The 20 Most Popular Basement Photos of 2015
Designers rise to the challenges presented by subterranean spaces
Poker, billiards, parties, movie nights, collections, a Union Jack refrigerator, tiki madness and a big leather recliner for actor Ashton Kutcher’s stepfather, Mark, all played a role in your favorite basement photos this year. Basements always present design challenges — low ceilings, ductwork, mechanical equipment, needs for egress, little to no natural light and structural columns and walls that hold up the house, just to name a few. But the pros on Houzz have met these challenges with plenty of clever solutions, resulting in beautiful designs. Here’s a look at 20 of your favorite basement photos from 2015 and some of the trends and features they highlight.
Media rooms. With the popularity of open plans in so many homes today, people are finding it hard to find a quiet space. With a comfortable TV-watching space in the basement, the noise is contained, keeping the main level peaceful.
Accessory dwelling units. This Seattle home was zoned for an accessory dwelling unit (ADU), part of a planning move that helps cities increase density in neighborhoods full of single-family homes. These homeowners were keen on keeping that status, so they added a full kitchen during their extensive renovation.
Basement kitchens and kitchenettes are great for those who use their basements as guest suites. Many people also added bars and mini-kitchens complete with a small refrigerator, a microwave and a sink. That way when they host parties or have movie night, all of the drinks and snacks are easy to fetch.
Refrigerator: Smeg; backsplash tile: Savoy, Ann Sacks; pendant lights: Restoration Hardware
Basement kitchens and kitchenettes are great for those who use their basements as guest suites. Many people also added bars and mini-kitchens complete with a small refrigerator, a microwave and a sink. That way when they host parties or have movie night, all of the drinks and snacks are easy to fetch.
Refrigerator: Smeg; backsplash tile: Savoy, Ann Sacks; pendant lights: Restoration Hardware
A faux view. For those not blessed with any sort of walk-out on the lower level, creative tricks made underground rooms appealing. Here, a large backlit mural of the outdoors serves as a picture window.
Lighting. As previously mentioned, making a subterranean space well-lit is a challenge. In this room, a floating mirror backed with LED tape lights provides a lovely glow.
Wall paint: Thundercloud Gray, Benjamin Moore; armchair and sofa: Crate & Barrel; Modular Geometric Hive table: Hammers & Heels; botanical art: HomeSense
Wall paint: Thundercloud Gray, Benjamin Moore; armchair and sofa: Crate & Barrel; Modular Geometric Hive table: Hammers & Heels; botanical art: HomeSense
Ceiling treatment. Another design challenge down under is awkward low ceilings that are cut up by ductwork, pipes and wiring. In this basement, the architects reconfigured the ductwork and created interest with perforated corrugated metal panels that are easy to remove for access to wires.
See more of this basement
Carpet: Masland Carpets & Rugs
See more of this basement
Carpet: Masland Carpets & Rugs
Other games. A basement is a great spot for installing that poker table, as probably not every family wants to replace the dining room table with one. There’s plenty of room for comfortable armchairs in this refined basement, which has a feeling of an old-school men’s club that everyone can enjoy, whether they are playing five-car stud or Candy Land.
Creating zones. Furniture layout in an open basement can be tricky. A popular approach is creating zones — seating and media area, a table for dining and playing games, and often a bar and mini-kitchen.
Paint: Dulux 20YY 66/066
Paint: Dulux 20YY 66/066
Hiding mechanical stuff. Basements are inevitably full of unsightly things, like water heaters, furnaces and fuse boxes. In this space, the designers cleverly hid the fuse box by boxing it out and adding a cabinet door.
Sports center. A basement is a great place for the obsessed fan to hoot and holler at multiple games on multiple TVs and leave the rest of the house in peace.
Wall paint: Old Soul, Benjamin Moore; Eos swivel chairs: Room & Board
Wall paint: Old Soul, Benjamin Moore; Eos swivel chairs: Room & Board
Happy colors. Making a basement light and bright is often a challenge. In this kid-centric basement, pops of lavender, turquoise and yellow brighten things up.
Closed storage. For many folks, the unfinished basement has a lot of jumbled storage, and there still needs to be space in the finished basement for a lot of this stuff (after a serious purge, of course). Extensive cabinetry hides sports equipment, holiday decorations, out-of-season clothing and more here.
Workbenches and crafting areas. Basements are a great place to get messy and not have to keep tidy all the time. This makes them the right spot for workbenches and crafting stations.
Wine storage. Basements are ideal spots for wine storage, and a collection of bottles can become a design feature.
Flooring: 7-inch alabaster oak, Cortec
Flooring: 7-inch alabaster oak, Cortec
Box fireplaces. Simple box fireplaces add the warmth and glow of flames to a basement without requiring a chimney. Creating an accent wall around one is a fresh take on a fireplace surround.
Brass table: Martini side table, West Elm
Brass table: Martini side table, West Elm
Office space. Houzzers find that the basement is a great spot to add a desk and escape for some quiet work time. Here, a desk tucked in under the stairs makes the most of the space. Lighting underneath the shelves illuminates the desktop.
Displaying collections. Let’s face it, some of our favorite things just don’t fit into the rooms upstairs. Basements are a great place to design around a collection. Also worth noting in this space are the backlighting and the glass floor overhead that lets natural light filter down.
Focused on family. The rec-room vibe lives on in today’s lower levels, with games, movie nights and playrooms playing important roles in the design. Here, family photos in matching frames add to the family-friendly spirit in the basement.
Frames: Design Aglow
Frames: Design Aglow
A complete departure. Upstairs, this home is a neatly kept Craftsman. But downstairs, Trader Vic’s and crusty sea shacks inspired these tiki-collecting homeowners to display their favorite things and go wild with color. That’s the best thing about basements: You can go hog-wild with anything you might be too scared to do up aboveground.
Learn more about this basement renovation
Learn more about this basement renovation
Check out the full story on Houzz TV