From where will you get the money to refurbish?

How much will you have?

In addition to JudyG's very practical questions, what are you trying to "present"?

Long curtains(maybe white), on the windows. Slipcovers on the chairs. Create a podium area. Artwork on the walls.

I agree with curtains. A neutral color will give you a blank canvas for various events. Then you can add color with tablecloths and decor. Since you have so many windows, I would get the cheapest curtains. These are $14.99/pair from IKEA:

I'll co-sign everything Maplestone suggested. I'd start with all new lighting, that'll make a WORLD of difference in terms of getting rid of the institutional look.

In a basement those long curtains wouldn't work, imo. I'd choose accent paint carefully instead. What are the beams of - steel - and do they look at all good with other colors there? Try them same as floor tile or wall paint. Same with the functional pipes - to disappear.

I picture adding a parallel wood trim a short distance above the current one [maybe 1.5 feet]. Maybe a soft complementing color stripe between those 2.... photoshop!!!

New Construction - Bethany Beach, Del. · More Info

Do you cover the tables with plastic - make it a pretty green. Bring in cheap potted plants and include curtain color, along with 1 or 2 other colors.

So much wall space - is it ever covered with art or banners or edu. material? - especially if not, add identical wood trim [and paint it] and between the 2, wallpaper with texture, and very sturdy for inevitable scratch and peeling that happens.

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Idk about dots or triangles, but doesn't have to be hor. stripes - just another. Thought of decals, but they'd be removed seems.

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Piano, or whatever, is brown. Say the second wood trim painted current wall color. In between place 3 stripes of: "piano brown" and "curtain color" a bit like this. Not nearly as hard as this would be!!! and softer/ whitened paint....

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With so many black chairs, etc.. maybe soft grey and ivory. Barn wood someone found maybe for added [sanded] interest.

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Recently saw pizza box as stencil. You could have stencil time - end upon end of traced circles. Again: curtain color and maybe a pretty metallic of hue like what's there already [toasty type taupe... idk]. I mean traced within the 2 trims. You could have the round traces above current trim I suppose [but adding a parallel one, though work, would seem more 'finished'..?]

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Make a random peace sign within some of them. Not in neon, no but to suit an informal, café feel, getting together... unless I misunderstand and there are weddings and such there.

Idea to add round paper lanterns, again not in too-bright colors. Decals like these? and install clear plastic over them.... anything to keep them there. Our hardware store sells plexiglass.

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I enjoy doing this, and for a church event especially. No one likes dull, no matter how good the purpose!! So what about chalkboard paint between the 2 trims? Place chalk for writers....

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This is a basement with exposed pipes. It's never going to be a silk purse. Minimize the eyesores by diminishing attention to them. The red curtains, while cheery, draw the eye towards the windows and the pipe hanging in front of them. While cafe curtains could be the least expensive, an alternative is roller shades which would give more privacy. I would paint the chair rail and below muted, soothing colors to keep the focus on the bottom half of the room. Everything above the chair rail would be the same color.

If the basement is to hold a special event that is when you would drape fabric to cover the pipes. That is when you would bring in plants and tablecloths. My picture below didn't come out that well, but you can see what I mean about focusing on the positive and minimizing the rest.

How's it going?? :)