Photo of 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.

The layering of textures and materials in this spot makes my heart sing.
Inspiration for a large country walk-out basement in Other with grey walls, vinyl floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, brown floor, exposed beam and wood walls.

This is an example of an arts and crafts walk-out basement in Louisville with a home bar, green walls, medium hardwood floors, brown floor and wallpaper.

The support columns were integrated into the half wall bar. Dark wood was used to offset the stark white columns and dark granite countertop on one side of the wall. Comfortable, stylish bar stools with wooden backs and leather seats were set up along the half wall bar, making convenient seating for either watching the TV, having a drink with friends, or working on your laptop. The seating matches the dark wood of the wall, making it feel like one piece. Line of glass panels provide plenty of natural lighting as well as a gorgeous view into the back yard, which you can access through one of the sliding doors. Recessed lighting and smart hanging light fixtures were also added to make up the difference in lighting on rainy/cloudy days and for evening gatherings/activities. Gorgeous dark wood flooring was installed to match the dark wood of the half-wall bar and other accents in the room. The walls and ceiling match the support columns with a stark white, helping to keep the space bright – which is especially helpful when using the space for work purposes.

Bourbon Man Cave basement redesign in Mt. Juliet, TN
Photo of a large country basement in Nashville with a home bar, blue walls, ceramic floors, brown floor and wood walls.

Beautiful renovated ranch with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and finished basement with bar and family room in Stamford CT staged by BA Staging & Interiors. Open floor plan living and dining room features a wall of windows and stunning view into property and backyard pool. The staging was was designed to match the charm of the home with the contemporary updates..

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 basement remodeling project involved transforming a traditional basement into a multifunctional space, blending a country club ambience and personalized decor with modern entertainment options. In this living area, a rustic fireplace with a mantel serves as the focal point. Rusty red accents complement tan LVP flooring and a neutral sectional against charcoal walls, creating a harmonious and inviting atmosphere. --- Project completed by Wendy Langston's Everything Home interior design firm, which serves Carmel, Zionsville, Fishers, Westfield, Noblesville, and Indianapolis. For more about Everything Home, see here: https://everythinghomedesigns.com/ To learn more about this project, see here: https://everythinghomedesigns.com/portfolio/carmel-basement-renovation

This is an example of a large modern walk-out basement in Denver with grey walls, carpet and panelled walls.

The lower level was updated to create a light and bright space, perfect for guests.
Expansive midcentury look-out basement in Portland with white walls, light hardwood floors, brown floor and panelled walls.

Photo of a large modern look-out basement in Other with black walls, vinyl floors, a standard fireplace, a metal fireplace surround, recessed and panelled walls.

We started with a blank slate on this basement project where our only obstacles were exposed steel support columns, existing plumbing risers from the concrete slab, and dropped soffits concealing ductwork on the ceiling. It had the advantage of tall ceilings, an existing egress window, and a sliding door leading to a newly constructed patio. This family of five loves the beach and frequents summer beach resorts in the Northeast. Bringing that aesthetic home to enjoy all year long was the inspiration for the décor, as well as creating a family-friendly space for entertaining. Wish list items included room for a billiard table, wet bar, game table, family room, guest bedroom, full bathroom, space for a treadmill and closed storage. The existing structural elements helped to define how best to organize the basement. For instance, we knew we wanted to connect the bar area and billiards table with the patio in order to create an indoor/outdoor entertaining space. It made sense to use the egress window for the guest bedroom for both safety and natural light. The bedroom also would be adjacent to the plumbing risers for easy access to the new bathroom. Since the primary focus of the family room would be for TV viewing, natural light did not need to filter into that space. We made sure to hide the columns inside of newly constructed walls and dropped additional soffits where needed to make the ceiling mechanicals feel less random. In addition to the beach vibe, the homeowner has valuable sports memorabilia that was to be prominently displayed including two seats from the original Yankee stadium. For a coastal feel, shiplap is used on two walls of the family room area. In the bathroom shiplap is used again in a more creative way using wood grain white porcelain tile as the horizontal shiplap “wood”. We connected the tile horizontally with vertical white grout joints and mimicked the horizontal shadow line with dark grey grout. At first glance it looks like we wrapped the shower with real wood shiplap. Materials including a blue and white patterned floor, blue penny tiles and a natural wood vanity checked the list for that seaside feel. A large reclaimed wood door on an exposed sliding barn track separates the family room from the game room where reclaimed beams are punctuated with cable lighting. Cabinetry and a beverage refrigerator are tucked behind the rolling bar cabinet (that doubles as a Blackjack table!). A TV and upright video arcade machine round-out the entertainment in the room. Bar stools, two rotating club chairs, and large square poufs along with the Yankee Stadium seats provide fun places to sit while having a drink, watching billiards or a game on the TV. Signed baseballs can be found behind the bar, adjacent to the billiard table, and on specially designed display shelves next to the poker table in the family room. Thoughtful touches like the surfboards, signage, photographs and accessories make a visitor feel like they are on vacation at a well-appointed beach resort without being cliché.

Design ideas for a mid-sized midcentury walk-out basement in Toronto with white walls, vinyl floors, brown floor and panelled walls.

Modern geometric black and white tile wall adds dimension and contemporary energy to the snack and beverage bar. Photos: Jody Kmetz
This is an example of a large modern fully buried basement in Chicago with a home bar, white walls, carpet, grey floor, exposed beam and panelled walls.

Basement reno,
Mid-sized country fully buried basement in Minneapolis with a home bar, white walls, carpet, grey floor, wood and panelled walls.

This basement remodel held special significance for an expectant young couple eager to adapt their home for a growing family. Facing the challenge of an open layout that lacked functionality, our team delivered a complete transformation. The project's scope involved reframing the layout of the entire basement, installing plumbing for a new bathroom, modifying the stairs for code compliance, and adding an egress window to create a livable bedroom. The redesigned space now features a guest bedroom, a fully finished bathroom, a cozy living room, a practical laundry area, and private, separate office spaces. The primary objective was to create a harmonious, open flow while ensuring privacy—a vital aspect for the couple. The final result respects the original character of the house, while enhancing functionality for the evolving needs of the homeowners expanding family.

Photo of a contemporary look-out basement in Toronto with grey walls, vinyl floors, a standard fireplace, a wood fireplace surround, brown floor and wallpaper.

Mid-sized modern walk-out basement in Philadelphia with grey walls, vinyl floors, grey floor and wallpaper.

Lower Level Living/Media Area features white oak walls, custom, reclaimed limestone fireplace surround, and media wall - Scandinavian Modern Interior - Indianapolis, IN - Trader's Point - Architect: HAUS | Architecture For Modern Lifestyles - Construction Manager: WERK | Building Modern - Christopher Short + Paul Reynolds - Photo: HAUS | Architecture