Photo of a large transitional look-out basement in Omaha with white walls, carpet, no fireplace and green floor.

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.

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.

Transitional basement in San Diego.

Design ideas for a transitional look-out basement in Boston with grey walls, carpet and beige floor.

This is an example of a transitional look-out basement in Other with beige walls.

Brian McCord
Transitional walk-out basement in Nashville with white walls and porcelain floors.

Hightail Photography
Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional look-out basement in Minneapolis with beige walls, carpet, a standard fireplace, a tile fireplace surround and beige floor.

Builder: John Kraemer & Sons | Architecture: Sharratt Design | Interior Design: Engler Studio | Photography: Landmark Photography
This is an example of a transitional basement in Minneapolis with grey walls, carpet, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround and grey floor.

Photo of an expansive transitional walk-out basement in Chicago with beige walls, porcelain floors, no fireplace and grey floor.

Our clients wanted to finish the walkout basement in their 10-year old home. They were looking for a family room, craft area, bathroom and a space to transform into a “guest room” for the occasional visitor. They wanted a space that could handle a crowd of young children, provide lots of storage and was bright and colorful. The result is a beautiful space featuring custom cabinets, a kitchenette, a craft room, and a large open area for play and entertainment. Cleanup is a snap with durable surfaces and movable storage, and the furniture is easy for children to rearrange. Photo by John Reed Foresman.

Photo of a transitional basement in Kansas City with blue walls, dark hardwood floors, no fireplace and brown floor.

Brad McCallum
Inspiration for a transitional fully buried basement in Calgary with purple walls, carpet and purple floor.

Small transitional fully buried basement in Philadelphia with a home bar, white walls, vinyl floors and green floor.

Golf club organizer placed in the golf simulator.
This is an example of a large transitional look-out basement in Chicago with grey walls, laminate floors, no fireplace and brown floor.

THEME Inspired by the Magic Tree House series of children’s books, this indoor tree house provides entertainment, fun and a place for children to read about or imagine adventures through time. A blue sky, green meadows, and distant matching beech trees recreate the magic of Jack and Annie’s Frog Creek, and help bring the characters from the series to life. FOCUS A floor armoire, ceiling swing and climbing rope give the structure a true tree house look and feel. A drop-down drawing and writing table, wheeled work table and recessed ceiling lights ensure the room can be used for more than play. The tree house has electric interior lighting, a window to the outdoors and a playful sliding shutter over a window to the room. The armoire forms a raised, nine-foot-wide play area, while a TV within one of the wall’s floor-to-ceiling cabinets — with a delightful sliding ladder — transforms the room into a family theater perfect for watching movies and holding Wii competitions. STORAGE The bottom of the drawing table is a magnetic chalk board that doubles as a display for children’s art works. The tree’s small niches are for parents’ shoes; the larger compartment stores children’s shoes and school bags. Books, games, toys, DVDs, Wii and other computer accessories are stored in the wall cabinets. The armoire contains two spacious drawers and four nifty hinged storage bins. A rack of handy “vegetable buckets” above the armoire stores crayons, scissors and other useful items. GROWTH The room easily adapts from playroom, to party room, to study room and even to bedroom, as the tree house easily accommodates a twin-size mattress. SAFETY The rungs and rails of the ladder, as well as the grab bars beside the tree house door are wrapped with easy-grip rope for safe climbing. The drawing table has spring-loaded hinges to help prevent it from dropping dangerously from the wall, and the table door has double sets of locks up top to ensure safety. The interior of each storage compartment is carpeted like the tree house floor to provide extra padding.

Expansive transitional walk-out basement in Chicago with beige walls, porcelain floors, no fireplace and grey floor.

Updated Spec Home: Basement Living Area I promised you there would be a Season 2 of our series Updated Spec Home and here it is – Basement Family Room. My mom and sister found themselves spending more and more time in this room because it was a great open space to watch television and hang out with my sister’s two border collies. Color Scheme We pulled our color scheme from a floral fabric that they saw on a chair at my store, and we used it to reupholster their existing wood accent chairs. We used pops of turquoise and green throughout the space including the long back wall which was perfect to make a feature with this vibrant wallpaper in a geometric design. Defining the Space The room was so large that we needed to define different areas. The large rug in the oversized pattern was perfect for the seating area. Lighting Since there is only one small window bringing natural light into the space, we painted the remaining walls a light warm gray (Sherwin Williams’ City Loft SW7631) and added several table lamps and a floor lamp for task lighting. Reusing Existing Furniture Fortunately the space was large enough so my sister could keep her fabulous worn leather chair and ottoman and my mom could have an upholstered chair and ottoman in a subtle blue and green tweed. The large hallway leading to the storage area was the perfect place for these small bookcases which house family photos in various silver frames. The bookcases have a special place in our hearts – they belonged to my grandparents. We accessorized with a long painted box which was the perfect scale for the bookcases and a grouping of vibrant botanical prints. In lieu of a conventional media cabinet, my mom and sister found this one with a built-in fireplace. It brings a lot of warmth into the space – literally! Painted Furniture We had Kelly Sisler of Kelly Faux Creations paint their existing glass front cabinet this awesome apple green. Accessories include turquoise floral vases, a metallic circular vase, and a beautiful floral print. Reading Nook We positioned this original oil painting in the landing so it would be visible from the seating area. The landing was the perfect spot to display my sister’s collection of art glass. I love the small reading nook created with this rattan wooden accent chair and lantern floor lamp. We were able to make good use of the ledge in the stairwell by leaning these vibrant watercolors. The dogs even have their own space. Meet my two “nephews” – Dill and Atticus (the one with his back to us pouting). We used this colorful oversized canvas to define their space and break up the long wall. As you know, one good thing leads to another. Be sure to tune in next week for a surprise addition to this Updated Spec Home. In the meantime, check out this Basement Family Room designed by Robin’s Nest Interiors. Enjoy!

This is our cozy finished basement In Ottawa, Ontario. The finished basement features cultured stone, Benjamin Revere Pewter and Benjamin Moore Palladium Blue. Flooring is laminate.