A rare find in Bloomfield Township is new construction. This gem of a custom home not only featured a modern, open floorplan with great flow, it also had an 1,800 sq. ft. unfinished basement. When the homeowners of this beautiful house approached MainStreet Design Build, they understood the value of renovating the accessible, non-livable space—and recognized its unlimited potential. Their vision for their 1,800 sq. ft. finished basement included a lighter, brighter teen entertainment area—a space large enough for pool, ping pong, shuffle board and darts. It was also important to create an area for food and drink that did not look or feel like a bar. Although the basement was completely unfinished, it presented design challenges due to the angled location of the stairwell and existing plumbing. After 4 months of construction, MainStreet Design Build delivered—in spades! Details of this project include a beautiful modern fireplace wall with Peau de Beton concrete paneled tile surround and an oversized limestone mantel and hearth. Clearly a statement piece, this wall also features a Boulevard 60-inch Contemporary Vent-Free Linear Fireplace with reflective glass liner and crushed glass. Opposite the fireplace wall, is a beautiful custom room divider with bar stool seating that separates the living room space from the gaming area. Effectively blending this room in an open floorplan, MainStreet Design Build used Country Oak Wood Plank Vinyl flooring and painted the walls in a Benjamin Moore eggshell finish. The Kitchenette was designed using Dynasty semi-custom cabinetry, specifically a Renner door style with a Battleship Opaque finish; Top Knobs hardware in a brushed satin nickel finish; and beautiful Caesarstone Symphony Grey Quartz countertops. Tastefully coordinated with the rest of the décor is a modern Filament Chandelier in a bronze finish from Restoration Hardware, hung perfectly above the kitchenette table. A new ½ bath was tucked near the stairwell and designed using the same custom cabinetry and countertops as the kitchenette. It was finished in bold blue/gray paint and topped with Symphony Gray Caesarstone. Beautiful 3×12” Elemental Ice glass subway tile and stainless steel wall shelves adorn the back wall creating the illusion of light. Chrome Shades of Light Double Bullet glass wall sconces project from the wall to shed light on the mirror. Kate Benjamin Photography

©Finished Basement Company

Anastasia Alkema Photography

Customers self-designed this space. Inspired to make the basement appear like a Speakeasy, they chose a mixture of black and white accented throughout, along with lighting and fixtures in certain rooms that truly make you feel like this basement should be kept a secret (in a great way)

Phoenix Photographic

Cozy basement entertainment space with floor-to-ceiling linear fireplace and tailor-made bar

Designed to our client’s stylistic tastes and functional needs, budget and timeline, the basement was transformed into a luxurious, multi-use open space, featuring Adura and Four Seasons flooring, custom shelving displays, concealed structural columns, stone finishes, a beautiful glass chandelier, and even a large fish tank that created a striking focal point and visual interest in the room. Other unique amenities include Grohe plumbing fixtures, an InSinkerator, Braun fan and Pella windows, for controlled circular air flow.

Cabinetry in a Mink finish was used for the bar cabinets and media built-ins. Ledge stone was used for the bar backsplash, bar wall and fireplace surround to create consistency throughout the basement. Photo Credit: Chris Whonsetler

This NEVER used basement space was a dumping ground for the "stuff of life". We were tasked with making it more inviting. How'd we do?

A rare find in Bloomfield Township is new construction. This gem of a custom home not only featured a modern, open floorplan with great flow, it also had an 1,800 sq. ft. unfinished basement. When the homeowners of this beautiful house approached MainStreet Design Build, they understood the value of renovating the accessible, non-livable space—and recognized its unlimited potential. Their vision for their 1,800 sq. ft. finished basement included a lighter, brighter teen entertainment area—a space large enough for pool, ping pong, shuffle board and darts. It was also important to create an area for food and drink that did not look or feel like a bar. Although the basement was completely unfinished, it presented design challenges due to the angled location of the stairwell and existing plumbing. After 4 months of construction, MainStreet Design Build delivered—in spades! Details of this project include a beautiful modern fireplace wall with Peau de Beton concrete paneled tile surround and an oversized limestone mantel and hearth. Clearly a statement piece, this wall also features a Boulevard 60-inch Contemporary Vent-Free Linear Fireplace with reflective glass liner and crushed glass. Opposite the fireplace wall, is a beautiful custom room divider with bar stool seating that separates the living room space from the gaming area. Effectively blending this room in an open floorplan, MainStreet Design Build used Country Oak Wood Plank Vinyl flooring and painted the walls in a Benjamin Moore eggshell finish. The Kitchenette was designed using Dynasty semi-custom cabinetry, specifically a Renner door style with a Battleship Opaque finish; Top Knobs hardware in a brushed satin nickel finish; and beautiful Caesarstone Symphony Grey Quartz countertops. Tastefully coordinated with the rest of the décor is a modern Filament Chandelier in a bronze finish from Restoration Hardware, hung perfectly above the kitchenette table. A new ½ bath was tucked near the stairwell and designed using the same custom cabinetry and countertops as the kitchenette. It was finished in bold blue/gray paint and topped with Symphony Gray Caesarstone. Beautiful 3×12” Elemental Ice glass subway tile and stainless steel wall shelves adorn the back wall creating the illusion of light. Chrome Shades of Light Double Bullet glass wall sconces project from the wall to shed light on the mirror. Kate Benjamin Photography

©Finished Basement Company

Phoenix Photographic

The Pocket doors lead to the home theatre. They were used so the client could leave them open for the majority of the time but closed when they wanted to use the full sound system. Solid wood doors were used to add an element of sound separation. Fun details like the inside of these lamp shade always add an additional element of continuity to a design.

Builder: Pillar Homes

A young growing family purchased a great home in Chicago’s West Bucktown, right by Logan Square. It had good bones. The basement had been redone at some point, but it was due for another refresh. It made sense to plan a mindful remodel that would acommodate life as the kids got older. “A nice place to just hang out” is what the owners told us they wanted. “You want your kids to want to be in your house. When friends are over, you want them to have a nice space to go to and enjoy.” Design Objectives: Level up the style to suit this young family Add bar area, desk, and plenty of storage Include dramatic linear fireplace Plan for new sectional Improve overall lighting THE REMODEL Design Challenges: Awkward corner fireplace creates a challenge laying out furniture No storage for kids’ toys and games Existing space was missing the wow factor – it needs some drama Update the lighting scheme Design Solutions: Remove the existing corner fireplace and dated mantle, replace with sleek linear fireplace Add tile to both fireplace wall and tv wall for interest and drama Include open shelving for storage and display Create bar area, ample storage, and desk area THE RENEWED SPACE The homeowners love their renewed basement. It’s truly a welcoming, functional space. They can enjoy it together as a family, and it also serves as a peaceful retreat for the parents once the kids are tucked in for the night.

Bradshaw Photography