Inspiration for a large fully buried basement in Detroit with a home bar, white walls, light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, grey floor, exposed beam and brick walls.

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.

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 LVP driftwood-inspired design balances overcast grey hues with subtle taupes. A smooth, calming style with a neutral undertone that works with all types of decor.The Modin Rigid luxury vinyl plank flooring collection is the new standard in resilient flooring. Modin Rigid offers true embossed-in-register texture, creating a surface that is convincing to the eye and to the touch; a low sheen level to ensure a natural look that wears well over time; four-sided enhanced bevels to more accurately emulate the look of real wood floors; wider and longer waterproof planks; an industry-leading wear layer; and a pre-attached underlayment. The Modin Rigid luxury vinyl plank flooring collection is the new standard in resilient flooring. Modin Rigid offers true embossed-in-register texture, creating a surface that is convincing to the eye and to the touch; a low sheen level to ensure a natural look that wears well over time; four-sided enhanced bevels to more accurately emulate the look of real wood floors; wider and longer waterproof planks; an industry-leading wear layer; and a pre-attached underlayment.

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.

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.

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

This full basement renovation included adding a mudroom area, media room, a bedroom, a full bathroom, a game room, a kitchen, a gym and a beautiful custom wine cellar. Our clients are a family that is growing, and with a new baby, they wanted a comfortable place for family to stay when they visited, as well as space to spend time themselves. They also wanted an area that was easy to access from the pool for entertaining, grabbing snacks and using a new full pool bath.We never treat a basement as a second-class area of the house. Wood beams, customized details, moldings, built-ins, beadboard and wainscoting give the lower level main-floor style. There’s just as much custom millwork as you’d see in the formal spaces upstairs. We’re especially proud of the wine cellar, the media built-ins, the customized details on the island, the custom cubbies in the mudroom and the relaxing flow throughout the entire space.

This large, light blue colored basement is complete with an exercise area, game storage, and a ton of space for indoor activities. It also has under the stair storage perfect for a cozy reading nook. The painted concrete floor makes this space perfect for riding bikes, and playing some indoor basketball.

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

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.

Lower Level of home on Lake Minnetonka Nautical call with white shiplap and blue accents for finishes.
Inspiration for a mid-sized beach style walk-out basement in Minneapolis with a home bar, white walls, light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, brown floor, exposed beam and planked wall panelling.

This full basement renovation included adding a mudroom area, media room, a bedroom, a full bathroom, a game room, a kitchen, a gym and a beautiful custom wine cellar. Our clients are a family that is growing, and with a new baby, they wanted a comfortable place for family to stay when they visited, as well as space to spend time themselves. They also wanted an area that was easy to access from the pool for entertaining, grabbing snacks and using a new full pool bath.We never treat a basement as a second-class area of the house. Wood beams, customized details, moldings, built-ins, beadboard and wainscoting give the lower level main-floor style. There’s just as much custom millwork as you’d see in the formal spaces upstairs. We’re especially proud of the wine cellar, the media built-ins, the customized details on the island, the custom cubbies in the mudroom and the relaxing flow throughout the entire space.

This Hartland, Wisconsin basement is a welcoming teen hangout area and family space. The design blends both rustic and transitional finishes to make the space feel cozy. This space has it all – a bar, kitchenette, lounge area, full bathroom, game area and hidden mechanical/storage space. There is plenty of space for hosting parties and family movie nights. Highlights of this Hartland basement remodel: - We tied the space together with barnwood: an accent wall, beams and sliding door - The staircase was opened at the bottom and is now a feature of the room - Adjacent to the bar is a cozy lounge seating area for watching movies and relaxing - The bar features dark stained cabinetry and creamy beige quartz counters - Guests can sit at the bar or the counter overlooking the lounge area - The full bathroom features a Kohler Choreograph shower surround

Basement Sitting area
Photo of a transitional basement in Boston with white walls, vinyl floors, brown floor, exposed beam and planked wall panelling.

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

Basement finished to include game room, family room, shiplap wall treatment, sliding barn door and matching beam, new staircase, home gym, locker room and bathroom in addition to wine bar area.

Friends and neighbors of an owner of Four Elements asked for help in redesigning certain elements of the interior of their newer home on the main floor and basement to better reflect their tastes and wants (contemporary on the main floor with a more cozy rustic feel in the basement). They wanted to update the look of their living room, hallway desk area, and stairway to the basement. They also wanted to create a 'Game of Thrones' themed media room, update the look of their entire basement living area, add a scotch bar/seating nook, and create a new gym with a glass wall. New fireplace areas were created upstairs and downstairs with new bulkheads, new tile & brick facades, along with custom cabinets. A beautiful stained shiplap ceiling was added to the living room. Custom wall paneling was installed to areas on the main floor, stairway, and basement. Wood beams and posts were milled & installed downstairs, and a custom castle-styled barn door was created for the entry into the new medieval styled media room. A gym was built with a glass wall facing the basement living area. Floating shelves with accent lighting were installed throughout - check out the scotch tasting nook! The entire home was also repainted with modern but warm colors. This project turned out beautiful!