Integrated wall bed into existing built-in cabinetry. Photo: Whitewater Imagery (Dave Coppolla) Designer: The Art of Building (Rhinebeck, NY)

Basement during construction after extensive leveling work of existing concrete flood.

Lower Level Living/Media Area features white oak walls, custom, reclaimed limestone fireplace surround, and media wall - Scandinavian Modern Interior - Indianapolis, IN - Trader's Point - Architect: HAUS | Architecture For Modern Lifestyles - Construction Manager: WERK | Building Modern - Christopher Short + Paul Reynolds - Photo: HAUS | Architecture - Photo: Premier Luxury Electronic Lifestyles

Polished concrete basement floors with open, painted ceilings and ductwork. Built-in desk and cabinetry for office space. Design and construction by Meadowlark Design + Build in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Professional photography by Sean Carter.

Our clients were relocating from the upper peninsula to the lower peninsula and wanted to design a retirement home on their Lake Michigan property. The topography of their lot allowed for a walk out basement which is practically unheard of with how close they are to the water. Their view is fantastic, and the goal was of course to take advantage of the view from all three levels. The positioning of the windows on the main and upper levels is such that you feel as if you are on a boat, water as far as the eye can see. They were striving for a Hamptons / Coastal, casual, architectural style. The finished product is just over 6,200 square feet and includes 2 master suites, 2 guest bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, sunroom, home bar, home gym, dedicated seasonal gear / equipment storage, table tennis game room, sauna, and bonus room above the attached garage. All the exterior finishes are low maintenance, vinyl, and composite materials to withstand the blowing sands from the Lake Michigan shoreline.

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.

The homeowners had a very specific vision for their large daylight basement. To begin, Neil Kelly's team, led by Portland Design Consultant Fabian Genovesi, took down numerous walls to completely open up the space, including the ceilings, and removed carpet to expose the concrete flooring. The concrete flooring was repaired, resurfaced and sealed with cracks in tact for authenticity. Beams and ductwork were left exposed, yet refined, with additional piping to conceal electrical and gas lines. Century-old reclaimed brick was hand-picked by the homeowner for the east interior wall, encasing stained glass windows which were are also reclaimed and more than 100 years old. Aluminum bar-top seating areas in two spaces. A media center with custom cabinetry and pistons repurposed as cabinet pulls. And the star of the show, a full 4-seat wet bar with custom glass shelving, more custom cabinetry, and an integrated television-- one of 3 TVs in the space. The new one-of-a-kind basement has room for a professional 10-person poker table, pool table, 14' shuffleboard table, and plush seating.

The TV wall. The ABB Built-in - custom designed storage system for basement area in condo - queen size side tilt Murphy bed, TV cabinet with sliding doors, 4 drawer open closet, comforter cubby and shelving - Prefinished maple plywood, white melamine cabinet liner plywood, full extension undermount drawer slides, Trola Rolle 2000 sliding door system This project totally transformed the basement into a usable, comfortable living area and essentially created an additional bedroom in the condo. The access from the garage was tight so all components were built on-site. We love seeing how spaces like this can become functional and aesthetic with the client's vision and our building skills! Let us know how we can help create a usable area for you!! Feel free to contact us through Facebook, @vpw.designs on Instagram or vpwdesigns.com Thanks for looking!

Modern basement finish in Ankeny, Iowa. Exciting, new space, complete with new bar area, modern fireplace, polished concrete flooring, bathroom and bedroom. Before and After pics. Staging: Jessica Rae Interiors. Photos: Jake Boyd Photography. Thank you to our wonderful customers, Kathy and Josh!

Integrated wall bed into existing built-in cabinetry. Photo: Whitewater Imagery (Dave Coppolla) Designer: The Art of Building (Rhinebeck, NY)

Inspiro 8

Mhari Scott Photography

Our floor team took the existing concrete floor in our amazing client's basement; ground & sealed it. After grinding they uncovered the natural beauty of this gorgeous river rock that was there all along! After exposing the rock they made sure to seal/ finish properly to protect it. There is so much beauty in the unique, industrialal,, natural look of the finished product! photography: points imaging

Zachary Molino

Family room with plenty of media storage gives the family a place to indulge in all their favorite games and movies without cluttering up the main floor. Design by Kristyn Bester. Photos by Photo Art Portraits.

Otto Ruano