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!

Expansive walk-out basement in Chicago with beige walls and carpet.

Today’s basements are much more than dark, dingy spaces or rec rooms of years ago. Because homeowners are spending more time in them, basements have evolved into lower-levels with distinctive spaces, complete with stone and marble fireplaces, sitting areas, coffee and wine bars, home theaters, over sized guest suites and bathrooms that rival some of the most luxurious resort accommodations. Gracing the lakeshore of Lake Beulah, this homes lower-level presents a beautiful opening to the deck and offers dynamic lake views. To take advantage of the home’s placement, the homeowner wanted to enhance the lower-level and provide a more rustic feel to match the home’s main level, while making the space more functional for boating equipment and easy access to the pier and lakefront. Jeff Auberger designed a seating area to transform into a theater room with a touch of a button. A hidden screen descends from the ceiling, offering a perfect place to relax after a day on the lake. Our team worked with a local company that supplies reclaimed barn board to add to the decor and finish off the new space. Using salvaged wood from a corn crib located in nearby Delavan, Jeff designed a charming area near the patio door that features two closets behind sliding barn doors and a bench nestled between the closets, providing an ideal spot to hang wet towels and store flip flops after a day of boating. The reclaimed barn board was also incorporated into built-in shelving alongside the fireplace and an accent wall in the updated kitchenette. Lastly the children in this home are fans of the Harry Potter book series, so naturally, there was a Harry Potter themed cupboard under the stairs created. This cozy reading nook features Hogwartz banners and wizarding wands that would amaze any fan of the book series.

Expansive modern walk-out basement in Boston.

Inspiration for a small contemporary walk-out basement in DC Metro with white walls, light hardwood floors, a ribbon fireplace and a tile fireplace surround.

A basement wet bar featuring stained cabinets, modern tile and beautiful granite counter tops.
Design ideas for a mid-sized traditional walk-out basement in Salt Lake City with beige walls, carpet, a standard fireplace and beige floor.

Otto Ruano
Mid-sized industrial walk-out basement in New York with white walls, concrete floors and no fireplace.

Brad DeMotte
Design ideas for a small traditional walk-out basement in Other.

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.

This walkout basement features sliding glass doors and bright windows that light up the space. ©Finished Basement Company
Large transitional walk-out basement in Minneapolis with grey walls, dark hardwood floors, a corner fireplace, a tile fireplace surround and brown floor.

Spacious finished Basement with all the exquisite amenities for our discerning client including Cedar Closet, Peloton Room, Full Fixture Bathroom, Maids Room, Separate Entrance, Large finished Egress Window Silos, Entertainment area, State of the Art Utility Room, Porcelanosa Floor Tiles.

This is an example of a large mediterranean walk-out basement in San Francisco with white walls, concrete floors and grey floor.

Inspiration for a large transitional walk-out basement in Other with a game room, white walls, ceramic floors, no fireplace and brown floor.

Large contemporary walk-out basement in Omaha with white walls, light hardwood floors, no fireplace and beige floor.

Mid-sized eclectic walk-out basement in Other with grey walls, laminate floors, no fireplace and grey floor.

Tim Souza
Inspiration for a small beach style walk-out basement in Philadelphia with beige walls, vinyl floors and brown floor.

Large transitional walk-out basement in DC Metro with grey walls and vinyl floors.

Built-in Ikea-hacked shelving.
Design ideas for an arts and crafts walk-out basement in Seattle with green walls and beige floor.

Rustic and traditional style combined to create a wine cellar worth entertaining in! Neutral colors allow for the space to feel calm and beautiful. Custom design elements make up the stacked stone bar.