Basement family room with built-in home bar, lounge area, and pool table area.
Photo of a large transitional basement in Chicago with a home bar, brown walls, dark hardwood floors, no fireplace, brown floor and wallpaper.

Game area of basement bar hang-out space. The console area sits behind a sectional and entertainment area for snacking during a game or movie.
This is an example of a large beach style walk-out basement in New York with white walls, vinyl floors, a standard fireplace, brown floor, planked wall panelling and a game room.

This is an example of a country basement in Atlanta with vinyl floors and brick walls.

When my client had to move from her company office to work at home, she set up in the dining room. Despite her best efforts, this was not the long-term solution she was looking for. My client realized she needed a dedicated space not on the main floor of the home. On one hand, having your office space right next to the kitchen is handy. On the other hand, it made separating work and home life was not that easy. The house was a ranch. In essence, the basement would run entire length of the home. As we came down the steps, we entered a time capsule. The house was built in the 1950’s. The walls were covered with original knotty pine paneling. There was a wood burning fireplace and considering this was a basement, high ceilings. In addition, there was everything her family could not store at their own homes. As we wound though the space, I though “wow this has potential”, Eventually, after walking through the laundry room we came to a small nicely lit room. This would be the office. My client looked at me and asked what I thought. Undoubtedly, I said, this can be a great workspace, but do you really want to walk through this basement and laundry to get here? Without reservation, my client said where do we start? Once the design was in place, we started the renovation. The knotty pine paneling had to go. Specifically, to add some insulation and control the dampness and humidity. The laundry room wall was relocated to create a hallway to the office. At the far end of the room, we designated a workout zone. Weights, mats, exercise bike and television are at the ready for morning or afternoon workouts. The space can be concealed by a folding screen for party time. Doors to an old closet under the stairs were relocated to the workout area for hidden storage. Now we had nice wall for a beautiful console and mirror for storage and serving during parties. In order to add architectural details, we covered the old ugly support columns with simple recessed millwork panels. This detail created a visual division between the bar area and the seating area in front of the fireplace. The old red brick on the fireplace surround was replaced with stack stone. A mantle was made from reclaimed wood. Additional reclaimed wood floating shelves left and right of the fireplace provides decorative display while maintaining a rustic element balancing the copper end table and leather swivel rocker. We found an amazing rug which tied all of the colors together further defining the gathering space. Russet and burnt orange became the accent color unifying each space. With a bit of whimsy, a rather unusual light fixture which looks like roots from a tree growing through the ceiling is a conversation piece. The office space is quite and removed from the main part of the basement. There is a desk large enough for multiple screens, a small bookcase holding office supplies and a comfortable chair for conference calls. Because working from home requires many online meetings, we added a shiplap wall painted in Hale Navy to contrast with the orange fabric on the chair. We finished the décor with a painting from my client’s father. This is the background online visitors will see. The last and best part of the renovation is the beautiful bar. My client is an avid collector of wine. She already had the EuroCave refrigerator, so I incorporated it into the design. The cabinets are painted Temptation Grey from Benjamin Moore. The counter tops are my favorite hard working quartzite Brown Fantasy. The backsplash is a combination of rustic wood and old tin ceiling like porcelain tiles. Together with the textures of the reclaimed wood and hide poofs balanced against the smooth finish of the cabinets, we created a comfortable luxury for relaxing. There is ample storage for bottles, cans, glasses, and anything else you can think of for a great party. In addition to the wine storage, we incorporated a beverage refrigerator, an ice maker, and a sink. Floating shelves with integrated lighting illuminate the back bar. The raised height of the front bar provides the perfect wine tasting and paring spot. I especially love the pendant lights which look like wine glasses. Finally, I selected carpet for the stairs and office. It is perfect for noise reduction. Meanwhile for the overall flooring, I specifically selected a high-performance vinyl plank floor. We often use this product as it is perfect to install on a concrete floor. It is soft to walk on, easy to clean and does not reduce the overall height of the space.

Inspiration for an eclectic basement in Other with multi-coloured walls and wallpaper.

Photo of a small transitional fully buried basement in Chicago with black walls and wallpaper.

Lower Level of home on Lake Minnetonka Nautical call with white shiplap and blue accents for finishes. This photo highlights the built-ins that flank the fireplace.

A custom feature wall features a floating media unit and ship lap. All painted a gorgeous shade of slate blue. Accented with wood, brass, leather, and woven shades.

The homeowners had a very specific vision for their large daylight basement. To begin, Neil Kelly's team, led by Portland Design Consultant Fabian Genovesi, took down numerous walls to completely open up the space, including the ceilings, and removed carpet to expose the concrete flooring. The concrete flooring was repaired, resurfaced and sealed with cracks in tact for authenticity. Beams and ductwork were left exposed, yet refined, with additional piping to conceal electrical and gas lines. Century-old reclaimed brick was hand-picked by the homeowner for the east interior wall, encasing stained glass windows which were are also reclaimed and more than 100 years old. Aluminum bar-top seating areas in two spaces. A media center with custom cabinetry and pistons repurposed as cabinet pulls. And the star of the show, a full 4-seat wet bar with custom glass shelving, more custom cabinetry, and an integrated television-- one of 3 TVs in the space. The new one-of-a-kind basement has room for a professional 10-person poker table, pool table, 14' shuffleboard table, and plush seating.

This full basement renovation included adding a mudroom area, media room, a bedroom, a full bathroom, a game room, a kitchen, a gym and a beautiful custom wine cellar. Our clients are a family that is growing, and with a new baby, they wanted a comfortable place for family to stay when they visited, as well as space to spend time themselves. They also wanted an area that was easy to access from the pool for entertaining, grabbing snacks and using a new full pool bath.We never treat a basement as a second-class area of the house. Wood beams, customized details, moldings, built-ins, beadboard and wainscoting give the lower level main-floor style. There’s just as much custom millwork as you’d see in the formal spaces upstairs. We’re especially proud of the wine cellar, the media built-ins, the customized details on the island, the custom cubbies in the mudroom and the relaxing flow throughout the entire space.

Photo of a large contemporary look-out basement in Toronto with multi-coloured walls, carpet, a hanging fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, multi-coloured floor, vaulted and wallpaper.

A traditional fireplace was updated with a custom-designed surround, custom-designed builtins, and elevated finishes paired with high-end lighting.
Photo of a mid-sized transitional look-out basement in Chicago with a game room, beige walls, carpet, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, beige floor, wood and decorative wall panelling.

© Lassiter Photography | ReVisionCharlotte.com
Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional walk-out basement in Charlotte with white walls, vinyl floors, no fireplace, grey floor and wallpaper.

Dark mahogany home interior Basking Ridge, NJ Following a transitional design, the interior is stained in a darker mahogany, and accented with beautiful crown moldings. Complimented well by the lighter tones of the fabrics and furniture, the variety of tones and materials help in creating a more unique overall design. For more projects visit our website wlkitchenandhome.com . . . . #basementdesign #basementremodel #basementbar #basementdecor #mancave #mancaveideas #mancavedecor #mancaves #luxurybasement #luxuryfurniture #luxuryinteriors #furnituredesign #furnituremaker #billiards #billiardroom #billiardroomdesign #custommillwork #customdesigns #dramhouse #tvunit #hometheater #njwoodworker #theaterroom #gameroom #playspace #homebar #stunningdesign #njfurniturek #entertainmentroom #PoolTable

Dark mahogany home interior Basking Ridge, NJ Following a transitional design, the interior is stained in a darker mahogany, and accented with beautiful crown moldings. Complimented well by the lighter tones of the fabrics and furniture, the variety of tones and materials help in creating a more unique overall design. For more projects visit our website wlkitchenandhome.com . . . . #basementdesign #basementremodel #basementbar #basementdecor #mancave #mancaveideas #mancavedecor #mancaves #luxurybasement #luxuryfurniture #luxuryinteriors #furnituredesign #furnituremaker #billiards #billiardroom #billiardroomdesign #custommillwork #customdesigns #dramhouse #tvunit #hometheater #njwoodworker #theaterroom #gameroom #playspace #homebar #stunningdesign #njfurniturek #entertainmentroom #PoolTable

This fun rec-room features storage and display for all of the kids' legos as well as a wall clad with toy boxes
Small modern fully buried basement in Chicago with a game room, multi-coloured walls, carpet, no fireplace, grey floor and wallpaper.

This is an example of a large transitional fully buried basement in Chicago with grey walls, light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a concrete fireplace surround, brown floor and brick walls.

Design ideas for a large contemporary walk-out basement in Atlanta with a home bar, black walls, vinyl floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, brown floor and planked wall panelling.

Photo of a large transitional walk-out basement in St Louis with a home bar, grey walls, vinyl floors, brown floor and brick walls.