Designed by Monica Lewis MCR, UDCP, CMKBD. Project Manager Dave West CR. Photography by Todd Yarrington.

This basement remodel converted 50% of this victorian era home into useable space for the whole family. The space includes: Bar, Workout Area, Entertainment Space.

The rec room is meant to transition uses over time and even each day. Designed for a young family. The space is a play room,l guest space, storage space and movie room.

We started with a blank slate on this basement project where our only obstacles were exposed steel support columns, existing plumbing risers from the concrete slab, and dropped soffits concealing ductwork on the ceiling. It had the advantage of tall ceilings, an existing egress window, and a sliding door leading to a newly constructed patio. This family of five loves the beach and frequents summer beach resorts in the Northeast. Bringing that aesthetic home to enjoy all year long was the inspiration for the décor, as well as creating a family-friendly space for entertaining. Wish list items included room for a billiard table, wet bar, game table, family room, guest bedroom, full bathroom, space for a treadmill and closed storage. The existing structural elements helped to define how best to organize the basement. For instance, we knew we wanted to connect the bar area and billiards table with the patio in order to create an indoor/outdoor entertaining space. It made sense to use the egress window for the guest bedroom for both safety and natural light. The bedroom also would be adjacent to the plumbing risers for easy access to the new bathroom. Since the primary focus of the family room would be for TV viewing, natural light did not need to filter into that space. We made sure to hide the columns inside of newly constructed walls and dropped additional soffits where needed to make the ceiling mechanicals feel less random. In addition to the beach vibe, the homeowner has valuable sports memorabilia that was to be prominently displayed including two seats from the original Yankee stadium. For a coastal feel, shiplap is used on two walls of the family room area. In the bathroom shiplap is used again in a more creative way using wood grain white porcelain tile as the horizontal shiplap “wood”. We connected the tile horizontally with vertical white grout joints and mimicked the horizontal shadow line with dark grey grout. At first glance it looks like we wrapped the shower with real wood shiplap. Materials including a blue and white patterned floor, blue penny tiles and a natural wood vanity checked the list for that seaside feel. A large reclaimed wood door on an exposed sliding barn track separates the family room from the game room where reclaimed beams are punctuated with cable lighting. Cabinetry and a beverage refrigerator are tucked behind the rolling bar cabinet (that doubles as a Blackjack table!). A TV and upright video arcade machine round-out the entertainment in the room. Bar stools, two rotating club chairs, and large square poufs along with the Yankee Stadium seats provide fun places to sit while having a drink, watching billiards or a game on the TV. Signed baseballs can be found behind the bar, adjacent to the billiard table, and on specially designed display shelves next to the poker table in the family room. Thoughtful touches like the surfboards, signage, photographs and accessories make a visitor feel like they are on vacation at a well-appointed beach resort without being cliché.

Photographer: Bob Narod

We added a lower ceiling over this dry bar in the large room. This allowed us to work around the mechanicals of their lower level and also add a bit of a cozy feeling to the bar area. Photos by Spacecrafting Photography.

Large open floor plan in basement with full built-in bar, fireplace, game room and seating for all sorts of activities. Cabinetry at the bar provided by Brookhaven Cabinetry manufactured by Wood-Mode Cabinetry. Cabinetry is constructed from maple wood and finished in an opaque finish. Glass front cabinetry includes reeded glass for privacy. Bar is over 14 feet long and wrapped in wainscot panels. Although not shown, the interior of the bar includes several undercounter appliances: refrigerator, dishwasher drawer, microwave drawer and refrigerator drawers; all, except the microwave, have decorative wood panels.

Time to relax and enjoy the end of the day. We started with a blank basement and designed spaces for this client to enjoy for many years. The warm slate tile add sophistication and warmth. The gorgeous veining in the Fantasy brown counter tops add depth. Designing this space was fun and rewarding.

This basement renovation involved installing Medallion Lancaster Frappe cabinetry in the bar area. On the countertop is Dolomite-Pietra Caravino granite with a leather finish. Also installed: A Miseno Apronfront stainless steel sink and a Moen chrome Arbor bar faucet, 3 Hinkley Linear pendant lights and a new pool table light. New basement stairs were installed using Kraus Landmark 5” plank floor whistle stop color and a new custom barn door. On the floor is Enstyle Culbres wide – Inglewood Luxury Vinyl Tile.

This formerly unfinished basement in Montclair, NJ, has plenty of new space - a powder room, entertainment room, large bar, large laundry room and a billiard room. The client sourced a rustic bar-top with a mix of eclectic pieces to complete the interior design. MGR Construction Inc.; In House Photography.

Stairs lead down to the basement, which was greatly expanded in this renovation. Wallpaper reminiscent of old newspapers and the sanded original door hint at the home's origins. Old newspapers are often found tucked into walls when homes are remodeled.

Golf simulator in Elgin basement renovation.