Does it feel like your home is bursting at the seams? If your family needs more living space, or if you’ve always wanted to make better use of an often-neglected area, why not tap into the potential of your home’s basement? Remodeling the basement in your Greater St. Louis area home to include a bedroom, workout area, home theater, and/or kitchen is the perfect solution to finding more space without building an addition.
Basements don’t have to be drab and dreary and remodeling yours can bring years of enjoyment and add value to your home. Using the existing space right beneath your feet is extremely cost-effective, too, since the primary structure, walls, and floor are already in place.
Like any home remodeling project, the more planning you do upfront, the easier the process. Ready to get started? Take some inspiration from these inventive basement remodeling ideas.
Form and Function: Basement Remodeling Ideas
Every family has its own unique lifestyle. Start the process by making a list of how your family most often spends its time and plan your design accordingly. If you love entertaining, think about a home bar; if you spend lots of time watching sports or movies, a home theater might be best. The great thing about basements is that they’re often the same square footage as the floor above. That means you can probably partition yours off into two or more areas, say a home theater, workout room, and bath with shower.
Here are some of the most popular ways homeowners use the extra space:
- Game Room. The basement is a gold mine when it comes to finding space in your home for a game room. An unfinished, or partially finished, dry basement is perfect for pool tables and gaming centers.
- Additional Bedroom. The basement can be a great place to add another bedroom and bathroom for older children or for visiting in-laws. Egress is a must and even if the space doesn’t already have it in the form of a window or walk out, our team can add it for you!
- Home Theater. Our home theater designs take family entertainment to a whole new level. From basic surround sound to state-of-the-art equipment and soundproofing, we’ll help you transform your basement into a cinephile’s delight.
- Home Gym. What’s more convenient – and motivating – than having a home workout space? We’ll design an exercise area that will help you achieve your fitness goals in the comfort of your own home.
- Second Kitchen/Bar. Renovating the basement to include a kitchen and bar lets you move entertaining downstairs, making it perfect for hosting parties. Think about function when designing a basement kitchen. Will you be serving big meals or finger foods and snacks? Would a wine fridge and small refrigerator for beer and sodas work better than a full-size model?
The Extras
One of the biggest challenges in a basement remodel is the lighting. While some homes are designed with walk-out basements, most aren’t, so there’s a serious shortage of natural light. For general lighting, if your basement has a finished or suspended ceiling, recessed lighting is a great option.
Task areas can be illuminated with pendant lighting or undercabinet fixtures. LED lights are also popular and come in a wide variety of colors. Finally, put as many lights as you can on dimmers so you can change the amount of light to suit the mood.
At J.T. McDermott, we have two of the most talented designers in the Greater St. Louis area. They’ll assist you in choosing the right materials for your basement model, create the ideal floorplan, and help determine the best layout for any new electrical and plumbing requirements. From initial consultation to construction completion, they bring a focused expertise to the living space, traffic patterns, and all the other details involved in a successful basement renovation.
Learn More
The basement area of your Greater St. Louis home has limitless potential, and we love designing spaces that improve your family’s quality of life. If you can imagine it, we can design and build it!
To learn more basement remodeling ideas, or to talk about a bathroom or kitchen remodeling project you have in mind, schedule a conversation with us today. We look forward to meeting you!
