Inspiration for a transitional basement in Chicago.

Cynthia Lynn
Photo of a large transitional look-out basement in Chicago with grey walls, dark hardwood floors, no fireplace and brown floor.

Design ideas for a mid-sized transitional fully buried basement in Minneapolis with beige walls, carpet, no fireplace and beige floor.

A custom built room for LEGO storage also provides a backdrop for a Media Room and a nearby bar. John Wilbanks Photography
This is an example of a transitional fully buried basement in Seattle with grey walls, no fireplace and a home bar.

Whether you're playing a round of golf, watching a movie, or cozying up by the fire, there's a space for everyone to be entertained in this basement remodel.

Photo of a transitional basement in Detroit.

The primary goal of this basement project was to give these homeowners more space: both for their own everyday use and for guests. By excavating an unusable crawl space, we were able to build out a full basement with 9’ high ceilings, a guest bedroom, a full bathroom, a gym, a large storage room, and a spacious entertainment room that includes a kitchenette. In all, the homeowners gained over 1,100 of finished space.

HIVEX Basement Finishing Co., Fredericksburg, Virginia, 2022 Regional CotY Award Winner, Basement Under $100,000
This is an example of a small transitional fully buried basement in DC Metro with grey walls and planked wall panelling.

A separate beverage station/bar with charcoal gray cabinets and white and gray quartz countertops offers a harmonious continuation of the kitchen design and provides additional space for prep and storage.

This is an example of a large transitional walk-out basement in Cincinnati with a home bar, beige walls, laminate floors, brown floor and planked wall panelling.

Barnwood Beam Columns: Milled and reassembled in our in-house cabinet shop. Barnwood beams conceal existing steel Lally columns. Each column consists of 4 planks 8ft x 2” x 8” of reclaimed oak. Our client wanted to finish the basement of his home where he and his wife could enjoy the company of friends and family and spend time at a beautiful fully stocked bar and wine cellar, play billiards or card games, or watch a movie in the home theater. The cabinets, wine cellar racks, banquette, barnwood reclaimed columns, and home theater cabinetry were designed and built in our in-house custom cabinet shop. Our company also supplied and installed the home theater equipment.

Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional basement in Other with white walls and vinyl floors.

This 1933 Wauwatosa basement was dark, dingy and lacked functionality. The basement was unfinished with concrete walls and floors. A small office was enclosed but the rest of the space was open and cluttered. The homeowners wanted a warm, organized space for their family. A recent job change meant they needed a dedicated home office. They also wanted a place where their kids could hang out with friends. Their wish list for this basement remodel included: a home office where the couple could both work, a full bathroom, a cozy living room and a dedicated storage room. This basement renovation resulted in a warm and bright space that is used by the whole family. Highlights of this basement: - Home Office: A new office gives the couple a dedicated space for work. There’s plenty of desk space, storage cabinets, under-shelf lighting and storage for their home library. - Living Room: An old office area was expanded into a cozy living room. It’s the perfect place for their kids to hang out when they host friends and family. - Laundry Room: The new laundry room is a total upgrade. It now includes fun laminate flooring, storage cabinets and counter space for folding laundry. - Full Bathroom: A new bathroom gives the family an additional shower in the home. Highlights of the bathroom include a navy vanity, quartz counters, brass finishes, a Dreamline shower door and Kohler Choreograph wall panels. - Staircase: We spruced up the staircase leading down to the lower level with patterned vinyl flooring and a matching trim color. - Storage: We gave them a separate storage space, with custom shelving for organizing their camping gear, sports equipment and holiday decorations. CUSTOMER REVIEW “We had been talking about remodeling our basement for a long time, but decided to make it happen when my husband was offered a job working remotely. It felt like the right time for us to have a real home office where we could separate our work lives from our home lives. We wanted the area to feel open, light-filled, and modern – not an easy task for a previously dark and cold basement! One of our favorite parts was when our designer took us on a 3D computer design tour of our basement. I remember thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, this could be our basement!?!’ It was so fun to see how our designer was able to take our wish list and ideas from my Pinterest board, and turn it into a practical design. We were sold after seeing the design, and were pleasantly surprised to see that Kowalske was less costly than another estimate.” – Stephanie, homeowner

Inspiration for a large transitional look-out basement in Other with a game room, grey walls, laminate floors and no fireplace.

Beautiful transitional basement renovation with kitchenette is a study in neutrals. Grey cabinetry with gold hardware, wood floating shelves and white and gold accents. Herringbone patterned tile backsplash and marble countertop.

Transitional basement in Chicago.

Mid-sized transitional look-out basement in New York with grey walls, laminate floors, no fireplace and brown floor.

A cozy reading nook under the stairs.
Photo of a large transitional walk-out basement in Minneapolis with grey walls, vinyl floors and grey floor.

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