The modern basement is anything but a dark, dreary, difficult to decorate storage space. Today, basements are as beautiful as any other room in the home, functioning as family rooms, home theaters, office space, in-law suites, home gyms and more. One of our favorite areas to help clients reimagine and design is the basement.
If you’re ready to turn your underutilized basement into a contemporary living space, we’ve put together some ideas to inspire and motivate.
Interior Design for the Modern Basement
Spectacular party room or cozy retreat, the modern basement aims for a balance of functionality and aesthetics. Here’s are some of the latest trends and features to consider if you want a space that’s long on style and purpose.
Layout
Many people have a difficult time seeing the basement as anything but what it is – a large space filled with stuff you don’t want in the rest of the house. Depending on what you want to incorporate into the space, though, you have a lot of interesting layout options.
For example, playing with different levels can add a lot of visual interest. Designing a home theater/game room combination? Put the pool table and bar area on an elevated level and the screen and theater seating at the existing level if you have the ceiling height to achieve it. The goal is to create various “rooms” without putting up walls.
Different paint colors achieve the look, or you can use different types of flooring to make a distinction between two areas: carpet in the game room and tile or wood in the bar area is just one option. If you’re installing soffits, put them at different height to visually drop the ceiling up and down.
Home Theatre
Perfect for a basement with no windows, you can achieve a high-tech look by decking the space out with a huge flat screen, state-of-the-art sound system, dimmable lighting, comfy seating, and a popcorn machine. If you love hosting sports get-togethers, make sure there’s plenty of seating including recliners and couches. Consider a row of raised seating so everyone has a great view of the action.
Playroom
Families with small children appreciate having the noise downstairs, and kids love it because they have the full run of a level of living space. Let your imagination run wild: a playhouse, slide, racetrack, and/or a separate craft area will thrill any child. Lots of built-in storage will keep a space designed for kids tidy enough for other uses, too.
Pub or Bar
Whether you love the idea of a sports-themed British-style pub, a winery tasting room, or a sophisticated cocktail lounge, the basement is the ideal spot to run with a theme distinct from the rest of the house. Wet bars typically include common kitchen essentials like cabinetry, countertops, and fixtures. Other trends to consider include:
- Under counter appliances like microwaves and refrigeration units make sure you always have an adequate supply of hot food and chilled beverages.
- Wine storage can range from racking behind the bar to a separate wine cellar built below the staircase and hidden behind a glass or sliding barn door.
- Open shelving for glasses, liquor bottles, and jars of snacks adds a nice, authentic look. Glass shelving offers a great opportunity for interesting lighting effects: use small LED strips to light them from underneath, or use an overhead light fixture to create beautiful reflections off the glassware and the shelves themselves.
Home Gym
Want to keep the workout at home? Home gyms with accompanying shower or full bath are still one of the most requested basement remodeling projects. Must-have elements include plenty of storage for weights and other workout gear, ample lighting, mirrors, and a good sound system.
Other touches that say modern are finished concrete floors, an exposed ceiling, and one of our favorite design elements, “smart glass.” With the ability to immediately transform the glass surface from clear to opaque, it’s a creative and unconventional way to block off the workout room from the rest of the basement while still letting in natural light.
Learn More
Your home’s basement is the final frontier for increasing usable floor space and, unlike the main level, all bets are off down below! It’s a space open to interpretation and it can be a lot of fun bringing your vision to life. Let us show you how easy it can be to convert it into a space that you, your family, and friends can enjoy for years to come!
To learn more and get started on creating the perfect modern basement for your Greater St. Louis area home, get in touch with us today. We look forward to meeting with you!
