Spacecrafting

Derek Sergison

When my client had to move from her company office to work at home, she set up in the dining room. Despite her best efforts, this was not the long-term solution she was looking for. My client realized she needed a dedicated space not on the main floor of the home. On one hand, having your office space right next to the kitchen is handy. On the other hand, it made separating work and home life was not that easy. The house was a ranch. In essence, the basement would run entire length of the home. As we came down the steps, we entered a time capsule. The house was built in the 1950’s. The walls were covered with original knotty pine paneling. There was a wood burning fireplace and considering this was a basement, high ceilings. In addition, there was everything her family could not store at their own homes. As we wound though the space, I though “wow this has potential”, Eventually, after walking through the laundry room we came to a small nicely lit room. This would be the office. My client looked at me and asked what I thought. Undoubtedly, I said, this can be a great workspace, but do you really want to walk through this basement and laundry to get here? Without reservation, my client said where do we start? Once the design was in place, we started the renovation. The knotty pine paneling had to go. Specifically, to add some insulation and control the dampness and humidity. The laundry room wall was relocated to create a hallway to the office. At the far end of the room, we designated a workout zone. Weights, mats, exercise bike and television are at the ready for morning or afternoon workouts. The space can be concealed by a folding screen for party time. Doors to an old closet under the stairs were relocated to the workout area for hidden storage. Now we had nice wall for a beautiful console and mirror for storage and serving during parties. In order to add architectural details, we covered the old ugly support columns with simple recessed millwork panels. This detail created a visual division between the bar area and the seating area in front of the fireplace. The old red brick on the fireplace surround was replaced with stack stone. A mantle was made from reclaimed wood. Additional reclaimed wood floating shelves left and right of the fireplace provides decorative display while maintaining a rustic element balancing the copper end table and leather swivel rocker. We found an amazing rug which tied all of the colors together further defining the gathering space. Russet and burnt orange became the accent color unifying each space. With a bit of whimsy, a rather unusual light fixture which looks like roots from a tree growing through the ceiling is a conversation piece. The office space is quite and removed from the main part of the basement. There is a desk large enough for multiple screens, a small bookcase holding office supplies and a comfortable chair for conference calls. Because working from home requires many online meetings, we added a shiplap wall painted in Hale Navy to contrast with the orange fabric on the chair. We finished the décor with a painting from my client’s father. This is the background online visitors will see. The last and best part of the renovation is the beautiful bar. My client is an avid collector of wine. She already had the EuroCave refrigerator, so I incorporated it into the design. The cabinets are painted Temptation Grey from Benjamin Moore. The counter tops are my favorite hard working quartzite Brown Fantasy. The backsplash is a combination of rustic wood and old tin ceiling like porcelain tiles. Together with the textures of the reclaimed wood and hide poofs balanced against the smooth finish of the cabinets, we created a comfortable luxury for relaxing. There is ample storage for bottles, cans, glasses, and anything else you can think of for a great party. In addition to the wine storage, we incorporated a beverage refrigerator, an ice maker, and a sink. Floating shelves with integrated lighting illuminate the back bar. The raised height of the front bar provides the perfect wine tasting and paring spot. I especially love the pendant lights which look like wine glasses. Finally, I selected carpet for the stairs and office. It is perfect for noise reduction. Meanwhile for the overall flooring, I specifically selected a high-performance vinyl plank floor. We often use this product as it is perfect to install on a concrete floor. It is soft to walk on, easy to clean and does not reduce the overall height of the space.

This large walk in shower features a glass screen, digital controls and full articulated shower head. The cedar ceiling ties in the theme of the sauna. Heated floors and towel radiator chase off the biting cold of a Minnesota basement.

We really enjoyed consulting and designing this basement project design and I’m very pleased with how it turned out! We did a complimenting color scheme between the wall and base cabinets by using a grey for the base and white for the wall. We did black handle pulls for all the cabinets to bring the two colors together. We went with a white oak style for the floor to really bring the light through the entire basement. This helps carry the light through the space which is always a good idea when you don’t have many windows to play with. For the backsplash we chose a glossy textured/wavy subway tile to add some depth and texture to the kitchens character.I really enjoyed consulting this basement project design and I’m very pleased with how it turned out! We did a complimenting color scheme between the wall and base cabinets by using a grey for the base and white for the wall. We did black handle pulls for all the cabinets to bring the two colors together. We went with a white oak style for the floor to really bring the light through the entire basement. This helps carry the light through the space which is always a good idea when you don’t have many windows to play with. For the backsplash we chose a glossy textured/wavy subway tile to add some depth and texture to the kitchens character.I really enjoyed consulting this basement project design and I’m very pleased with how it turned out! We did a complimenting color scheme between the wall and base cabinets by using a grey for the base and white for the wall. We did black handle pulls for all the cabinets to bring the two colors together. We went with a white oak style for the floor to really bring the light through the entire basement. This helps carry the light through the space which is always a good idea when you don’t have many windows to play with. For the backsplash we chose a glossy textured/wavy subway tile to add some depth and texture to the kitchens character.I really enjoyed consulting this basement project design and I’m very pleased with how it turned out! We did a complimenting color scheme between the wall and base cabinets by using a grey for the base and white for the wall. We did black handle pulls for all the cabinets to bring the two colors together. We went with a white oak style for the floor to really bring the light through the entire basement. This helps carry the light through the space which is always a good idea when you don’t have many windows to play with. For the backsplash we chose a glossy textured/wavy subway tile to add some depth and texture to the kitchens character.

Client was looking for a bit of urban flair in her Alpharetta basement. To achieve some consistency with the upper levels of the home we mimicked the more traditional style columns but then complemented them with clean and simple shaker style cabinets and stainless steel appliances. By mixing brick and herringbone marble backsplashes an unexpected elegance was achieved while keeping the space with limited natural light from becoming too dark. Open hanging industrial pipe shelves and stained concrete floors complete the look.

This bathroom was a must for the homeowners of this 100 year old home. Having only 1 bathroom in the entire home and a growing family, things were getting a little tight. This bathroom was part of a basement renovation which ended up giving the homeowners 14” worth of extra headroom. The concrete slab is sitting on 2” of XPS. This keeps the heat from the heated floor in the bathroom instead of heating the ground and it’s covered with hand painted cement tiles. Sleek wall tiles keep everything clean looking and the niche gives you the storage you need in the shower. Custom cabinetry was fabricated and the cabinet in the wall beside the tub has a removal back in order to access the sewage pump under the stairs if ever needed. The main trunk for the high efficiency furnace also had to run over the bathtub which lead to more creative thinking. A custom box was created inside the duct work in order to allow room for an LED potlight. The seat to the toilet has a built in child seat for all the little ones who use this bathroom, the baseboard is a custom 3 piece baseboard to match the existing and the door knob was sourced to keep the classic transitional look as well. Needless to say, creativity and finesse was a must to bring this bathroom to reality. Although this bathroom did not come easy, it was worth every minute and a complete success in the eyes of our team and the homeowners. An outstanding team effort. Leon T. Switzer/Front Page Media Group

QPhoto

Dan Cutrona

Brad Montgomery tym Homes

Linda McManus Images

A Picture is worth a thousand words, but it's difficult to describe this exquisite basement in a photograph. Designed for a couple who are a party waiting to happen, this walkout basement was destined to be spectacular. Once a cold, blank slate of concrete, the basement is now an extraordinary multi-functional living space. The luxurious new design includes a stunning full bar with all the amenities. The cabinetry was done in Brookhaven Bridgeport Oak in a Bistro finish and granite countertops. In the lounge area an older fireplace was removed and replaced with a Lennox direct-vent fireplace. Gorgeous stacked quartz stone in Glacier white surrounds the unit and Corian was used for the hearth. A home theater room is tucked away yet open to the lounge area. Custom woodwork also helps to set this basement apart. Unique art deco columns were designed by the M.J. Whelan design team, along with several art nooks peppered throughout the space. Beautiful trim molding wrap the entire space. Tray ceilings help to define different areas of the space. Lighting is layered throughout, including indirect cove lighting wrapping every tray. A spa room and full bathroom were also a part of the new design.