11 Mar Project Highlight: A Spacious Basement Remodel
Basements can be dark, uninviting spaces that are generally avoided and used for storage or bulky exercise equipment. Thus, lower levels are often not designed to their full potential! A Zionsville client of mine wanted to use their space for a variety of activities, and asked me to complete a basement remodel to suit all their needs.
My clients envisioned a lower level that doubled as another living room and a kind of separate hangout space for their teenagers. They also wanted to put in an exercise room. The existing main area had a traditional u-shaped bar and a pool table that took up a large amount of space. The lighting was not great, and of course the style did not match the rest of the house.
The bar and pool table did not serve the purpose of the room, so I took them out and replaced the bar with a single built-in wall of cabinets that had a sink and refrigerator. There was now enough space for a regular table.
Along the back wall of the main room near the fireplace, there was a large cherry-finished unit made for shelving, storage and an entertainment system; however, it stuck out into the room and wasted a bit of space. I replaced this unit with a recessed wooden built-in that had the same storage and display capacity, but took up less space. The main area is now wide open and filled with comfortable seating.
My clients wanted the style of the basement to have a somewhat more modern feel that the rest of their house. I had the idea of using metal elements to give the space an urban theme. I chose metal chairs and lamps for the table, and used sheet metal for the fireplace backsplash. My clients loved these additions.
An exercise room replaced the old pool table. We built a wall to close off the space, and installed two pocket doors with frosted glass panels so the room would have some natural lighting. My clients wanted a multi-purpose workout area, so I made sure it was big enough for their machines and equipment as well as including an open space for stretching and free movement exercise.
To correct the basement’s dim lighting, I took advantage of the walk-out doors in the main room and installed floor-to-ceiling glass panels, letting in a good amount of natural light. I added more canned lights throughout the whole space, creating a bright and even lighting scheme.
My clients were looking for a design that would make their basement just as inviting and functional as any other room in their home. With careful planning and space-saving solutions, I was able to give them the comfortable, spacious lower level they desired.
This basement remodel was part of a whole-house redesign. Visit my portfolio to see the rest of the project!
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