This 1933 Wauwatosa basement was dark, dingy and lacked functionality. The basement was unfinished with concrete walls and floors. A small office was enclosed but the rest of the space was open and cluttered. The homeowners wanted a warm, organized space for their family. A recent job change meant they needed a dedicated home office. They also wanted a place where their kids could hang out with friends. Their wish list for this basement remodel included: a home office where the couple could both work, a full bathroom, a cozy living room and a dedicated storage room. This basement renovation resulted in a warm and bright space that is used by the whole family. Highlights of this basement: - Home Office: A new office gives the couple a dedicated space for work. There’s plenty of desk space, storage cabinets, under-shelf lighting and storage for their home library. - Living Room: An old office area was expanded into a cozy living room. It’s the perfect place for their kids to hang out when they host friends and family. - Laundry Room: The new laundry room is a total upgrade. It now includes fun laminate flooring, storage cabinets and counter space for folding laundry. - Full Bathroom: A new bathroom gives the family an additional shower in the home. Highlights of the bathroom include a navy vanity, quartz counters, brass finishes, a Dreamline shower door and Kohler Choreograph wall panels. - Staircase: We spruced up the staircase leading down to the lower level with patterned vinyl flooring and a matching trim color. - Storage: We gave them a separate storage space, with custom shelving for organizing their camping gear, sports equipment and holiday decorations. CUSTOMER REVIEW “We had been talking about remodeling our basement for a long time, but decided to make it happen when my husband was offered a job working remotely. It felt like the right time for us to have a real home office where we could separate our work lives from our home lives. We wanted the area to feel open, light-filled, and modern – not an easy task for a previously dark and cold basement! One of our favorite parts was when our designer took us on a 3D computer design tour of our basement. I remember thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, this could be our basement!?!’ It was so fun to see how our designer was able to take our wish list and ideas from my Pinterest board, and turn it into a practical design. We were sold after seeing the design, and were pleasantly surprised to see that Kowalske was less costly than another estimate.” – Stephanie, homeowner

Beautiful transitional basement renovation with kitchenette is a study in neutrals. Grey cabinetry with gold hardware, wood floating shelves and white and gold accents. Herringbone patterned tile backsplash and marble countertop.

Photographer: Bob Narod

This basement features a custom-built wet bar with stunning backsplash & duel beer tap. A secret bookshelf door leads you to a finished back room. Custom shelving and wood work provide a unique look and feel within the space.

DJK Custom Homes

Complete transformation from a cold, dark, and unused basement, into a warm and inviting space that has character with the rustic vibe.

Modern basement with black lacquer woodwork, grey granite countertops and walk behind wet bar. Photo Credit: Andrew J Hathaway

Basement support post wood molding detail. Home built by Rembrandt Construction, Inc - Traverse City, Michigan 231.645.7200 www.rembrandtconstruction.com . Photos by George DeGorski

©Finished Basement Company

Jenn Cohen

© Leslie Goodwin Photography Design + Architecture by Strickland Mateljan, http://smda.ca Interior Design by One Three Design, http://www.onethreedesign.ca