Michael Bowman

Today’s basements are much more than dark, dingy spaces or rec rooms of years ago. Because homeowners are spending more time in them, basements have evolved into lower-levels with distinctive spaces, complete with stone and marble fireplaces, sitting areas, coffee and wine bars, home theaters, over sized guest suites and bathrooms that rival some of the most luxurious resort accommodations. Gracing the lakeshore of Lake Beulah, this homes lower-level presents a beautiful opening to the deck and offers dynamic lake views. To take advantage of the home’s placement, the homeowner wanted to enhance the lower-level and provide a more rustic feel to match the home’s main level, while making the space more functional for boating equipment and easy access to the pier and lakefront. Jeff Auberger designed a seating area to transform into a theater room with a touch of a button. A hidden screen descends from the ceiling, offering a perfect place to relax after a day on the lake. Our team worked with a local company that supplies reclaimed barn board to add to the decor and finish off the new space. Using salvaged wood from a corn crib located in nearby Delavan, Jeff designed a charming area near the patio door that features two closets behind sliding barn doors and a bench nestled between the closets, providing an ideal spot to hang wet towels and store flip flops after a day of boating. The reclaimed barn board was also incorporated into built-in shelving alongside the fireplace and an accent wall in the updated kitchenette. Lastly the children in this home are fans of the Harry Potter book series, so naturally, there was a Harry Potter themed cupboard under the stairs created. This cozy reading nook features Hogwartz banners and wizarding wands that would amaze any fan of the book series.

Rustic basement with red accent decor

Rustic basement with red accent decor

http://www.sherioneal.com/

This is an older basement that we renovated, however many of the features are still interesting to showcase. The media wall is a "dummy" wall between the mechanical room and the main space. There is a door to the left of the TV that is clad with the cabinet panels and trim so it blends in with the wall. We were also able to take the utility paint grade stairs and have the stain mixed in with the finish to resemble stain grade stairs. Photographed by: Matt Hoots

Creating a home based office by converting the basement into an eclectic layout for seeing clients and guests. Photo by True Identity Concepts

Paul Saini

Basement slate stone fireplace and custom shelving

This is an older basement that we renovated, however many of the features are still interesting to showcase. The media wall is a "dummy" wall between the mechanical room and the main space. There is a door to the left of the TV that is clad with the cabinet panels and trim so it blends in with the wall. We were also able to take the utility paint grade stairs and have the stain mixed in with the finish to resemble stain grade stairs. Photographed by: Matt Hoots