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 huge sectional from West Elm (it’s 13 feet long!!) gives plenty of seating and fills the space. It turned out that the cats liked the new sofa as much as the humans… not good. So the homeowner brilliantly layered a few Mexican blankets and a sheepskin over the cushions and arms of the sofa to protect it from the cats, and inadvertently added a level of bohemian texture and pattern to the room that is absolutely fantastic!

This is an example of a mid-sized transitional look-out basement in Grand Rapids with beige walls, vinyl floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround and grey floor.

Photo of a large country look-out basement in Detroit with grey walls, vinyl floors and grey floor.

A once dark, unfinished basement has been transformed into a fun and colorful haven for kid-friendly hangouts. A snack-bar, game area, and lounge have been included in the design and are complimented by soft textures, vintage finds and family artwork! Photography: Megan Lorenz Photo

This luxury vinyl was a pleasure to work with. The total measurements were 1175 sq ft with 6 transition strips. Before the flooring could be installed, we needed to grind and level the entire basement. The product used here is Adura 12"x24" graffiti luxury laminate. Color- Skyline

Indulge in the luxury of a meticulously crafted custom kitchen adorned in warm brown tones. Tailored to perfection, this kitchen showcases a harmonious blend of personalized design and rich earthy hues, creating a space that exudes both elegance and functionality.

This is an example of an eclectic fully buried basement in New York with a game room, brown walls, vinyl floors, multi-coloured floor and panelled walls.

This is an example of a country basement in Atlanta with vinyl floors and brick walls.

When my client had to move from her company office to work at home, she set up in the dining room. Despite her best efforts, this was not the long-term solution she was looking for. My client realized she needed a dedicated space not on the main floor of the home. On one hand, having your office space right next to the kitchen is handy. On the other hand, it made separating work and home life was not that easy. The house was a ranch. In essence, the basement would run entire length of the home. As we came down the steps, we entered a time capsule. The house was built in the 1950’s. The walls were covered with original knotty pine paneling. There was a wood burning fireplace and considering this was a basement, high ceilings. In addition, there was everything her family could not store at their own homes. As we wound though the space, I though “wow this has potential”, Eventually, after walking through the laundry room we came to a small nicely lit room. This would be the office. My client looked at me and asked what I thought. Undoubtedly, I said, this can be a great workspace, but do you really want to walk through this basement and laundry to get here? Without reservation, my client said where do we start? Once the design was in place, we started the renovation. The knotty pine paneling had to go. Specifically, to add some insulation and control the dampness and humidity. The laundry room wall was relocated to create a hallway to the office. At the far end of the room, we designated a workout zone. Weights, mats, exercise bike and television are at the ready for morning or afternoon workouts. The space can be concealed by a folding screen for party time. Doors to an old closet under the stairs were relocated to the workout area for hidden storage. Now we had nice wall for a beautiful console and mirror for storage and serving during parties. In order to add architectural details, we covered the old ugly support columns with simple recessed millwork panels. This detail created a visual division between the bar area and the seating area in front of the fireplace. The old red brick on the fireplace surround was replaced with stack stone. A mantle was made from reclaimed wood. Additional reclaimed wood floating shelves left and right of the fireplace provides decorative display while maintaining a rustic element balancing the copper end table and leather swivel rocker. We found an amazing rug which tied all of the colors together further defining the gathering space. Russet and burnt orange became the accent color unifying each space. With a bit of whimsy, a rather unusual light fixture which looks like roots from a tree growing through the ceiling is a conversation piece. The office space is quite and removed from the main part of the basement. There is a desk large enough for multiple screens, a small bookcase holding office supplies and a comfortable chair for conference calls. Because working from home requires many online meetings, we added a shiplap wall painted in Hale Navy to contrast with the orange fabric on the chair. We finished the décor with a painting from my client’s father. This is the background online visitors will see. The last and best part of the renovation is the beautiful bar. My client is an avid collector of wine. She already had the EuroCave refrigerator, so I incorporated it into the design. The cabinets are painted Temptation Grey from Benjamin Moore. The counter tops are my favorite hard working quartzite Brown Fantasy. The backsplash is a combination of rustic wood and old tin ceiling like porcelain tiles. Together with the textures of the reclaimed wood and hide poofs balanced against the smooth finish of the cabinets, we created a comfortable luxury for relaxing. There is ample storage for bottles, cans, glasses, and anything else you can think of for a great party. In addition to the wine storage, we incorporated a beverage refrigerator, an ice maker, and a sink. Floating shelves with integrated lighting illuminate the back bar. The raised height of the front bar provides the perfect wine tasting and paring spot. I especially love the pendant lights which look like wine glasses. Finally, I selected carpet for the stairs and office. It is perfect for noise reduction. Meanwhile for the overall flooring, I specifically selected a high-performance vinyl plank floor. We often use this product as it is perfect to install on a concrete floor. It is soft to walk on, easy to clean and does not reduce the overall height of the space.

Photo of a mid-sized transitional fully buried basement in Chicago with a home bar, grey walls, vinyl floors, a standard fireplace and brown floor.

This is an example of a large contemporary walk-out basement in Atlanta with a home bar, black walls, vinyl floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, brown floor and planked wall panelling.

Photo of a large modern look-out basement in Other with black walls, vinyl floors, a standard fireplace, a metal fireplace surround and wallpaper.

This is an example of a large country walk-out basement in Chicago with beige walls, vinyl floors and grey floor.

Design ideas for a large contemporary look-out basement in Chicago with grey walls, vinyl floors, no fireplace and red floor.

We sprayed the ceiling, added can lights, installed the built-in cabinets, installed vinyl plank flooring
Inspiration for a contemporary fully buried basement in Chicago with grey walls, vinyl floors and grey floor.

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.

Renee Alexander
This is an example of a large transitional fully buried basement in DC Metro with beige walls, no fireplace, brown floor and vinyl floors.

Sara Cox Photography
Inspiration for a mid-sized traditional fully buried basement in Other with blue walls, vinyl floors, no fireplace and brown floor.