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.

Primrose Model - Garden Villa Collection Pricing, floorplans, virtual tours, community information and more at https://www.robertthomashomes.com/

Large open floor plan in basement with full built-in bar, fireplace, game room and seating for all sorts of activities. Cabinetry at the bar provided by Brookhaven Cabinetry manufactured by Wood-Mode Cabinetry. Cabinetry is constructed from maple wood and finished in an opaque finish. Glass front cabinetry includes reeded glass for privacy. Bar is over 14 feet long and wrapped in wainscot panels. Although not shown, the interior of the bar includes several undercounter appliances: refrigerator, dishwasher drawer, microwave drawer and refrigerator drawers; all, except the microwave, have decorative wood panels.

This is an example of a mid-sized industrial fully buried basement in Philadelphia with white walls, laminate floors, a standard fireplace, a wood fireplace surround, brown floor and exposed beam.

Photo of a country fully buried basement in Boston with white walls, carpet, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, multi-coloured floor and planked wall panelling.

This older couple residing in a golf course community wanted to expand their living space and finish up their unfinished basement for entertainment purposes and more. Their wish list included: exercise room, full scale movie theater, fireplace area, guest bedroom, full size master bath suite style, full bar area, entertainment and pool table area, and tray ceiling. After major concrete breaking and running ground plumbing, we used a dead corner of basement near staircase to tuck in bar area. A dual entrance bathroom from guest bedroom and main entertainment area was placed on far wall to create a large uninterrupted main floor area. A custom barn door for closet gives extra floor space to guest bedroom. New movie theater room with multi-level seating, sound panel walls, two rows of recliner seating, 120-inch screen, state of art A/V system, custom pattern carpeting, surround sound & in-speakers, custom molding and trim with fluted columns, custom mahogany theater doors. The bar area includes copper panel ceiling and rope lighting inside tray area, wrapped around cherry cabinets and dark granite top, plenty of stools and decorated with glass backsplash and listed glass cabinets. The main seating area includes a linear fireplace, covered with floor to ceiling ledger stone and an embedded television above it. The new exercise room with two French doors, full mirror walls, a couple storage closets, and rubber floors provide a fully equipped home gym. The unused space under staircase now includes a hidden bookcase for storage and A/V equipment. New bathroom includes fully equipped body sprays, large corner shower, double vanities, and lots of other amenities. Carefully selected trim work, crown molding, tray ceiling, wainscoting, wide plank engineered flooring, matching stairs, and railing, makes this basement remodel the jewel of this community.

This is an example of a large modern look-out basement in Chicago with grey walls, carpet, a ribbon fireplace and beige floor.

Photo of a mid-sized transitional walk-out basement in Seattle with grey walls, laminate floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround and brown floor.

Basement
This is an example of a country look-out basement in Grand Rapids with white walls, light hardwood floors and a standard fireplace.

©Finished Basement Company
Inspiration for an expansive contemporary look-out basement in Denver with grey walls, dark hardwood floors, a ribbon fireplace, a tile fireplace surround and brown floor.

Mike Chajecki www.mikechajecki.com
Inspiration for a large transitional fully buried basement in Toronto with grey walls, a ribbon fireplace, cork floors, a metal fireplace surround, brown floor and a home bar.

Design ideas for a large arts and crafts fully buried basement in Detroit with grey walls, vinyl floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround and grey floor.

This new basement finish is a home owners dream for entertaining! Features include: an amazing bar with black cabinetry with brushed brass hardware, rustic barn wood herringbone ceiling detail and beams, sliding barn door, plank flooring, shiplap walls, chalkboard wall with an integrated drink ledge, 2 sided fireplace with stacked stone and TV niche, and a stellar bathroom!

Douglas VanderHorn Architects From grand estates, to exquisite country homes, to whole house renovations, the quality and attention to detail of a "Significant Homes" custom home is immediately apparent. Full time on-site supervision, a dedicated office staff and hand picked professional craftsmen are the team that take you from groundbreaking to occupancy. Every "Significant Homes" project represents 45 years of luxury homebuilding experience, and a commitment to quality widely recognized by architects, the press and, most of all....thoroughly satisfied homeowners. Our projects have been published in Architectural Digest 6 times along with many other publications and books. Though the lion share of our work has been in Fairfield and Westchester counties, we have built homes in Palm Beach, Aspen, Maine, Nantucket and Long Island.

An existing closet area was used to create a lighted, built-in display area to house the family's prized autographed Baltimore Colts footballs and Baltimore Orioles baseballs.

Floor to ceiling tiled fireplace/media wall. Floating rustic shelves with black pipe supports. Electric fireplace.
Photo of a mid-sized industrial fully buried basement in Calgary with grey walls, carpet, a hanging fireplace, a tile fireplace surround and grey floor.

Beautiful, large basement finish with many custom finishes for this family to enjoy!
Large transitional walk-out basement in Minneapolis with grey walls, vinyl floors, a stone fireplace surround, grey floor and a corner fireplace.

Marble cladding around a 60" Napoleon electric fireplace
Photo of a large modern fully buried basement in Toronto with grey walls, laminate floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround and grey floor.

©Finished Basement Company
Photo of a large contemporary look-out basement in Minneapolis with grey walls, carpet, a corner fireplace, a tile fireplace surround and grey floor.