When my client had to move from her company office to work at home, she set up in the dining room. Despite her best efforts, this was not the long-term solution she was looking for. My client realized she needed a dedicated space not on the main floor of the home. On one hand, having your office space right next to the kitchen is handy. On the other hand, it made separating work and home life was not that easy. The house was a ranch. In essence, the basement would run entire length of the home. As we came down the steps, we entered a time capsule. The house was built in the 1950’s. The walls were covered with original knotty pine paneling. There was a wood burning fireplace and considering this was a basement, high ceilings. In addition, there was everything her family could not store at their own homes. As we wound though the space, I though “wow this has potential”, Eventually, after walking through the laundry room we came to a small nicely lit room. This would be the office. My client looked at me and asked what I thought. Undoubtedly, I said, this can be a great workspace, but do you really want to walk through this basement and laundry to get here? Without reservation, my client said where do we start? Once the design was in place, we started the renovation. The knotty pine paneling had to go. Specifically, to add some insulation and control the dampness and humidity. The laundry room wall was relocated to create a hallway to the office. At the far end of the room, we designated a workout zone. Weights, mats, exercise bike and television are at the ready for morning or afternoon workouts. The space can be concealed by a folding screen for party time. Doors to an old closet under the stairs were relocated to the workout area for hidden storage. Now we had nice wall for a beautiful console and mirror for storage and serving during parties. In order to add architectural details, we covered the old ugly support columns with simple recessed millwork panels. This detail created a visual division between the bar area and the seating area in front of the fireplace. The old red brick on the fireplace surround was replaced with stack stone. A mantle was made from reclaimed wood. Additional reclaimed wood floating shelves left and right of the fireplace provides decorative display while maintaining a rustic element balancing the copper end table and leather swivel rocker. We found an amazing rug which tied all of the colors together further defining the gathering space. Russet and burnt orange became the accent color unifying each space. With a bit of whimsy, a rather unusual light fixture which looks like roots from a tree growing through the ceiling is a conversation piece. The office space is quite and removed from the main part of the basement. There is a desk large enough for multiple screens, a small bookcase holding office supplies and a comfortable chair for conference calls. Because working from home requires many online meetings, we added a shiplap wall painted in Hale Navy to contrast with the orange fabric on the chair. We finished the décor with a painting from my client’s father. This is the background online visitors will see. The last and best part of the renovation is the beautiful bar. My client is an avid collector of wine. She already had the EuroCave refrigerator, so I incorporated it into the design. The cabinets are painted Temptation Grey from Benjamin Moore. The counter tops are my favorite hard working quartzite Brown Fantasy. The backsplash is a combination of rustic wood and old tin ceiling like porcelain tiles. Together with the textures of the reclaimed wood and hide poofs balanced against the smooth finish of the cabinets, we created a comfortable luxury for relaxing. There is ample storage for bottles, cans, glasses, and anything else you can think of for a great party. In addition to the wine storage, we incorporated a beverage refrigerator, an ice maker, and a sink. Floating shelves with integrated lighting illuminate the back bar. The raised height of the front bar provides the perfect wine tasting and paring spot. I especially love the pendant lights which look like wine glasses. Finally, I selected carpet for the stairs and office. It is perfect for noise reduction. Meanwhile for the overall flooring, I specifically selected a high-performance vinyl plank floor. We often use this product as it is perfect to install on a concrete floor. It is soft to walk on, easy to clean and does not reduce the overall height of the space.

Bar
Large transitional u-shaped vinyl floor and brown floor wet bar photo in Chicago with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz countertops, gray backsplash, metal backsplash and gray countertops

Rustic wood and a corner wine cellar display are just a couple of the interesting features in this lower level finish. A cozy home theater for movie nights and relaxing fireplace lounge space are perfect places to spend time with family and friends.

K&E Productions
Large transitional u-shaped vinyl floor and gray floor wet bar photo in Other with an undermount sink, glass-front cabinets, dark wood cabinets, quartz countertops, multicolored backsplash and mirror backsplash

Garage door liquor cabinet shown closed.
Inspiration for a large transitional u-shaped vinyl floor and gray floor seated home bar remodel in Minneapolis with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, black cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash and subway tile backsplash

©Finished Basement Company
Example of a mid-sized transitional vinyl floor and brown floor home bar design in Denver

K&E Productions
Wet bar - large transitional u-shaped vinyl floor and gray floor wet bar idea in Other with an undermount sink, glass-front cabinets, dark wood cabinets, quartz countertops, multicolored backsplash and mirror backsplash

Large transitional vinyl floor and gray floor home bar photo in Atlanta

David Frechette
Example of a transitional galley vinyl floor and brown floor seated home bar design in Detroit with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, quartz countertops, gray backsplash, ceramic backsplash and white countertops

Example of a mid-sized transitional galley vinyl floor and blue floor seated home bar design in Other with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash and subway tile backsplash

This 1970's basement needed a huge facelift, imagine oak shiplap for the walls and cedar shakes for the ceilings. Enough said! We took the demo all the way to the studs. The staircase was already installed in the basement, but needed a new railing, so a custom iron railing was designed and installed. This homeowner wanted a space he could entertain, relax, and also be really modern! The bar was custom designed and locally sourced from reclaimed ash for the top and iron supports. The countertops are a honed granite and the floor is luxury vinyl plank flooring.

Robbie Holmes Photography
Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional single-wall vinyl floor seated home bar remodel in Other with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, solid surface countertops, white backsplash and mosaic tile backsplash

Example of a large transitional galley brown floor and vinyl floor seated home bar design in Minneapolis with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, wood countertops, brown countertops, brown backsplash and wood backsplash

Spacecrafting Photography, Landmark Photography
Seated home bar - mid-sized transitional single-wall vinyl floor and gray floor seated home bar idea in Minneapolis with shaker cabinets, gray cabinets, quartz countertops, gray backsplash and gray countertops

Robbie Holmes Photography
Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional single-wall vinyl floor seated home bar remodel in Other with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, solid surface countertops, white backsplash and mosaic tile backsplash

Mid-sized transitional galley vinyl floor and gray floor wet bar photo in Minneapolis with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, gray cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash and white countertops

Built-in bar for open concept loft Dining Room
Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional single-wall vinyl floor and gray floor wet bar remodel with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, gray cabinets, quartz countertops, gray backsplash, porcelain backsplash and white countertops

Spacecrafting Photography
Home bar - mid-sized transitional single-wall vinyl floor and gray floor home bar idea in Minneapolis with shaker cabinets, gray cabinets, quartz countertops and gray countertops

David Frechette
Example of a transitional galley vinyl floor and brown floor seated home bar design in Detroit with a drop-in sink, recessed-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, quartz countertops, gray backsplash, ceramic backsplash and white countertops