Beachy Chic Walk-Out Basement Opens to the View
In Toronto, a drab basement and a former garage become a bright poolside rec room, workout area, bath and laundry room
Scope of work. Designers Renée Gammon and Wheelband swapped the rec room with the workout room — seen here in the background — and added doors and windows to the backyard and pool for better access and to bring in more light and views. They took down the wall between the two rooms and added a bar to the workout room for entertaining.
Elsewhere in the basement they moved and rightsized the laundry room and bathroom (to which they added a steam shower) and consolidated storage. They also added new structural beams and leveled the floors to get rid of an awkward step between the garage and basement spaces.
Ceiling. A bright spot in the existing space was the roofline of the former garage, which allowed for a beautiful vaulted ceiling, a rare element in a lower-level space. They painted the existing planked cathedral ceiling white and boxed the collar ties with wood. A chandelier with an oversize white-painted metal mesh shade stands up to the scale of the ceiling and provides overhead ambience.
Workout room and bar. Custom pocket doors with textured glass between the rec room and the workout room and bar let natural light stream between the two spaces even when the doors are closed. The mirror on the right mimics a window and helps bounce the light around.
Elsewhere in the basement they moved and rightsized the laundry room and bathroom (to which they added a steam shower) and consolidated storage. They also added new structural beams and leveled the floors to get rid of an awkward step between the garage and basement spaces.
Ceiling. A bright spot in the existing space was the roofline of the former garage, which allowed for a beautiful vaulted ceiling, a rare element in a lower-level space. They painted the existing planked cathedral ceiling white and boxed the collar ties with wood. A chandelier with an oversize white-painted metal mesh shade stands up to the scale of the ceiling and provides overhead ambience.
Workout room and bar. Custom pocket doors with textured glass between the rec room and the workout room and bar let natural light stream between the two spaces even when the doors are closed. The mirror on the right mimics a window and helps bounce the light around.
Style. The basement’s beachy chic look works well for the home’s relaxed coastal neighborhood and complements the pool. “With the home being located in the Beaches area of Toronto, and to work with the indoor-outdoor feel of the space, we opted to use lots of white,” Wheelband says. “Practically everything fixed to the floors, walls and ceiling is a shade of white.”
Furnishings. Gray-blue and ivory stripes on the flat-weave rug and classic ticking stripes on the sectional add to the coastal feel, while small accents of darker wood bring in contrast. The sofa is slipcovered so it’s easy to keep clean. In fact, one of the homeowner’s sons spilled coffee on it right before the photo shoot and it came right out in the wash.
Lighting. Because the basement is a walk-out space, it benefits from more natural light than the average basement. In addition to the chandelier, sconces flank the fireplace wall and can alter the mood at night.
Rug and furnishings sourced by Marina Farrow of F.A.D.; trim and ceiling paint throughout: White Wash P2089-00, Para Paints; walls: Cloud Cover OC-25, Benjamin Moore; woven wood blinds in white: Protech Window Coverings
Furnishings. Gray-blue and ivory stripes on the flat-weave rug and classic ticking stripes on the sectional add to the coastal feel, while small accents of darker wood bring in contrast. The sofa is slipcovered so it’s easy to keep clean. In fact, one of the homeowner’s sons spilled coffee on it right before the photo shoot and it came right out in the wash.
Lighting. Because the basement is a walk-out space, it benefits from more natural light than the average basement. In addition to the chandelier, sconces flank the fireplace wall and can alter the mood at night.
Rug and furnishings sourced by Marina Farrow of F.A.D.; trim and ceiling paint throughout: White Wash P2089-00, Para Paints; walls: Cloud Cover OC-25, Benjamin Moore; woven wood blinds in white: Protech Window Coverings
Fireplace. The new fireplace wall includes a quartz fireplace surround and built-ins with bookshelves and cabinets to house the media equipment. It’s the ultimate cozy spot for movie night or for catching some shade after a pool day in the sun.
Fireplace surround: Berwyn (quartz), Cambria; built-ins: custom in White Shaker, Highcraft Custom Cabinetry; fireplace: H series direct vent Gas fireplace, H34, Montigo
Fireplace surround: Berwyn (quartz), Cambria; built-ins: custom in White Shaker, Highcraft Custom Cabinetry; fireplace: H series direct vent Gas fireplace, H34, Montigo
Floors. The floors are engineered whitewashed fir. Engineered floors are composed of layers of real wood veneer. For the poolside location in a region with large swings in temperature between winter and summer, this durable material was the right choice for basement space. “Engineered floors are preferable for wide planks as well, as regular hardwoods are more likely to warp in this climate,” she says. These planks are 7 inches wide.
This opening connects the new rec room with the workout room and bar. Note the pocket door enclosure on the left.
Flooring: Mount Baker handmade Douglas engineered prefinished fir, 7-inch planks, Antique Impressions; check out more engineered flooring
This opening connects the new rec room with the workout room and bar. Note the pocket door enclosure on the left.
Flooring: Mount Baker handmade Douglas engineered prefinished fir, 7-inch planks, Antique Impressions; check out more engineered flooring
Bar. Two beverage refrigerators provide plenty of room for workout, pool time and rec room beverages. The cabinets hold the cups and glasses and the lower cabinet is a trash and recycling bin pull-out.
Cabinets: custom in white Shaker, Highcraft Custom Cabinetry; backsplash tile: Penny Round, Metro Nouvo in Dove Grey, Deco-Tile; countertop: Organic White 4600, Caesarstone
Cabinets: custom in white Shaker, Highcraft Custom Cabinetry; backsplash tile: Penny Round, Metro Nouvo in Dove Grey, Deco-Tile; countertop: Organic White 4600, Caesarstone
Bathroom. The Douglas fir floors in the rec room and gym influenced the other spaces. The porcelain tiles on the walls of the bathroom have a beachy, driftwood look. Crisp white continues on the vanity, countertop and fixtures.
Wall paint: Intense White OC-51, Benjamin Moore; vanity: Hutton single vanity, Restoration Hardware; countertop: Organic White 4600, Caesarstone; floor tile: Officine 12-by-24-inch Acid Natural porcelain tile, The Tile Store; pendant lights: Living Lighting; wall tile: Kyoto white, 6 by 36 inches, Ciot; Browse more wood-look porcelain tile
Wall paint: Intense White OC-51, Benjamin Moore; vanity: Hutton single vanity, Restoration Hardware; countertop: Organic White 4600, Caesarstone; floor tile: Officine 12-by-24-inch Acid Natural porcelain tile, The Tile Store; pendant lights: Living Lighting; wall tile: Kyoto white, 6 by 36 inches, Ciot; Browse more wood-look porcelain tile
The most important must-have for the homeowner was the steam shower. The designers flanked the stall with benches so more than one person can enjoy the sauna-like experience at once. The shower has a pebble tile floor.
Shower floor tile: pebble mosaic in White Linen, The Tile Store; browse more pebble tile
Shower floor tile: pebble mosaic in White Linen, The Tile Store; browse more pebble tile
Laundry room. “She already had the blue washer and dryer, so we got to have a lot of fun with this floor,” Wheelband says. The wood look continues in an artsy way, with blues and grays washing through the porcelain tile planks. With the white Caesarstone countertop over the machines and the cabinets, there is now room to hand-wash, sort, fold, hang and iron, as well as store supplies.
Wall paint: White Diamond 2121-6, Benjamin Moore; floor tile: Tasmin Kauri, 8 by 48 inch with Natural (matte) finish, The Tile Store; backsplash tile: white glass subway tile, 2 by 6 inches, The Tile Store; countertop: Organic White 4600, Caesarstone
Wall paint: White Diamond 2121-6, Benjamin Moore; floor tile: Tasmin Kauri, 8 by 48 inch with Natural (matte) finish, The Tile Store; backsplash tile: white glass subway tile, 2 by 6 inches, The Tile Store; countertop: Organic White 4600, Caesarstone
Floor plan (after). The designers opened up the basement and former garage, removing walls between the two spaces and adding new doors and windows to the backyard. The workout room is in the middle bottom room labeled as the existing rec room, and the bar is between that room and the new rec room. The laundry room, bathroom and storage areas have been moved and reconfigured.
Takeaways:
- If your home has walk-out potential on the lower level, max out the windows and doors on that wall. Glass doors between rooms will enable you to close off rooms while sharing the natural light.
- Engineered wood floors are a good option for basement spaces.
- Repeat elements for a cohesive look. Repetition here came with the wood look, the beach inspiration and the copious use of white.
- If you have a front-loading washer and dryer, add a countertop over them.
- Consider slipcovers in a space that will get a lot of wear and tear.
- Infrared remote control systems will allow you to hide all those pesky media components behind closed doors.
Basement at a Glance
Who uses it: A mother and her three sons — one who lives at home and two who are away at college
Location: Beaches area of Toronto
Size: 1,200 square feet (111.5 square meters)
Designers: Renée Gammon and Andi Wheelband of Two Birds Design (space planning, built-ins and finishes); Marina Farrow of F.A.D. (furnishings)
It’s hard to believe that this rec room in Toronto once was a semi-finished garage-turned-workout room. The garage was connected to the home’s walk-out basement, and though both spaces opened to the backyard and pool, their design and layout did not make the most of the indoor-outdoor opportunity.
The Toronto homeowner, who lives in Toronto’s Beaches neighborhood, hired Two Birds Design to re-envision and renovate the combined space. “The homeowner really wanted the space opened up to bring in more light and access and visibility to the backyard,” says interior designer Andi Wheelband. The result is a beautiful and functional living space where she and her sons — one residing with her at home and two who are at college — love to spend time.