Basement Gains a Lounge, Wine Room and Bar for Entertaining
A thoughtful remodel balances 1890s architecture, midcentury furnishings and modern updates in a Portland, Oregon, home
This Portland, Oregon, couple wanted to transform the basement of their historic home into a special place for entertaining. As parents in a blended family with three kids, they envisioned an adult-oriented retreat with a lounge, a home office, storage for their large wine collection and a bar for serving it when hosting friends.
After beginning construction with a contractor, they realized they needed more professional design help than they had anticipated. They initially hired Workaday Architects for a consultation on layout ideas, but the meeting inspired them to bring the firm on to design the entire project. The scope expanded to include built-ins, new stairs, a wine room, a powder room, the bar, lighting and more. The finished design balances the historic architecture of the 1890s home with the couple’s favorite midcentury pieces, meaningful artwork and modern updates.
After beginning construction with a contractor, they realized they needed more professional design help than they had anticipated. They initially hired Workaday Architects for a consultation on layout ideas, but the meeting inspired them to bring the firm on to design the entire project. The scope expanded to include built-ins, new stairs, a wine room, a powder room, the bar, lighting and more. The finished design balances the historic architecture of the 1890s home with the couple’s favorite midcentury pieces, meaningful artwork and modern updates.
Limited light and low ceilings are common challenges in basements. Fortunately, this one had a few windows that were taller than typical basement windows, letting in natural light. White replaced them with operable versions to meet egress requirements.
The homeowners liked the idea of leaving the main floor’s original joists exposed. Doing so preserved an authentic architectural feature while maximizing the sense of height — the bays between the joists measure 9 feet. The designer clad the bays in plywood and had the entire ceiling structure spray-painted white. “We knew we had a dark floor and we didn’t want it to feel too cavernous down here,” she says. “The white paint also reflects the light coming in through the windows.”
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The homeowners liked the idea of leaving the main floor’s original joists exposed. Doing so preserved an authentic architectural feature while maximizing the sense of height — the bays between the joists measure 9 feet. The designer clad the bays in plywood and had the entire ceiling structure spray-painted white. “We knew we had a dark floor and we didn’t want it to feel too cavernous down here,” she says. “The white paint also reflects the light coming in through the windows.”
7 Ways to Make Your Living Room More Sociable
The homeowners have an extensive wine collection and wanted a dedicated place to store it. A rounded corner nook off the lounge offered the perfect location for a wine room and another opportunity to incorporate architectural details that echo the rest of the house.
“We had the transoms above the doors custom-made to match an existing transom over their front door,” White says. A local glass artisan replicated the original leaded glass pattern, complete with amber frames and opal eyelets.
The naturally cool basement helps maintain an ideal environment for wine storage. While the surrounding areas may be heated at certain times of the year, the doors help keep the wine room cooler. The homeowners selected a wine rack system they liked, and White designed the room around it.
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“We had the transoms above the doors custom-made to match an existing transom over their front door,” White says. A local glass artisan replicated the original leaded glass pattern, complete with amber frames and opal eyelets.
The naturally cool basement helps maintain an ideal environment for wine storage. While the surrounding areas may be heated at certain times of the year, the doors help keep the wine room cooler. The homeowners selected a wine rack system they liked, and White designed the room around it.
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Among the items the homeowners had in storage was this Eames lounge chair and ottoman. They also wanted places to display smaller objects passed down through their families or collected during travels.
White designed built-ins to showcase these items and referenced the home’s original millwork details so the new elements would feel authentic. The shelves flank the entrance to the new powder room.
White designed built-ins to showcase these items and referenced the home’s original millwork details so the new elements would feel authentic. The shelves flank the entrance to the new powder room.
The powder room blends classic elements with playful personality. “The wife fell in love with this wallpaper and she also had a collection of Big Eyes paintings. I thought this was the perfect spot to hang some of them,” White says. One appears in the mirror’s reflection, along with a vintage ceiling light the homeowners had stored for years and were happy to finally install.
The new marble-and-brass pedestal sink nods to the home’s 19th-century origins, complementing the vintage light fixture. A window also keeps the powder room feeling light and bright.
Big Eyes painting: Margaret Keane
The new marble-and-brass pedestal sink nods to the home’s 19th-century origins, complementing the vintage light fixture. A window also keeps the powder room feeling light and bright.
Big Eyes painting: Margaret Keane
The main hub for entertaining is the large bar anchored by a 12-foot-long island. The goal was to create a full-service bar with plenty of space for guests to gather. A curved linear chandelier emphasizes the island’s length.
The homeowners were eager to reuse original fir floorboards salvaged from their attic. Their initial idea was to install them horizontally on the walls, but White proposed a different approach. “We had them milled and cut into thinner boards,” she says. “Orienting them vertically helped bring the space up.” She also used the boards to wrap the bar.
Curved edges on the bar make it comfortable for guests to gather around three sides. The homeowners embraced the idea that the Carrara marble countertop will develop a natural patina over time, fitting for a historic home.
The homeowners were eager to reuse original fir floorboards salvaged from their attic. Their initial idea was to install them horizontally on the walls, but White proposed a different approach. “We had them milled and cut into thinner boards,” she says. “Orienting them vertically helped bring the space up.” She also used the boards to wrap the bar.
Curved edges on the bar make it comfortable for guests to gather around three sides. The homeowners embraced the idea that the Carrara marble countertop will develop a natural patina over time, fitting for a historic home.
The bar is fully equipped for entertaining, with two beverage refrigerators, a large sink with a water filter, refrigerator drawers, a four-bin trash pullout and ample storage.
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“The wife wanted drawers with an open feel on this side of the bar so that it would be easy for anyone to find things like a plate or extra napkins without having to look through every drawer,” White says.
Light filters through the vertical slats at the end of the bar, with the office located on the other side of that wall.
Light filters through the vertical slats at the end of the bar, with the office located on the other side of that wall.
Lighting played an important role in keeping the basement from feeling cave-like. White layered three types of lighting: surface-mounted ceiling fixtures, art lights and statement fixtures such as the linear chandelier over the bar. “Can lights were not an option because they would not make sense in a historic home,” she says.
The center of the bar wall offered an ideal location for a Samsung Frame TV, which appears as artwork when not in use.
The floors throughout the basement are porcelain hexagonal tiles in a gunmetal hue with subtle variation. “My clients loved the traditional look of hexagons,” White says. The oversize scale gives them a more modern feel. Combined with the original brick, recycled fir, classic Carrara marble, midcentury furnishings and artwork from multiple eras, the basement reflects the home’s roots while feeling thoughtfully layered over time.
“These homeowners also love to mix cocktails,” White says. Instead of upper cabinets on this wall, she kept the shelving open, for two reasons. First, it preserves natural light from a nearby window at the end of the bar. Second, the brass shelving references the era when the home was built. White provided exact dimensions to the company that fabricated the brass structure, then had the glass shelves cut locally.
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The center of the bar wall offered an ideal location for a Samsung Frame TV, which appears as artwork when not in use.
The floors throughout the basement are porcelain hexagonal tiles in a gunmetal hue with subtle variation. “My clients loved the traditional look of hexagons,” White says. The oversize scale gives them a more modern feel. Combined with the original brick, recycled fir, classic Carrara marble, midcentury furnishings and artwork from multiple eras, the basement reflects the home’s roots while feeling thoughtfully layered over time.
“These homeowners also love to mix cocktails,” White says. Instead of upper cabinets on this wall, she kept the shelving open, for two reasons. First, it preserves natural light from a nearby window at the end of the bar. Second, the brass shelving references the era when the home was built. White provided exact dimensions to the company that fabricated the brass structure, then had the glass shelves cut locally.
Check out our guide to get started on your home project
In the office area, the wife knew she wanted this particular artwork to serve as her Zoom backdrop — a decision that required careful planning. “This piece would have been too big to get into the basement once the new stairs were done,” White says. “We had to bring it in before and let it live down here while construction was going on.”
On the other side of the slatted bar wall, arched built-ins span the office. Drawers along the bottom conceal clutter, while open shelves provide additional display space for items from the couple’s collection. Surface-mounted lights highlight the shelves at night.
Floor plan: Across the top of the plan are the office, staircase and powder room. The lower portion shows the lounge and bar flowing together, with the rounded wine room in the bottom right corner.
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Basement at a Glance
Who lives here: A blended family
Location: Portland, Oregon
Size: 800 square feet (74 square meters)
Designer: Lara White of Workaday Design
Previously raw and unfinished, the basement had served only as storage. The new layout organizes the space into three zones — a lounge, a bar and an office — along with a powder room. (See floor plan at the end of this article.) Fortunately, the homeowners had already addressed moisture issues through previous exterior work. The exposed brick walls seen here are part of the home’s original foundation.
Built in 1892, the house falls somewhere between Victorian and Craftsman in style. “This house is on the historic registry and it was important to the homeowners that this space look like it was always a part of the house,” architect Lara White says. The brick had been covered in layers of dirt and damaged plaster, so White had it sandblasted and cleaned. Now it reveals part of the home’s history while adding texture and warmth.
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