Transitional dark wood floor family room photo in Chicago with blue walls, a standard fireplace, a tile fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

Basement
Inspiration for a large transitional underground dark wood floor and brown floor basement remodel in New York with gray walls

Entertaining doesn’t always happen on the main floor and in this project, the basement was dedicated towards creating a comfortable family room and hang out spot for guests. The wet bar is the perfect spot for preparing drinks for movie or gossip night with friends. With low ceilings and a long window above, we had to get creative with our storage design. The tall far left cabinet houses more glass ware while lower additional drawers house bar ware. Introducing the bar sink in the far right corner offered a long run of prep counter space along the middle section of the wall span. This asymmetrical design is modern and very practical. Photographer: Mike Chajecki

Matthew Millman
Example of a mountain style living room design in Other with brown walls

Large victorian gray three-story wood gable roof idea in Chicago

We started with a blank slate on this basement project where our only obstacles were exposed steel support columns, existing plumbing risers from the concrete slab, and dropped soffits concealing ductwork on the ceiling. It had the advantage of tall ceilings, an existing egress window, and a sliding door leading to a newly constructed patio. This family of five loves the beach and frequents summer beach resorts in the Northeast. Bringing that aesthetic home to enjoy all year long was the inspiration for the décor, as well as creating a family-friendly space for entertaining. Wish list items included room for a billiard table, wet bar, game table, family room, guest bedroom, full bathroom, space for a treadmill and closed storage. The existing structural elements helped to define how best to organize the basement. For instance, we knew we wanted to connect the bar area and billiards table with the patio in order to create an indoor/outdoor entertaining space. It made sense to use the egress window for the guest bedroom for both safety and natural light. The bedroom also would be adjacent to the plumbing risers for easy access to the new bathroom. Since the primary focus of the family room would be for TV viewing, natural light did not need to filter into that space. We made sure to hide the columns inside of newly constructed walls and dropped additional soffits where needed to make the ceiling mechanicals feel less random. In addition to the beach vibe, the homeowner has valuable sports memorabilia that was to be prominently displayed including two seats from the original Yankee stadium. For a coastal feel, shiplap is used on two walls of the family room area. In the bathroom shiplap is used again in a more creative way using wood grain white porcelain tile as the horizontal shiplap “wood”. We connected the tile horizontally with vertical white grout joints and mimicked the horizontal shadow line with dark grey grout. At first glance it looks like we wrapped the shower with real wood shiplap. Materials including a blue and white patterned floor, blue penny tiles and a natural wood vanity checked the list for that seaside feel. A large reclaimed wood door on an exposed sliding barn track separates the family room from the game room where reclaimed beams are punctuated with cable lighting. Cabinetry and a beverage refrigerator are tucked behind the rolling bar cabinet (that doubles as a Blackjack table!). A TV and upright video arcade machine round-out the entertainment in the room. Bar stools, two rotating club chairs, and large square poufs along with the Yankee Stadium seats provide fun places to sit while having a drink, watching billiards or a game on the TV. Signed baseballs can be found behind the bar, adjacent to the billiard table, and on specially designed display shelves next to the poker table in the family room. Thoughtful touches like the surfboards, signage, photographs and accessories make a visitor feel like they are on vacation at a well-appointed beach resort without being cliché.

Spacecrafting
Craft room - large contemporary built-in desk medium tone wood floor craft room idea in Minneapolis with multicolored walls

Inspiration for a contemporary entryway remodel in Denver

Example of a large trendy formal and open concept dark wood floor and brown floor living room design in Other with gray walls, no fireplace and no tv

Addition of basement entrance. Basement Lowering and underpinning.
Mid-sized transitional red two-story brick exterior home idea in Toronto with a shingle roof

This 1933 Wauwatosa basement was dark, dingy and lacked functionality. The basement was unfinished with concrete walls and floors. A small office was enclosed but the rest of the space was open and cluttered. The homeowners wanted a warm, organized space for their family. A recent job change meant they needed a dedicated home office. They also wanted a place where their kids could hang out with friends. Their wish list for this basement remodel included: a home office where the couple could both work, a full bathroom, a cozy living room and a dedicated storage room. This basement renovation resulted in a warm and bright space that is used by the whole family. Highlights of this basement: - Home Office: A new office gives the couple a dedicated space for work. There’s plenty of desk space, storage cabinets, under-shelf lighting and storage for their home library. - Living Room: An old office area was expanded into a cozy living room. It’s the perfect place for their kids to hang out when they host friends and family. - Laundry Room: The new laundry room is a total upgrade. It now includes fun laminate flooring, storage cabinets and counter space for folding laundry. - Full Bathroom: A new bathroom gives the family an additional shower in the home. Highlights of the bathroom include a navy vanity, quartz counters, brass finishes, a Dreamline shower door and Kohler Choreograph wall panels. - Staircase: We spruced up the staircase leading down to the lower level with patterned vinyl flooring and a matching trim color. - Storage: We gave them a separate storage space, with custom shelving for organizing their camping gear, sports equipment and holiday decorations. CUSTOMER REVIEW “We had been talking about remodeling our basement for a long time, but decided to make it happen when my husband was offered a job working remotely. It felt like the right time for us to have a real home office where we could separate our work lives from our home lives. We wanted the area to feel open, light-filled, and modern – not an easy task for a previously dark and cold basement! One of our favorite parts was when our designer took us on a 3D computer design tour of our basement. I remember thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, this could be our basement!?!’ It was so fun to see how our designer was able to take our wish list and ideas from my Pinterest board, and turn it into a practical design. We were sold after seeing the design, and were pleasantly surprised to see that Kowalske was less costly than another estimate.” – Stephanie, homeowner

Example of a classic beige tile and gray tile beige floor freestanding bathtub design in Boston with white cabinets, blue walls and an undermount sink

Basement with gas fireplace with built in cabinet wall and under-stair kids play area.
Example of a small underground medium tone wood floor basement design in Other with beige walls and a standard fireplace

This small corner holds a lot of value in this basements living space. Though small, there are significant storage solutions. The custom floor to ceiling cabinetry can store games, toys, electronics and sleepover gear! Not only do the drawers of the bench act as additional storage but the spalted maple bench top is beautiful as an area to display decor or as additional seating.

With a grand total of 1,247 square feet of living space, the Lincoln Deck House was designed to efficiently utilize every bit of its floor plan. This home features two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a two-car detached garage and boasts an impressive great room, whose soaring ceilings and walls of glass welcome the outside in to make the space feel one with nature.

Large trendy look-out carpeted and beige floor basement photo in Calgary with a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace and gray walls

Addition of basement entrance. Basement Lowering and underpinning.
Mid-sized transitional red two-story brick exterior home idea in Toronto with a shingle roof

Family room - mid-century modern family room idea in Los Angeles with gray walls and a wall-mounted tv

Basement - mid-sized contemporary look-out carpeted and beige floor basement idea in Baltimore with beige walls