A dark and dingy basement is now the most popular area of this family’s home. The new basement enhances and expands their living area, giving them a relaxing space for watching movies together and a separate, swanky bar area for watching sports games. The design creatively uses reclaimed barnwood throughout the space, including ceiling beams, the staircase, the face of the bar, the TV wall in the seating area, open shelving and a sliding barn door. The client wanted a masculine bar area for hosting friends/family. It’s the perfect space for watching games and serving drinks. The bar area features hickory cabinets with a granite stain, quartz countertops and an undermount sink. There is plenty of cabinet storage, floating shelves for displaying bottles/glassware, a wine shelf and beverage cooler. The most notable feature of the bar is the color changing LED strip lighting under the shelves. The lights illuminate the bottles on the shelves and the cream city brick wall. The lighting makes the space feel upscale and creates a great atmosphere when the homeowners are entertaining. We sourced all the barnwood from the same torn down barn to make sure all the wood matched. We custom milled the wood for the stairs, newel posts, railings, ceiling beams, bar face, wood accent wall behind the TV, floating bar shelves and sliding barn door. Our team designed, constructed and installed the sliding barn door that separated the finished space from the laundry/storage area. The staircase leading to the basement now matches the style of the other staircase in the house, with white risers and wood treads. Lighting is an important component of this space, as this basement is dark with no windows or natural light. Recessed lights throughout the room are on dimmers and can be adjusted accordingly. The living room is lit with an overhead light fixture and there are pendant lights over the bar.

600 sqft basement renovation project in Oakville. Maximum space usage includes full bathroom, laundry room with sink, bedroom, recreation room, closet and under stairs storage space, spacious hallway

This basement needed a serious transition, with light pouring in from all angles, it didn't make any sense to do anything but finish it off. Plus, we had a family of teenage girls that needed a place to hangout, and that is exactly what they got. We had a blast transforming this basement into a sleepover destination, sewing work space, and lounge area for our teen clients. Photo Credit: Tamara Flanagan Photography

This basement has outlived its original wall paneling (see before pictures) and became more of a storage than enjoyable living space. With minimum changes to the original footprint, all walls and flooring and ceiling have been removed and replaced with light and modern finishes. LVT flooring with wood grain design in wet areas, carpet in all living spaces. Custom-built bookshelves house family pictures and TV for movie nights. Bar will surely entertain many guests for holidays and family gatherings.

Marina Storm
Design ideas for a large contemporary fully buried basement in Chicago with beige walls, medium hardwood floors, a ribbon fireplace, a metal fireplace surround and brown floor.

The zinc countertops on this Bar as well as the character grade European white oak floors provide a modernized rustic feel to this Game Room.
This is an example of a large country fully buried basement in San Francisco with white walls, medium hardwood floors and brown floor.

Design ideas for a mid-sized transitional walk-out basement in Minneapolis with grey walls and carpet.

kathy peden photography
This is an example of a mid-sized industrial walk-out basement in Denver with grey walls, concrete floors, no fireplace and beige floor.

Interior Design, Interior Architecture, Construction Administration, Custom Millwork & Furniture Design by Chango & Co. Photography by Jacob Snavely
Photo of an expansive transitional fully buried basement in New York with grey walls, dark hardwood floors and a ribbon fireplace.

Design ideas for a large contemporary fully buried basement in New York with black walls, dark hardwood floors and no fireplace.

Zachary Molino
Inspiration for a large country walk-out basement in Salt Lake City with grey walls and concrete floors.

For this residential project on the North side of Fort Wayne, Indiana we used a penetrating dye to color the concrete. We started by grinding the floor to remove the cure and seal, and going through the necessary passes to bring the floor to an 800-level shine - a reflective shine that is easy to maintain. We then cleaned the floor, added the custom dye, (with a mixture of black and sand), rinsed the floor, densified and finished with a final polish.

Design ideas for a large contemporary look-out basement in Chicago with grey walls and no fireplace.

Photo of a modern basement in Cleveland.

Luxury sports themed basement
Expansive transitional fully buried basement in New York with carpet, white walls, no fireplace and beige floor.

Exclusive House Plan 73345HS is a 3 bedroom 3.5 bath beauty with the master on main and a 4 season sun room that will be a favorite hangout. The front porch is 12' deep making it a great spot for use as outdoor living space which adds to the 3,300+ sq. ft. inside. Ready when you are. Where do YOU want to build? Plans: http://bit.ly/73345hs Photo Credit: Garrison Groustra

What was once an unfinished basement is now a perfect getaway and space to entertain. The main focus is the projection screen and cozy couches for the family to gather and watch movies in surround sound. Just a few feet away, a kitchenette provides some refreshments and food. This space also allows plenty of room to throw a party and this kitchenette can store lots of food and drink. Down the hall we have a rec room with a ping pong table. Across from that is a gym so the homeowners can continue to live a healthy lifestyle. On the other side of the basement there is a playroom that can easily double as a guest room. It's a great spot for the kids to play and keep their toys all in one place. Next door is a "jack and jill" bathroom that is appropriate for all ages. Walk in the door and you'll be wowed by the mosaic tile accent that greets you from inside the shower. We're happy to hear the family is enjoying the space and have enjoyed a few parties!

by Rachael Ormond
Inspiration for a large country fully buried basement in Nashville with beige walls, medium hardwood floors and orange floor.

A custom designed pool table is flanked by open back sofas, allowing guests to easy access to conversation on all sides of this open plan lower level. Heidi Zeiger