Room of the Day: A Stylish Basement With Zones for Everyone
A bar, fireplace, play area, guest bedroom and bathroom make up this freshly renovated basement in the Toronto suburbs
Elliott knew the key to making the basement feel like an extension of the living space was to carry her client’s color scheme of gray and blue downstairs while doing the high ceilings and walls justice with a light and bright paint job in white. She borrowed from the Danish concept of hygge, which says comfort is derived from simplicity and cautions against superfluous decoration.
The couple frequently host family and friends and requested a bar for easy entertaining. Elliott added an outlet in the bar area for an additional TV to be installed later, and handy appliances include a wine fridge and a microwave, which the family uses often to pop the all-important popcorn for family movie nights.
On the other side of the bar wall, an oddly shaped section of the basement was too long and narrow to flow properly, so it was closed off for use as a storage room (not pictured), with double doors that allow the family to haul large items such as Christmas trees and exercise equipment in and out as needed. When the husband eventually adds beer taps to his bar, their lines will run to kegs behind the same wall in the storage room so as not to take away space from under the bar.
Backless bar stools: Restoration Hardware; bar stools: Niche Decor
On the other side of the bar wall, an oddly shaped section of the basement was too long and narrow to flow properly, so it was closed off for use as a storage room (not pictured), with double doors that allow the family to haul large items such as Christmas trees and exercise equipment in and out as needed. When the husband eventually adds beer taps to his bar, their lines will run to kegs behind the same wall in the storage room so as not to take away space from under the bar.
Backless bar stools: Restoration Hardware; bar stools: Niche Decor
When working with a cool color scheme, it’s important to imbue some warmth any way you can, Elliott says. Therefore, she added tree-inspired wallpaper and natural wood on the children’s stools to the play area.
The tall Ikea cabinets in the play area serve the family’s need for toy storage right now, but the whole layout of this “zone” offers enough flexibility for the space to grow with the kids. The couple’s 4-year-old son loves to read lately, so they added a cushioned bench for him to curl up on with a book.
The tall Ikea cabinets in the play area serve the family’s need for toy storage right now, but the whole layout of this “zone” offers enough flexibility for the space to grow with the kids. The couple’s 4-year-old son loves to read lately, so they added a cushioned bench for him to curl up on with a book.
The clients also requested prime seating for watching movies as a family, so Elliott outfitted the living area with a custom 14-foot sectional at a generous 42-inch depth and an 80-inch TV to boot.
Elliott designed the guest bathroom to feel “like a little cave in the woods.” The cozy and intimate space features a rustic wood vanity from Restoration Hardware. A gallery wall includes a collection of maps from the family’s travels and leaves enough blank space for new additions. The designer loves how the dark paint makes everything in the room pop, but she approached such a rich color with some caution at first, asking her painter to do one wall at a time until she knew it was just the right touch.
The bathroom’s color scheme is neutral enough and the finishes classic enough that Elliott expects them to stand the test of time. The elongated herringbone pattern on the floor is a crisp look that offers some movement without cluttering up the panorama, and the dark grout between the subway tiles plays off the floor’s rich color. For the shower floor, she felt that penny tiles would add some more interest while pulling all the tiling together into one timeless update.
The bedroom is another haven in blue, gray and white. Elliott left the walls mostly blank except for a simple typographic print to keep with the slightly bohemian hygge vibe in the rest of the basement. Sprinkled throughout this room are special little mementos brought home from world travels.
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Basement at a Glance
Who lives here: A professional couple and their two sons, a 4-year-old and a newborn
Location: Clarington, Ontario
Size: 1,900 square feet (176.5 square meters)
Designer: Christine Elliott Designs
When this young family moved into their 1980s custom home two years ago, they did so with the intention of eventually transforming their unfinished basement into a cozy den and guest quarters. With a second baby on the way, they knew it was time to make it happen.
The original basement was completely unfinished save for a roughed-in bathroom and a partially finished stair landing. The space did boast plenty of assets that designer Christine Elliott knew would lend themselves to a comfortable space: high ceilings, multiple windows and plenty of storage, to name a few. Her primary challenge was to add a guest bedroom and zone the rest of the space to preserve its open layout while making it cozy and homey too.
Elliott designed a square-paneled accent wall to break down the 38-foot expanse and unify the multiple zones consisting of a bar, fireplace, entertainment area and play space.