Modern basement in New York.

Photo of a traditional basement in Boston.

glass french doors open to basement gym
Photo of a transitional basement in Chicago with white walls and vinyl floors.

Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary fully buried basement in Columbus with white walls, vinyl floors, brown floor and wood walls.

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.

We went for a speakeasy feel in this basement rec room space. Oversized sectional, industrial pool and shuffleboard tables, bar area with exposed brick and a built-in leather banquette for seating.

Design ideas for a country basement in St Louis.

wet bar
Photo of a modern basement in Baltimore.

In this project, Rochman Design Build converted an unfinished basement of a new Ann Arbor home into a stunning home pub and entertaining area, with commercial grade space for the owners' craft brewing passion. The feel is that of a speakeasy as a dark and hidden gem found in prohibition time. The materials include charcoal stained concrete floor, an arched wall veneered with red brick, and an exposed ceiling structure painted black. Bright copper is used as the sparkling gem with a pressed-tin-type ceiling over the bar area, which seats 10, copper bar top and concrete counters. Old style light fixtures with bare Edison bulbs, well placed LED accent lights under the bar top, thick shelves, steel supports and copper rivet connections accent the feel of the 6 active taps old-style pub. Meanwhile, the brewing room is splendidly modern with large scale brewing equipment, commercial ventilation hood, wash down facilities and specialty equipment. A large window allows a full view into the brewing room from the pub sitting area. In addition, the space is large enough to feel cozy enough for 4 around a high-top table or entertain a large gathering of 50. The basement remodel also includes a wine cellar, a guest bathroom and a room that can be used either as guest room or game room, and a storage area.

Inspiration for a transitional basement in Philadelphia.

Beautiful basement renovation. Central area includes side table with stools, TV, and large, comfortable light beige sectional sofa. Transitional design with a neutral beige and grey palette, and gold accessories.

New lower level wet bar complete with glass backsplash, floating shelving with built-in backlighting, built-in microwave, beveral cooler, 18" dishwasher, wine storage, tile flooring, carpet, lighting, etc.

This is an example of a large transitional look-out basement in Chicago with grey walls, carpet, a stone fireplace surround and brown floor.

Basement media room with in wall and in ceiling speakers. The TV is mounted above an electric fireplace. Window coverings are roller shades from Hunter Douglas. All wiring is home run to an equipment rack to avoid any wires or components laying around.

Canty Brothers Construction Basement Remodel & Custom Cabinetry
Photo of a country basement in Boston.

Photo of a small country look-out basement in Atlanta with white walls, dark hardwood floors and brown floor.

Cynthia Lynn
Photo of a large transitional look-out basement in Chicago with grey walls, dark hardwood floors and brown floor.

Maggie Hall Photography
Design ideas for a modern basement in Providence.

Photo of a contemporary basement.