Not many homes in Northern California have basements
that area under the main floor, below ground level, that
builders leave unfinished so homeowners can decorate it
to suit their family's needs. Maybe it's because the
weather here is so mild that we don't need to huddle
underground in the winter or store things out of the
weather. A home built on sloped or graded land might have
a basement with windows or doors to a patio on one side
of the room, but it's still considered by many people to
be a basement.
When you see an ad for a home for sale with a
"finished basement," it usually means the space has been
designed as a family or recreation room, an area where
the family can relax together. Usually the laundry room
can be found here as well. A home office, entertainment
center, workout room or any combination of these
functions is also becoming a common use for this space. A
finished basement might even have its own kitchen, or
partial kitchen, to make entertaining easier.
Top-of-the-line basements may have wet bars and
restaurant-style bars with barstools. And a bathroom on
this level of the house makes the use of the space even
more versatile.
The basement can even function as a guest bedroom or a
bedroom for a teenager who needs a bit more separation
and privacy from the rest of family. Really large
basements might be divided into several rooms that
fulfill many functions.
REMODEL OR RECORATE
If you have this bonus space in your house, and there
are no issues with moisture, then how to use this space
may be your biggest challenge.
Converting the basement to a finished living area
could mean a major remodel: adding a kitchen and/or
bathroom, moving or adding walls, moving heating ducts or
just adding electrical outlets and Sheetrock. In this
case, you'll need to get a building permit and have a
licensed contractor do the work. An interior designer or
architect can help you design the space for maximum
use.
If you're merely doing decorative things to make this
space more livable and attractive, then it's a perfect
do-it-yourself project that may take only a couple of
weekends to accomplish.
In either case, you'll need a design plan that can be
your road map. Start by looking at the space objectively
and answering these questions: Do you need to visually
disguise the laundry area? Would a mini-kitchen work for
you here? How about exercise equipment? Office space?
What kind of media? A place for guests to sleep? Add a
bathroom? Should the walls be painted or wallpapered? How
about the floor: carpeting, tile or hardwood?
If you have an actual room, let's look at this project
as decorative only; no construction is necessary, and
you're going to do it yourself, maybe with the help of
your spouse or a friend.
A finished basement can have many
functions, like serving as a recreation room
with pool table and television, and....
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...making your home more hospitable with a
guest bedroom, and....
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...include a mini bar or kitchen to make
entertaing easier.
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If the laundry area is here, visually separating it
from the rest of the space is the first thing to
consider, because you don't want to see this utilitarian
function when you're entertaining in your newly finished
room. You're not going to build walls around this work
area, but perhaps a decorative screen would do the job
nicely.
To create a mini-kitchen, a microwave for the popcorn
and a small, under-counter-style refrigerator to store
sodas and bottled water might be all you need to serve
snacks. A wine refrigerator would also be nice, but might
be over the top. The choice is yours. Storage space for
glasses, bowls and napkins helps define the
mini-kitchen.
Since this below-ground room might not have adequate
windows to let in natural light, choosing the right
colors for the walls and floors is especially important.
You can go light and airy or warm and cozy. Because this
room isn't visible from the other parts of your house,
its style might be significantly different from the rest
of the house.
Take into consideration how the room will be used when
deciding what to put on the floors; wood or tile floors
won't absorb sound as well as carpeting, so if the room's
going to be used for media, carpeting may be the best way
to go.
PICK THE RIGHT LIGHTS
No matter which approach you take for the color
palette, good lighting is especially important. Choose
lights that can be plugged in to existing outlets and
give the maximum illumination for the space.
The furniture you select will be defined by the
purpose of the room; a sectional sofa that includes a
pull-out bed might be the perfect solution for a media
room that can double as a guest bedroom. Choose a fabric
that's durable enough to handle the lifestyle. The coffee
table in front of the sofa could be a long leather
ottoman with storage inside for bedding. There's no
problem with people putting their feet on it because it
was designed for this purpose. Trays can be used to make
it stable enough to put drinking glasses on.
If you're using this room as a home office, keep in
mind that you'll need more lighting than if it's a media
room so you don't feel claustrophobic in the otherwise
dark space. Consider lights that replicate natural light.
Give yourself plenty of well-organized storage space so
the new office doesn't become cluttered.
With this information in hand, you've got an approach
on how to look at converting this otherwise unused space
into a new area for you and your family to enjoy. And no
matter which way you go - full remodel or decorative
face-lift - whatever you spend will increase the value of
your home should you decide to sell it in the future.
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