Wine Storage
"We designed the huge couch — otherwise known as 'The Pit' — where everyone in the family could lounge, and even nap together," says Morris. She and her team found three large bean bag chairs and scattered them in front of the two TVs on opposing walls — one for gaming, and one for TV.