Basement Remodel Trends
There are two prevailing trends in basement space planning today. On one hand, almost the whole space can be designed as an open concept with distinct functional small spaces for family time, exercise, or any professional activity regardless of its nature.
On the other hand, many view the ideal basement design as a traditional division into primary and supplementary rooms. Beyond a bedroom and bathroom, many also include a living room and storage room. For many, the basement is the perfect place for a home theater, game room, or even a personal wine cellar.
BASEMENT RENOVATION USUALLY TAKES 2–3 WEEKS
The interior designers at Finished Basement will meticulously plan out the bedroom, bathroom, and other rooms. Our seasoned experts will bring those plans to life with top-notch workmanship. Thanks to our efficient approach, basement renovations typically take no more than 2–3 weeks.
Main Rooms for the Basement
When listing intriguing finished basement ideas during the planning phase of the remodel, it’s a must to include one or more bedrooms. They’ll come in handy when you need to accommodate friends and relatives who visit for several days. An extra bedroom will always be beneficial.
When planning basement design, a living space is essential where families and friends can gather for movie nights, sporting events, and more. Furthermore, it’s worth considering extra storage, for which a separate room is often allocated.
Basement Living Room
Creating a comfortable and functional basement living space is one of the most crucial elements when planning a remodel for the most underrated room in any private home. This space should definitely feature comfortable seating options for all guests, along with a home bar and other amenities.
In designing the basement living room, it’s important to recognize that gray walls without specific focal points can seem rather bland. Thus, it might be worth considering an accent wall made of faux stone or wall tiles with an integrated fireplace, coupled with home theater components like a large screen and quality sound.
Basement Living Room Insights
Basement Feature Wall with Fireplace
An essential focal point when crafting a basement design can be a feature wall, adorned in various styles with additional wall and ambient lighting, an integrated fireplace that not only makes the space cozier but also brings warmth, along with a plethora of other interesting, beneficial, and functional elements.
Often, the feature wall serves as the foundation for a home theater, which will undoubtedly become the center of attention for all family members. Typically, it uses a large screen, which could be a modern TV or projector, an advanced audio system in the form of a soundbar or separate speakers with a subwoofer, as well as a streaming box and even a gaming console.
Basement Modular Bar or Kitchenette
A significant element of the living room is often a compact modular bar with a mini fridge for storing and preparing beverages and snacks. This can also function as a second kitchen for a private home or a kitchenette for separate rental apartments in the basement.
When designing a modern modular home bar, it's important to consider the layout for upper and bottom cabinets. Usually, such a kitchenette ranges in width from 4 ft to 8 ft and even more. However, within the living space, you can also fit a completely custom wet bar of any shape and size.
Big Table for Board Games
A great idea for a basement living room in a private home can also be a large table for a variety of board games, gathering all family members, relatives, and friends. Shelves filled with a myriad of colorful board games of all types can indeed become an interesting focal point for the entire room.
The selection today goes far beyond classic Monopoly or traditional Jenga. Stores offer a multitude of other contemporary board games that are considered incredibly popular, including Pictionary, Clue, Battleship, Codenames, Hungry, Apples to Apples, Scrabble, Chutes & Ladders, and, of course, Settlers of Catan.
Pool Table or Foosball Table
Another excellent idea for the living room is to position a pool table or foosball table in the center of the room. It will undoubtedly serve as a focal point and attract additional attention from all guests, providing a highly engaging pastime.
It's also essential to understand that a relatively dark basement may not be optimally utilized as an entertainment hub for family and guests. Given the lack of natural light in this space, it's crucial to plan for additional light sources. This is especially important over the pool table and in the foosball area.
A finished basement will save you 2 or even 3 days of your time. Just 45 minutes spent in the company's 3000 sq ft showroom will help determine all the details of the future basement renovation, including materials, type, and the appearance and functionality of the basement bedroom, bathroom, and other rooms.
Basement Bathroom
One of the most essential rooms in any basement is the bathroom, which is used in the majority of projects. A separate bathroom is included in the list of basement ideas as it is vital whether you’re considering creating just an entertainment space for family and guests or for apartments for rent.
The simplest option is a basement powder room with a toilet and sink, but you can also use a 3-piece bathroom that includes a shower. Regarding the color scheme for this room, white or gray wall tiles are most commonly used, along with a gray floor. Sometimes, various home spa options are built.
Basement Bedroom
A basement bedroom is another essential room, especially useful for unexpected overnight guests or family members who are visiting for a few days. Plus, an additional small, simple bedroom is also handy for regular personal use. It can be a peaceful place for daytime sleep for those who work at night.
Designing a basement bedroom is crucial if the intention is to convert the space into full-fledged apartments for short-term rental through AirBnb and other services, as well as long-term leasing, which in Canada has also become a popular way for homeowners to earn extra income.
Entrust your basement renovation to a team of professionals who value their reputation and consistently rank at the top of trusted ratings. They will help you with room layout and material selection, and offer optimal solutions for the basement bedroom, bathroom, and other rooms.
Completed Modern Finished Basement Projects
Basement Finishing Vaughan
Every basement renovation project undertaken by our company is highly individualized. This applies to Vaughan specifically, and also to the entire Greater Toronto Area and Ontario as a whole. Each project can encounter its unique unexpected issues, but for an experienced team of professionals, they won’t be an obstacle to a quality renovation in the most underrated space of one’s house.
Basement Finishing Brantford
The process of each basement renovation is entirely unique. Firstly, it’s related to the shape and size of the basement, which can vary significantly from one project to another. Secondly, homeowners can have a variety of needs and desires for their private homes.
Basement Finishing Kitchener
Finished Basement Company offers comprehensive solutions for basements renovations not only in the Kitchener Waterloo Area but also in the Greater Toronto Area and other regions of Ontario. Before initiating the basement renovation process, you can avail of a free consultation and a free quote to help make all the necessary decisions.
Basement Finishing Richmond Hill
Our company offers worry-free basement renovations to homeowners in various areas of the Greater Toronto Area, and beyond. Each of our projects is absolutely unique, and the absolutely new basement that the homeowners in Richmond Hill acquired is a vivid confirmation of this.
Basement Finishing Aurora
Our company specializes in basement renovations throughout the Greater Toronto Area and beyond, covering a significant part of Ontario. Our experts, with years of experience, have successfully completed numerous projects, including basement finishing in Aurora and many other cities and regions.
Basement Finishing Oakville
The Finished Basement Company offers comprehensive solutions for basement renovation. With our help, the unfinished basement in your own home in the Greater Toronto Area and beyond will transform into a truly comfortable and functional space, which can be used independently or rented out.
Basement Bedroom Insights
Natural Light
Most often, the basement bedroom is planned around the most suitable window in the room. This is crucial not only from the perspective of natural light but also because proper ventilation is vital for healthy sleep, which can be achieved in this manner.
To complement natural light, basement bedrooms also utilize ceiling lights, table lamps, and other additional light sources. The design of this room often incorporates gray or white walls, which help make the space appear more voluminous.
Open Closet
Basement bedrooms are often not very spacious, making open closets a popular choice for clothing storage. Investing in a full-fledged wardrobe or designing a separate walk-in closet can often be unjustifiable both from a financial standpoint and in terms of room size.
With proper space planning, which a professional designer can assist with, a basement bedroom can also accommodate a workstation, which might not fit in the main basement area. Furthermore, during the day, the bedroom can effectively serve as a small office for permanent residents renting the basement.
Basement Storage Room
When considering basement ideas, it’s essential to think about a small storage room for items not frequently used. If the basement is for personal use, this space can act as extra storage for things like suitcases used only for traveling, bicycles during winter, and more.
To maximize storage in this compact room, consider installing floor-to-ceiling shelving, storage baskets, wall mounts for bicycles, and other organizers to hold a variety of items. This can be extremely handy.
Finished Basement guarantees that all work done complies with the Ontario Building Code (OBC). This reflects the company’s commitment to quality and adherence to industry standards. We assure that the basement renovation will meet legislative and safety requirements.
If defects in the installation are discovered in the basement bedroom, bathroom, or other rooms within a 5-year warranty period, we commit to rectifying them. Any faulty work will be redone at no additional cost. This guarantee underscores our unwavering commitment to catering to our clients’ needs.
Other Rooms for Basement
Basement Laundry Room
Every so often, our clients' basement ideas include separate laundry rooms. Homeowners often move washing and drying machines to a dedicated basement space to free up room on the main and upper floors.
When creating a standalone laundry room, built-in storage for household chemicals, cabinets for linens, and other associated items are often planned. Moreover, in such a compact space, it's a good idea to have a dedicated area for hand-washing delicate items not suitable for machines.
Basement Home Office
One truly intriguing basement idea to consider before undertaking renovations in this underutilized space is to design a full-fledged office. This can be a great idea regardless of the homeowner's profession.
Basements often offer excellent sound insulation, ensuring minimal distractions during work hours. Moreover, if the basement has a separate entrance, it's even possible to receive clients there. Why not set up a dentist's office in the basement? It's a real-life scenario we've encountered.
Basement Gym
During the basement renovation planning phase, homeowners often contemplate the inclusion of a home gym. In some cases, it's integrated as a distinct section of an open concept basement layout. However, a dedicated room is frequently designated for this purpose, ensuring it's fitted with all the necessary exercise equipment for regular workouts.
In a compact home gym setup, there's typically an installation of versatile exercise machines of two main types. On one hand, there are the essential strength-training machines which can be categorized into cable and lever machines. On the other, cardiovascular equipment such as treadmills, elliptical trainers, and stationary bikes are indispensable.
Basement Entertainment Room
Another popular idea during the basement remodeling process is the creation of an entertainment room, tailored with a variety of recreational amenities. It's common to see the placement of a billiard table or ping-pong table here. Additionally, spaces can be optimized for table soccer or similar leisure activities.
For those who have a penchant for vintage aesthetics, retro arcade machines showcasing classic games like pinball can serve as the highlight of the entertainment room. This setup not only adds a touch of nostalgia but also provides a delightful retreat to simpler times.
Basement Home Theater or Game Room
Many of our clients express a desire to transform their basements into expansive home theaters, fully equipped for family or friends' movie nights. Alternatively, a separate room can be devised, ensuring adequate space for a large screen and high-quality sound system.
A dedicated space in the basement can also be set aside for a game room, furnished with cutting-edge gaming consoles and accessories. Notably, the primary distinction between a game room and a home theater usually pertains to the aesthetic design. However, both concepts require a sizable display, premium audio, and comfortable seating arrangements.
Basement Wine Cellar
Lastly, when brainstorming basement ideas during the renovation phase, a genuine wine cellar can emerge as a prominent consideration. For proper wine storage, the room should be equipped with custom racking systems, ensuring each bottle is horizontally positioned at a specific angle.
It's crucial to note that 2-3 days before consumption, wine bottles should be adjusted to a vertical position, allowing the sediment to settle at the bottom. Separate shelves should be planned for this transition. Furthermore, envisioning a stone-finished bar counter accompanied by industrial style bar stools can augment the basement's allure.