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

Juliet Murphy Photography
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary fully buried basement in London with white walls, light hardwood floors and beige floor.

Sam Martin - Four Walls Media
Inspiration for an expansive traditional fully buried basement in Melbourne with white walls and dark hardwood floors.

The clients for this basement polishing project were looking for a multipurpose space for their whole family to use – and polished concrete floors just happened to fit each purpose they were looking to fulfill. When you walk down the stairs to the basement, the space has a unique vibe to it; the room is completely open concept, yet there are creatively defined areas for each use. The children will enjoy this newly renovated space for arts & crafts, playing house in their built-in room under the stairs, or even rollerblading year-round. The adults can relax in their cozy and inviting living area, or workout in the modern gym section of the basement. We were impressed by the diverse uses for this finished space. Our initial conversation with the clients about the design of their basement included finding out the ways in which they would be using the space. A matte, 200-grit finish was the polishing level that was decided upon, and the clients opted to keep the concrete its natural color. Aggregate exposure was chosen to be cream exposure. These finish details would prove to be a subtle and neutral backdrop to the rest of the modern/industrial design elements of the space while performing as an extremely durable and low-maintenance flooring solution that the whole family will enjoy for years to come.

Basement bar and pool area
Photo of an expansive country fully buried basement in New York with beige walls, brown floor, medium hardwood floors, no fireplace and a home bar.

Bill Worley
Photo of a mid-sized transitional fully buried basement in Louisville with white walls, dark hardwood floors, no fireplace and brown floor.

Huge basement in this beautiful home that got a face lift with new home gym/sauna room, home office, sitting room, wine cellar, lego room, fireplace and theater!

Our clients had significant damage to their finished basement from a city sewer line break at the street. Once mitigation and sanitation were complete, we worked with our clients to maximized the space by relocating the powder room and wet bar cabinetry and opening up the main living area. The basement now functions as a much wished for exercise area and hang out lounge. The wood shelves, concrete floors and barn door give the basement a modern feel. We are proud to continue to give this client a great renovation experience.

Basement View
Photo of a large contemporary fully buried basement in New York with grey walls, medium hardwood floors and no fireplace.

Glen Arbor carpet in Rocky Shore STAINMASTER Pet Protect collection by Dixie Home
Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary fully buried basement in Detroit with brown walls, carpet and no fireplace.

The owners of this beautiful 1908 NE Portland home wanted to breathe new life into their unfinished basement and dysfunctional main-floor bathroom and mudroom. Our goal was to create comfortable and practical spaces, while staying true to the preferences of the homeowners and age of the home. The existing half bathroom and mudroom were situated in what was originally an enclosed back porch. The homeowners wanted to create a full bathroom on the main floor, along with a functional mudroom off the back entrance. Our team completely gutted the space, reframed the walls, leveled the flooring, and installed upgraded amenities, including a solid surface shower, custom cabinetry, blue tile and marmoleum flooring, and Marvin wood windows. In the basement, we created a laundry room, designated workshop and utility space, and a comfortable family area to shoot pool. The renovated spaces are now up-to-code with insulated and finished walls, heating & cooling, epoxy flooring, and refurbished windows. The newly remodeled spaces achieve the homeowner's desire for function, comfort, and to preserve the unique quality & character of their 1908 residence.

Photo of a mid-sized transitional fully buried basement in Chicago with a home bar, grey walls, vinyl floors, a standard fireplace and brown floor.

This is an example of a large transitional fully buried basement in Chicago with a game room, grey walls, vinyl floors, brown floor and exposed beam.

TEAM Architect: LDa Architecture & Interiors Interior Design: LDa Architecture & Interiors Photographer: Sean Litchfield Photography
Inspiration for a large transitional fully buried basement in Boston with white walls, light hardwood floors, no fireplace and grey floor.

Basement
Inspiration for a large transitional fully buried basement in New York with grey walls, dark hardwood floors and brown floor.

The basement in this home is designed to be the most family oriented of spaces,.Whether it's watching movies, playing video games, or just hanging out. two concrete lightwells add natural light - this isn't your average mid west basement!

Photo of a mid-sized contemporary fully buried basement in Toronto with white walls, carpet and recessed.

The ultimate music inspired hangout and lounge space.
Inspiration for a small midcentury fully buried basement in Denver with multi-coloured walls, carpet and beige floor.

Renovated full basement bathroom. Perfect for your guest staying in the room next door. Photos by Chris Veith.
This is an example of a small country fully buried basement in New York with purple walls, laminate floors and grey floor.