Large contemporary walk-out basement in Omaha with white walls, light hardwood floors, no fireplace and beige floor.

Finished Lower Level with Bar Area
Inspiration for a large transitional fully buried basement in Milwaukee with grey walls, light hardwood floors, no fireplace and beige floor.

I designed and assisted the homeowners with the materials, and finish choices for this project while working at Corvallis Custom Kitchens and Baths. Our client (and my former professor at OSU) wanted to have her basement finished. CCKB had competed a basement guest suite a few years prior and now it was time to finish the remaining space. She wanted an organized area with lots of storage for her fabrics and sewing supplies, as well as a large area to set up a table for cutting fabric and laying out patterns. The basement also needed to house all of their camping and seasonal gear, as well as a workshop area for her husband. The basement needed to have flooring that was not going to be damaged during the winters when the basement can become moist from rainfall. Out clients chose to have the cement floor painted with an epoxy material that would be easy to clean and impervious to water. An update to the laundry area included replacing the window and re-routing the piping. Additional shelving was added for more storage. Finally a walk-in closet was created to house our homeowners incredible vintage clothing collection away from any moisture. LED lighting was installed in the ceiling and used for the scones. Our drywall team did an amazing job boxing in and finishing the ceiling which had numerous obstacles hanging from it and kept the ceiling to a height that was comfortable for all who come into the basement. Our client is thrilled with the final project and has been enjoying her new sewing area.

Joe Tighe
Large transitional look-out basement in Chicago with blue walls and no fireplace.

Designed by Nathan Taylor and J. Kent Martin of Obelisk Home - Photos by Randy Colwell
Photo of a large eclectic walk-out basement in Other with beige walls, concrete floors and no fireplace.

Photo of a mid-sized transitional look-out basement in Portland with a home bar, laminate floors, a ribbon fireplace, a tile fireplace surround, brown floor and coffered.

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.

Large transitional walk-out basement in Chicago with grey walls, vinyl floors, a ribbon fireplace, a stone fireplace surround and grey floor.

shiplap, brick tile
Large transitional walk-out basement in Baltimore with beige walls, vinyl floors, no fireplace and brown floor.

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

Phoenix Photographic
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary look-out basement in Detroit with black walls, porcelain floors, a ribbon fireplace, a stone fireplace surround and beige floor.

Inspiration for a large country look-out basement in Columbus with grey walls, carpet, no fireplace and beige floor.

Designed by Lynn Casanova of Closet Works This basement workshop includes Omni Track wall track to organize hand tools.
This is an example of a large contemporary look-out basement in Chicago with white walls, concrete floors, no fireplace and grey floor.

Industrial walk-out basement in New York with white walls, no fireplace and grey floor.

Inspiration for a mid-sized country look-out basement in Phoenix with beige walls, light hardwood floors, no fireplace and beige floor.

Anita Lang - IMI Design - Scottsdale, AZ
Photo of a large contemporary fully buried basement in Phoenix with beige walls, light hardwood floors, no fireplace and brown floor.

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.

Photo of a large country fully buried basement in Denver with brown walls, laminate floors, no fireplace and brown floor.