Low-maintenance, easy to clean concrete floors are perfect for this young, active family. Design by Kristyn Bester. Photos by Photo Art Portraits.
This is an example of a mid-sized traditional fully buried basement in Portland with white walls and concrete floors.

Design ideas for a large country walk-out basement in Boise with white walls, concrete floors, a standard fireplace, a tile fireplace surround and grey floor.

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.

Contractor: AllenBuilt Inc. Interior Designer: Cecconi Simone Photographer: Connie Gauthier with HomeVisit
Mid-sized modern basement in DC Metro with grey walls, concrete floors and grey floor.

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.

Basement closest. Polished concrete basement floors with open painted ceilings. Design and construction by Meadowlark Design + Build in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Professional photography by Sean Carter.

Chic. Moody. Sexy. These are just a few of the words that come to mind when I think about the W Hotel in downtown Bellevue, WA. When my client came to me with this as inspiration for her Basement makeover, I couldn’t wait to get started on the transformation. Everything from the poured concrete floors to mimic Carrera marble, to the remodeled bar area, and the custom designed billiard table to match the custom furnishings is just so luxe! Tourmaline velvet, embossed leather, and lacquered walls adds texture and depth to this multi-functional living space.

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.

Bob Greenspan Photography
Design ideas for a mid-sized country walk-out basement in Kansas City with concrete floors, a wood stove and brown floor.

This green custom home is a sophisticated blend of rustic and refinement. Everything about it was purposefully planned for a couple committed to living close to the earth and following a lifestyle of comfort in simplicity. Affectionately named "The Idea Farm," for its innovation in green and sustainable building practices, this home was the second new home in Minnesota to receive a Gold Rating by MN GreenStar. Todd Buchanan Photography

Evita Caune
Photo of a contemporary basement in Boston with concrete floors and grey floor.

Self
This is an example of a large modern walk-out basement in Louisville with grey walls, concrete floors, no fireplace and grey floor.

New construction opens a wide array of options when it comes to selecting finishes. For this particular client, they wanted a durable floor that was also aesthetically pleasing to complete their basement. Since there was no topical sealer on the new concrete, a polished flooring system was selected. The basement itself was a little over 1200 square feet and featured a game room, main living area, bedrooms, bathrooms and a kitchen. All of the flooring was to be polished to a level 400 shine and finished with a densifier and stain guarding product. Polished concrete is the most durable flooring choice. It allows the concrete to breathe below grade, creates movement and character throughout the space and is very easy to maintain. With a pond out back, a polished concrete floor is easy to clean and will be able to withstand high traffic.

www.316photos.com
Photo of a mid-sized transitional fully buried basement in Chicago with grey walls, concrete floors and orange floor.

Greg Hadley
This is an example of a large transitional look-out basement in DC Metro with white walls, concrete floors, no fireplace and black floor.

Photography by Ralph Kylloe
Inspiration for a country fully buried basement in Atlanta with no fireplace, concrete floors and brown 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.

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

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 - Photo: Premier Luxury Electronic Lifestyles