Try these Dreamy Basement Design Ideas

Add a Fireplace

Do you have those cold nights where you just want to cuddle under a blanket with a cup of hot cocoa in front of the fireplace? Do you dream about this, but then remember one important factor – you don’t have a fireplace. 

One of the first steps you should take when building your perfect basement is to add a fireplace. From that moment on, you’ll always have the motivation to finish the project because you’ll dream about all the cozy nights you’ll have in front of the fire. 

Create a Studio Apartment

If your basement is finished, you can build a studio apartment. This area will let you establish an extra income or taste the real estate market. You can also look into making the apartment Airbnb available. 

By building a beautiful area where people can live, a small bathroom, and a kitchen, you can give another family a place to make memories. You can provide a college student a place to live while they quietly learn away from the hustle and bustle of campus. You can also give your children an idea of living on their own when they turn 18 to determine the value of saving and paying rent. 

Turn It Into a Family Room

Even if you have a good-sized living room on your main floor, you can build a family room in the basement that allows for different activities. It can be a space where you don’t allow electronics, and instead, you play board games, try various crafts, and read. 

Your basement family room can have a prairie or rustic design to give it a different look from the rest of your house. This option will allow your family to connect without worrying about modern-day conveniences and needing to text their friends “right away.” 

Make a Teen Space

If you have teenagers, you know that they love their space. You also realize how hard it is to keep them occupied unless they have activities they want. To give your teens and their friends, an area they can hang out in that will allow them a little more space other than their bedroom, turn your basement into their space. 

Let them have their games, television, and pool table to keep them busy. If you have small children, you can also set up a little play place for them. 

Build a Playroom

If you don’t have teens yet, start creating a playroom in your basement. You can build a giant playhouse that your children can sleep in. You can also create themes in different parts of your basement. For instance, you can have one corner as a jungle and make another corner a craft space. 

Let your kids dive into their personality and creativity with the building of the play area. Ask them what they want and do what you can to ensure that the space is theirs. Of course, you can save a corner for yourself to relax with television, a book, or even work a bit while they’re busy playing. 

Go for a Woodsy Basement Den

You can build a unique den that focuses on a wood look or even add some stone or brickwork. Adding your favorite activities into the area gives you a room where you can concentrate on specific projects and get away from the television and game consoles — annoying modern conveniences. 

Adding a fireplace will give your basement den a charming look, and the outdoorsy type feel. You’ll also have an area where you can warm up, especially on those cold nights. 

Build a Bar

With the current crisis, you might have realized that you miss going out with your friends. You enjoy the conversation, food, and drinks. It helps you relax and forget about the stresses of life. One of the best steps to take when you’re renovating your basement is to give it a bit of a social scene. 

You don’t need to build a bar that you’ll find downtown where dozens of people can hang out and get drunk. You can create a small bar on one wall and then have a hang out for you and your friends. You can even have a child’s area in the corner, so you don’t need to leave your children at home with a babysitter (unless you need that night alone). 

Add a Seating Area

If you feel that communication is something that the world is missing, you can create it in your basement. You don’t need to do anything fancy. You don’t even need to have a finished basement. All you need is to have comfortable seating in a safe place that is lit and people to talk to. 

If you have a concrete floor, head to the carpet store for some rugs. You don’t need to install carpet, but people will find your conversation area more comfortable and inviting if there are rugs on the floor below the chairs. 

Turn It Into a Gym

Do you feel like you spend way too much money on a gym membership? Maybe you live miles away from the closest gym and don’t care for it, but you need a place to work out. You might be nervous about exercising in public because you fear people judging you. 

If any of this sounds like you, it’s time to put some exercise equipment into your basement and build your own gym. You can purchase any supplies that you’re comfortable with, from some weights to a yoga ball. You can even set up a quiet place to focus on Yoga. 

Set Up an Art Studio

If you’re an artist, your best choice might be to set up an art studio. You can keep all your supplies in one location and work in privacy. It can become a specialized area. If your basement is large enough, you can create other spaces for your children or any students to work. 

You can teach them how to draw, paint, and the basics of art. It’s also an option to build on your creativity by setting up other areas within your space that will allow you to work on crafts, clay, writing, or anything else. 

Transform It Into a Home Theater

Do you feel that the movie theater is becoming too expensive, especially for your family and friends? When each ticket is close to $10 or more plus needing to add treats and drinks, you can easily spend more than you’re comfortable with, and this makes it difficult to enjoy the movies without stressing about money. 

When you set up a theater in your home, you can do it cheaply. All you need is a screen, a projector, and something to play the movie. Of course, you’ll want to purchase some comfortable chairs – more comfortable than any movie theater. 

Add Another Bathroom

Does it seem like someone is always in the bathroom while another family member still needs to use it? Say goodbye to that early morning pounding on the door and frustrating moments by building a bathroom in your basement. You don’t have to take up the whole basement if it’s rather large, but you do have plenty of room to build your dream bathroom. 

You might want to have a large tub or even a Jacuzzi. You can purchase a large vanity so it can hold all of the essentials. You can also make it into a movie stars bathroom with light bulbs all around the mirror and fancy decor. 

Create a Space for Organized Storage

Sometimes you just need the extra storage space because you have more items than room. You might be saving for your children who are about to move out. Maybe you moved into your home years ago, and now it’s just too small because of all the stuff you’ve accumulated. Don’t worry; it happens to everyone. 

Whether you decided to give your basement a deep clean for a garage sale or because you’re tired of looking at the mess, you can turn it into an organized storage area. This option will allow you to store more items down there and know exactly where you need them. It’ll also give the benefit of opening up space for another project.

Practice in a Dance Studio

Do you love to dance? Maybe you have children who are into dance? No matter what the reason is, your basement is the perfect place for a dance studio. You can even open it up to teach children how to dance. 

All you need to do is line up a few mirrors, get a comfortable mat in the corner for the dancers, enough lighting, a few other supplies, and you’re good to go. Even if it’s just setting up a corner for your children to pretend they’re dancing in front of a large crowd while Baby Shark plays in the background, it’s an area that can keep them entertained and moving. 

Envision a Basement Office

Did you experience the joys of working from home with children in the kitchen or living room because you didn’t have a good space to set up an office? If you have a basement, you now have an excellent location for a home office. 

Even if it’s full of storage, you can still rearrange a portion of it so you can set up a desk (you might already have one down there) and other supplies. Bring your laptop when you need to work quietly or set up a desktop. Keep this area your designated workspace, not just so your family can understand you’re working during that time but helping you stay motivated. 

Complete Staircase Makeover

Maybe you don’t go into your basement often because of the staircase. It might be old wooden steps, or you have a little crawl space with a ladder. The trick is to leave no corner unturned when you’re looking at renovating your basement. 

Talk to professionals if you need advice on the best way to install a safe staircase. You can also change it up a bit, so you have a barn door instead of a regular door leading to your basement. It can not only increase the value of your home but give it a unique look. 

Install Brighter Lights

If you don’t have a finished basement, you might have poor lighting, which can make it unwelcoming. To give yourself more motivation for renovating your basement and spending time down there, update the lights. 

You can add recessed lighting to give the illusion of higher ceilings or add LED lights. You can also add a couple of new light fixtures in the corners where you don’t get much light. The key is to know your plan before you start adding lights, so you know where to put your new fixtures. 

Build a Kitchen Corner

You don’t need to add a refrigerator or other appliances to your kitchen corner. It can be a little spot where you might have a sink and a few things for easy access to snacks or quick meals. This spot can also give your older children a space to hang out with their friends without bothering you for snacks. 

Of course, you can always go all out and build the kitchen of your dreams in the basement. This option can allow you to have a little flexibility when cooking a large meal, or you need more space for bulk groceries. 

Wall a Guest Room

Do you often entertain and have your friends spend the night? Your children might enjoy sleepovers, or you have a family that comes to visit from another state. Instead of needing to squeeze people into your living room, or give up your bedroom, build a guest area in your house. 

This area could be a brand new bedroom, or you can simply set up a few beds for a comfortable place to sleep. You don’t need to do a lot if you already have a finished basement, but if it’s unfinished, you might want to look at putting something on the walls and adding carpet to get in a more welcoming look. 

Say Yes to a Mom Cave

Mom, does dad already have a place to go while trying to find your own space so you can read or just relax before continuing with chores or making the evening meal? If so, you need to look at installing a mom cave within the basement. Think of it like a she- shed but inside your home. 

Have fun with your redesign by adding a bunch of colors and creating it, especially for you. You can install vinyl flooring and colorful wallpaper to help give it a unique look. You can even add a little locker so you can hide your special snacks. 

Put Storage Under the Stairs

Do you have a finished basement or design on what you want to do to create your dreamy basement but find that you’re struggling with storage space? You don’t want to get rid of everything you had lying around, so it’s time to find another place to store your valuable items. 

If you have stairs with nothing underneath, talk to a contractor about tearing down a part of the wall and installing a storage closet. This idea can give you extra space to keep your essential objects safe and in your home. 

Break Up Your Basement Space With Barn Doors

It seems that adding sliding barn doors is a theme in homes. Many people are going for this unique look, and it’s great for anyone who has a large open basement. You can separate your space by adding some barn doors and creating different rooms. 

Maybe you’ll have a bedroom on one end and an office on the other. You might also have a rec room for your children and one for the adults. It’s your basement, and the possibilities are endless on what you can do with it. 

Add a Laundry Room

Do you have your washer and dryer sitting in a random spot in your home and always wished for a wonderful laundry room where you could fold and hang clothes? Whether your washer and dryer are in your basement or stuck somewhere else in the house, you can build an incredible room for them. 

You don’t need to build more walls unless you want to. You can easily put up cupboards, storage space, shelving, a sink, and any other items you think you’ll need. You can even decorate the wall and floor in a particular area, so people know where to look for the clean clothes that they forgot to put away. 

Create a Study Area

Do you need a separate space from your office that houses all your books, hobbies, or just a place where you can work on specific tasks, such as writing? Maybe your children handle their homework better when they have a designated space away from distractions, but it seems there is a television in nearly every room. You might also dream about becoming a best-selling author, but you don’t have a space to write your book. 

Make your basement a study area where people can work, complete their school work, or go back to school, or do anything else. Set up a bunch of bookcases so you can house all of the books and create a mini-library. Get your minds going every day by learning something new. 

Sources:

“72 Really Cool Modern Basement Ideas.” Bryan Sebring, Sebring Design. February 2020. 

“25+ Astonishing Unfinished Basement Ideas that You Should To Apply.” SHW Home Decor. 

“20 DIY Finished Basement Ideas to Create a New Living Space in Your Home.” Tierney Mcafee, Country Living. February 2020.

“9 Finished Basement Design Ideas.” Ashley Knierim, The Spruce. May 2020. 

“30 Suprisingly Stylish Basement Remodel Ideas.” Lucia Tonelli, Elle Decor. June 2019.