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How to Breathe New Life to Your Basement
- By Barbara Kirby
- Published 03/1/2009
- General
Barbara Kirby
Barbara Kirby is a Toronto real estate professional specializing in Etobicoke homes for sale. Keep up-to-date with market information in your area and feel free to visit the site to search for Etobicoke real estate and real estate related articles.
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For many home owners, the basement is a bit a no-man land where old televisions go to die or where extra furniture go to collect dust. Is this the really the best use of that basement space? Don’t you want to make the most of every available square foot in your home? Here are a few suggestions on how to breathe new life into you basement and make the most of the space you have.
Begin by creating a focal point to your room. By creating visual interest, you effectively anchor the space. If you have a generous floor plan, consider a built-out wall where you can fit your television and possibly a fireplace. This will immediately anchor your room and give you a focal point to build on.
Basements generally have very poor light. Try to be creative with your light source and don’t only rely on pot lights. One suggestion would be to fake windows by installing window frames lit from behind. Make sure you work with an electrician to avoid any issues.
A great way to create boundaries in a basement without putting up walls is to use glass doors on a track rail. This works particularly well if you have a L-shaped space. This can section off an office area from the lounging area without closing up the overall space.
Beware of using strong colors on your walls. The lack of natural light can drastically combined with dark wall can close in the space and make it feel like a bit of a cave. Use strong and bold colors only as an accent and keep the majority of the wall bright and neutral.
When it comes to flooring, basements can be a bit of a headache. Carpet can rot unless the sub floor is dry as a bone. Hardwood can buckle is there is the smallest amount of humidity. Unless you are absolutely sure that the under floor is completely dry and without moisture, you best option will be to use a laminate product. Laminate floors are impervious to moisture and are built to flex which is a great solution to cover up slight imperfections.
In terms of furniture, you might want to consider keeping your seating low. Low slung style of furniture will give the illusion that your basement height is the same as the upstairs rooms.
Play with accessories. Basements are usually less formal rooms so go ahead and experiment with colored accessories. The greatest advantage of playing with bolder colors with accessories as opposed to furniture or paint is that when you get tired of the color scheme, you can change with very little investment.
Remember that we are very fortunate in Canada to have basements under our homes. Most of the world doesn’t have this “luxury” which makes our homes on average 30% larger than in Europe. So make the most of the space and transform it from a gloomy storage room to a bright and airy space the whole family will enjoy.
Begin by creating a focal point to your room. By creating visual interest, you effectively anchor the space. If you have a generous floor plan, consider a built-out wall where you can fit your television and possibly a fireplace. This will immediately anchor your room and give you a focal point to build on.
Basements generally have very poor light. Try to be creative with your light source and don’t only rely on pot lights. One suggestion would be to fake windows by installing window frames lit from behind. Make sure you work with an electrician to avoid any issues.
A great way to create boundaries in a basement without putting up walls is to use glass doors on a track rail. This works particularly well if you have a L-shaped space. This can section off an office area from the lounging area without closing up the overall space.
Beware of using strong colors on your walls. The lack of natural light can drastically combined with dark wall can close in the space and make it feel like a bit of a cave. Use strong and bold colors only as an accent and keep the majority of the wall bright and neutral.
When it comes to flooring, basements can be a bit of a headache. Carpet can rot unless the sub floor is dry as a bone. Hardwood can buckle is there is the smallest amount of humidity. Unless you are absolutely sure that the under floor is completely dry and without moisture, you best option will be to use a laminate product. Laminate floors are impervious to moisture and are built to flex which is a great solution to cover up slight imperfections.
In terms of furniture, you might want to consider keeping your seating low. Low slung style of furniture will give the illusion that your basement height is the same as the upstairs rooms.
Play with accessories. Basements are usually less formal rooms so go ahead and experiment with colored accessories. The greatest advantage of playing with bolder colors with accessories as opposed to furniture or paint is that when you get tired of the color scheme, you can change with very little investment.
Remember that we are very fortunate in Canada to have basements under our homes. Most of the world doesn’t have this “luxury” which makes our homes on average 30% larger than in Europe. So make the most of the space and transform it from a gloomy storage room to a bright and airy space the whole family will enjoy.
