Photo of a mid-sized eclectic fully buried basement in Chicago with black walls and dark hardwood floors.

Design ideas for a mid-sized modern basement in Portland with black walls, dark hardwood floors, no fireplace and brown floor.

Large traditional look-out basement in Chicago with green walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround and brown floor.

Converted expansive lower level basement space into a multi-purpose functional family room. A large, deep sofa from Restoration Hardware was positioned in front of a large media cabinet for TV and movie watching. Hammered metal storage coffee tables store toys, books and games. A tufted wool rug was placed over new hardwood floors for added comfort and a pop of color. On the opposite side of the room, built-in storage flanks a gas fireplace, creating a perfect nook for playing games around a circular table. New window coverings and paint complete the space.

Ken Pamatat
Mid-sized transitional fully buried basement in New York with dark hardwood floors, brown floor and beige walls.

Thomson & Cooke Architects Susie Soleimani Photography
Design ideas for a large contemporary fully buried basement in DC Metro with blue walls, dark hardwood floors and a standard fireplace.

Inspiration for a large traditional basement in Atlanta with beige walls, dark hardwood floors, brown floor and exposed beam.

We have created all the carpentry woodwork.
Design ideas for a large transitional fully buried basement in Chicago with blue walls, dark hardwood floors and brown floor.

Photo of a large contemporary fully buried basement in Toronto with beige walls, dark hardwood floors and no fireplace.

Inspiration for a large traditional walk-out basement in Philadelphia with beige walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround and brown floor.

This basement was completely stripped out and renovated to a very high standard, a real getaway for the homeowner or guests. Design by Sarah Kahn at Jennifer Gilmer Kitchen & Bath, photography by Keith Miller at Keiana Photograpy, staging by Tiziana De Macceis from Keiana Photography.

This basement was completely stripped out and renovated to a very high standard, a real getaway for the homeowner or guests. Design by Sarah Kahn at Jennifer Gilmer Kitchen & Bath, photography by Keith Miller at Keiana Photograpy, staging by Tiziana De Macceis from Keiana Photography.

Great view of the custom finish work and brick detail on the columns in the basement great room.
Photo of a large transitional walk-out basement in Salt Lake City with grey walls, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround and dark hardwood floors.

Classic combination of Hampton pool table and shuffleboard sold, delivered and installed by Family Recreation Products
Large traditional walk-out basement in Baltimore with orange walls, dark hardwood floors, no fireplace and brown floor.

Inspiration for a large traditional look-out basement in New York with grey walls, dark hardwood floors and brown floor.

Chris and Sofia of Arlington Heights knew when they purchased their home that they would finish the basement. They needed a space for the kids to hang out, for family and friends to stay, and to have a better space for hosting holidays and parties. The dark unfinished space went mostly unused for three years, but once their kids reached the ideal age for use of a well-built basement, they moved ahead with their plan. “The old basement was dark and cold, and the kids came down and played, but they didn’t like it. The new space is like a whole other house, so we have this space for family game nights and for watching games or Super Bowl parties,” Chris said. The couple found Advance Design Studio through a friend who had their entire home renovated by the remodeling company. After the initial meeting and visiting the showroom, Chris and Sofia were positive that Advance Design was the company that could best turn their unfinished basement into a family friendly space for everyone to enjoy. “We really liked the showroom, we liked being able to choose all of those finishes and meet with them in one place,” Chris said. A Custom Space for a Family with Multiple Needs The project began with a fireplace focal point complete with an amazing entertainment wall, a fantastic full kitchen complete with every amenity, and a brand new full bath. The new basement truly has a space for everyone. If the kids want to watch a movie and hang out on the couch they can, if family wants to play games and have a pizza party on the large island they can, and if guests want to stay over night on the pull-out sofa they can enjoy the entire private “suite” complete with a full bath. It is the true definition of a multifunctional basement. The stunning, full kitchen is the highlight of this now bright and airy basement. You walk down the stairs and are immediately impressed with the detailed metal tile work on the ceiling, bringing to mind the classic feel of a comfortable old pub. Cherry Merlot cabinets provide a rich contrast against the soft neutral walls and the contrasting copper tin ceiling tile and backsplash. Rich Santa Cecelia granite countertops pair nicely with timeless stonework on the outer walls. The island is large enough to provide a more than adequate entertaining space, and provides plenty of both seating and storage. The well-appointed kitchen houses a regular size refrigerator, a full size oven for pizza parties and cookie baking anytime, a microwave oven as well as complete sink and trash set up. One could easily do without a home kitchen forever in this generously designed secondary space! The fireplace and buffet wall seating area is the ideal place to watch movies or sporting events. The coordinating stonework on the fireplace flows throughout the basement, and a burnt orange accent wall brings color and warmth to otherwise ordinary basement space. The Elite Merlot media buffet compliments the kitchen as well as provides storage and a unique functional display option, giving this part of the basement a sophisticated, yet functional feel. The full bath is complete with a unique furniture style cherry DuraSupreme vanity and matching custom designed mirror. The weathered look to the cabinets and mirror give the bathroom some earthy texture as does the stone floor in the walk-in shower. Soft blue makes the space a spa-like mini retreat, and the handsome wall to wall tile and granite speak luxury at every corner. Advance Design added clever custom storage spaces to take advantage of otherwise wasted corners. They built a custom mudroom for the kids to house their sports equipment and a handy built in bench area with basket pull outs for a custom home gym. “They were able to custom fit this second mudroom with the lockers and the bench, they were able to custom build that, so the kids could store all of their equipment down here for the sports that they are in,” Chris said. They Got The Amazing Space They Had Envisioned for Years! The basement Chris and Sofia had envisioned had come to life in a few short months of planning, design and construction, just a perfect fit in the summer months. Advance Design Studio was able to design and build a custom, multifunctional space that the whole family can enjoy. “I would recommend Advance Design because of the showroom, because of the cleanliness on the jobsite and the professionalism, combined with Christine’s design side as well as Todd’s builder’s side - it’s nice to have it all together,” reminisced Chris after the project was complete.

Mid-sized transitional walk-out basement in Other with white walls, dark hardwood floors, no fireplace and brown floor.

Cinema room and gym in the basement
This is an example of a large contemporary fully buried basement in London with grey walls, dark hardwood floors, no fireplace and brown floor.

This is an example of a mid-sized midcentury fully buried basement in Minneapolis with white walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a plaster fireplace surround and multi-coloured floor.