The only thing more depressing than a dark basement is a beige on beige basement in the Pacific Northwest. With the global pandemic raging on, my clients were looking to add extra livable space in their home with a home office and workout studio. Our goal was to make this space feel like you're connected to nature and fun social activities that were once a main part of our lives. We used color, naturescapes and soft textures to turn this basement from bland beige to fun, warm and inviting.

Hollywood Haven: A place to gather, entertain, and enjoy the classics on the big screen. This formally unfinished basement has been transformed into a cozy, upscale, family-friendly space with cutting edge technology. This basement also features a secret bookcase door!

Full basement remodel with carpet stairway, industrial style railing, light brown vinyl plank flooring, white shiplap accent wall, recessed lighting, and dedicated workout area.

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.

Completely finished walk-out basement suite complete with kitchenette/bar, bathroom and entertainment area.

The basement remodel includes plenty of extra storage.

The entire basement received shiplap on the walls.

A drink from this bar would be the perfect addition when watching the big game.

Hollywood Haven: A place to gather, entertain, and enjoy the classics on the big screen. This formally unfinished basement has been transformed into a cozy, upscale, family-friendly space with cutting edge technology.

This transitional design style basement finish checks all the boxes and is the perfect hangout spot for the entire family. This space features a playroom, home gym, bathroom, guest bedroom, wet bar, understairs playhouse, and lounge area with a media accent wall.