Use the space in the basement!

Sheetal Bhandari Sheetal Bhandari
Victorian Basement Staircase ref 3340, Bisca Staircases Bisca Staircases Classic style corridor, hallway and stairs
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If you are pressed for space when it comes to interiors, look no further than right below where you are standing. Yes, you guessed it right! Use the space in the basement and you will be amazed to see what wonders you can create out of an otherwise dingy under-rated part of your home. There is still a bias when it comes to 'living in the basement'. For ages, the basement was meant to be a second garage or attic—a place for dumping away unwanted stuff and mess. To come to terms with the idea of living there, is definitely a big leap. However, take a look at some of our ideas here to see how you can transform your basement into something amazing!

The renovation of walls and floor

Walls and floors are the heart of any room's decor. A dark basement can be transformed into a bright basement room. It would be a good idea to start with doing up the walls and flooring. You could either paint the walls or use bright colored wall paper like in this room to add some zing. For the flooring, you could either lay completely new tiles or even go for a wall to wall carpet finish or even wood. Freshly done up walls and floors can make a whole big difference to your basement room.

Moisture insulation

Basements usually are prone to damp walls or moisture retention because of restricted ventilation and negligence. To be able to use your basement effectively, you must spend some effort and money in getting the space moisture insulated. Take required action to avoid any sort of water seepage. You should also get required water proofing done, more so if you plan on setting up a basement kitchen and/ or bathroom. This ideabook on tackling wet walls and ceilings may be worth a read.

Expand the room with new windows

If making structural changes is a possibility, it would be great if you could give your basement a couple of extra windows to add a breath of fresh air to it. The more windows your basement room has, the more ventilated your room will be. Having even a small amount of natural light and air into any room, would be well worth it. Your basement will no longer be the dingy and dark corner it once was.

Make sure for enough light sources

One of the biggest drawbacks with basement rooms, is the lack of proper lighting. Natural light may not always be possible and you may have to rely heavily on powered sources of light at all times of the day. However, with some thoughtful planning you could make required provision for enough light sources for your basement room. You could think about having a skylight effect created with a glass floor in the room above the basement. This could help filter in a lot of light during the day.

Painting the walls

Basement walls are usually most neglected as it is assumed that no one but you would visit the basement. However, if you do go around painting your basement walls you will instantly notice the face lift it gives to your basement room. Light pastel shades for the walls will be the more practical choice. You could accessorize your newly painted walls with picture or photo frames or paintings as well. Alternatively, take a look at these interesting wall mural ideas to dress up your basement walls.

Storage

No amount of storage space is enough storage space. If you decide to renovate your basement do weave in as much storage options as you can. Just like in any other room, additional storage in your basement room will also come in handy to stash away your essential and not so essential stuff that would otherwise be lying around the room. Having good amount of storage space available will help you keep your basement clutter free.

Decorating the Room

Boring basements were a thing of the past. You can decorate your basement room to suit your preferences and convert the basement from boring and drab to your most favorite part of the home. You can get your basement to double up as your personal gymnasium, study room or library. With the right kind of lighting and accessories you can create a great space for yourself. You may draw some inspiration from these quirky ideas to decorate your walls with picture frames.

Basement rooms can come around as life savers just when you think you have no more space at home. All it needs is some thoughtful planning and creative ideas to use your basement space to your advantage. 

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