Basement Remodel Welcomes an Industrial-Style Home Brewery
An interior designer creates a space for a Michigan homeowner to pursue his beer-making hobby and entertain friends
Interior designer Kitty Golding’s clients had two primary goals when they hired her to remodel their basement. First, they wanted to create a comfortable pub-style area for hosting friends and serving up home brew. Second, they wanted a fully functional brewery where the husband, a hobby craft-beer maker, could brew year-round, even during the coldest Michigan winters.
While the basement remodel also included updating a bathroom and two guest bedrooms and adding a hangout area for the couple’s two teenagers, we spoke with Golding about the fun part: the warm, industrial-style home pub and brewery.
While the basement remodel also included updating a bathroom and two guest bedrooms and adding a hangout area for the couple’s two teenagers, we spoke with Golding about the fun part: the warm, industrial-style home pub and brewery.
Before Photo
Before: The previous owners had finished the basement with a kitchenette, dining area and family area that didn’t fit the new homeowners’ needs or have the right setup for brewing. Golding and team gutted the kitchenette, dining and family areas, storage room and bathroom and ditched the dropped tile ceiling and floors.
Before Photo
The basement renovation took roughly a year to complete. By installing the new bar in basically the same location as the existing kitchenette, the design team didn’t have to worry about installing new plumbing.
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Work with a Houzz professional on your own home renovation
After: The finished space includes bar seating for five along a live-edge cherry countertop, where guests can sample the latest brew. The natural wood, rustic pendant lights and dyed concrete flooring help make the space feel warm, friendly and inviting.
The corrugated metal on the bar, open ceiling and plumbing-pipe shelving reinforce an industrial theme and visually tie the entertaining area together with the hardworking brewery.
Concrete floor stain: Reactive Concrete Stain in Potter’s Wheel, Sherwin-Williams
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The corrugated metal on the bar, open ceiling and plumbing-pipe shelving reinforce an industrial theme and visually tie the entertaining area together with the hardworking brewery.
Concrete floor stain: Reactive Concrete Stain in Potter’s Wheel, Sherwin-Williams
Shop for industrial-style home bar products on Houzz
The real magic happens behind the counter, where homeowner and brewmaster Brian Schroeder turns a mix of water, hops, grains, malt and yeast into beer. He calls his home brew Erratic Ale.
Golding worked with Schroeder to design his ideal home-brewery space. Copper and stainless steel open-flame brew kettles sit under an exhaust vent, displayed against a charcoal-tile backsplash. Golding chose the tile for beauty and function: The dark color shows off the metal of the brew kettles, and the tiles are easy to wipe clean.
“We also designed a kegerator and tap located at the end of the bar,” Golding says. The industrial sink and spray faucet make it easy to wash the big kettles and other equipment.
Golding worked with Schroeder to design his ideal home-brewery space. Copper and stainless steel open-flame brew kettles sit under an exhaust vent, displayed against a charcoal-tile backsplash. Golding chose the tile for beauty and function: The dark color shows off the metal of the brew kettles, and the tiles are easy to wipe clean.
“We also designed a kegerator and tap located at the end of the bar,” Golding says. The industrial sink and spray faucet make it easy to wash the big kettles and other equipment.
The new home brewery allows Schroeder to experiment in a space that’s clean and organized, without competing for room in the family’s main kitchen or being limited to brewing outside. Plus, it’s become a social hangout area for the family and guests.
The chalkboard shows which brews are available for tasting. A large storage room sits behind the sliding barn door, housing a big refrigerator and storage racks for bottles, jugs and equipment.
The chalkboard shows which brews are available for tasting. A large storage room sits behind the sliding barn door, housing a big refrigerator and storage racks for bottles, jugs and equipment.
Dining and Family Area
A lounge and dining area take up the rest of the basement’s main room. Golding eliminated a small hallway at the base of the stairs, so now guests enter directly into the living area, greeted by cushy new couches, poufs and soft, dimmable lighting.
A second set of barn doors opens up to a hangout area for the teenagers, two guest bedrooms, an existing sauna (not remodeled) and additional storage area.
Schroeder is considering opening a public Erratic Ale tasting room in the future, but for now he’s happy to serve friends and family. Last time Golding stopped by to check in with her clients, they served her a sample of the latest batch of craft beer: a pumpkin-flavored brew. “It was outstanding!” she says.
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Find products for your own home brewery
A lounge and dining area take up the rest of the basement’s main room. Golding eliminated a small hallway at the base of the stairs, so now guests enter directly into the living area, greeted by cushy new couches, poufs and soft, dimmable lighting.
A second set of barn doors opens up to a hangout area for the teenagers, two guest bedrooms, an existing sauna (not remodeled) and additional storage area.
Schroeder is considering opening a public Erratic Ale tasting room in the future, but for now he’s happy to serve friends and family. Last time Golding stopped by to check in with her clients, they served her a sample of the latest batch of craft beer: a pumpkin-flavored brew. “It was outstanding!” she says.
Planning a basement renovation? Find your inspiration and choose a home professional on Houzz
Find products for your own home brewery
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Basement at a Glance
Who lives here: The Schroeders, a family of four with two teenagers
Location: Hamburg Township, Michigan
Size: 3,500 square feet (325 square meters) for the entire basement
Designer: Kitty Golding of Kitty & Co.
Budget: About $100,000 for the basement remodel. This includes the home pub and brewery, storage room, family room and eating area, as well as (not pictured) a remodeled bathroom, a teenage hangout area and two guest bedrooms.
“Since this was the first real home brewing bar we had designed, we spent a bit of time doing research [and] talking with the clients,” Golding says. “The venting was probably the biggest concern of the homeowners, so we made sure we had the right hood before designing everything else.”