A busy and growing Tosa family needed additional space for their family and hoped to find it in their cold and awkward basement. They desired another bedroom, a bathroom, exercise room, space for the kids, and a sauna if the plan permitted. We aimed to design a layout for their basement remodel that followed a natural logic and that was comfortable and efficient.

The new laundry is steps from the existing laundry chute at the base of the stairs. Featuring blue cork flooring and a vibrant blue engineered stone stop makes the laundry as fun as it is functional. The small but comfortable sauna has easy access from the workout room and is a few steps from the brand-new bathroom. Nearby is the additional bedroom, with a new egress window and closets created by removing the foundation walls of the old cistern.

The owner’s tastes lean toward contemporary, so the design called for clean lines and an uncomplicated aesthetic. Cool paint colors, ample natural light, and the light color of the stranded bamboo floors maintain the open contemporary feel of the space.

It was decided to save money by simply refreshing the stairs instead of replacing them. The single piece original maple treads were carefully removed, sanded, and replaced. Upon finding that the old chimney was constructed with cream city brick, we decided to tuck point it, patch old venting holes, clean it, and feature it. the original metal cleanup was left as a link to the original craftsmanship of the home.