The basement – the place where it can quickly turn into storage and be forgotten about during the design process of your house. However, the basement should be near the top of your design list.
Especially if you have kids and like to entertain a lot, the basement can be the place to go to in your home. You can turn it into a lounge area, a recreational room, a whole other living space, or anything else you can come up with.
Don’t neglect your basement’s design. Use the following six tips to turn your basement into the place to be.
Make it Brighter
The challenging aspect of a basement is to keep it bright. Most basements don’t have that much window space to let in natural light, so it can make the area feel enclosed and damp. If you can’t add in any windows, you can make do with a few design options.
First, use bright and light colours. Dark colours will only make the basement feel more closed off. Install mirrors opposite of windows to reflect the little natural light you have. Also, make sure you have enough lights installed to help balance out from the natural light.
Control the Humidity
Basements tend to get very humid compared to the rest of the house. They are in the ground where moisture tends to stay. Not only that, basements are prone to flooding, which increases the humidity levels in the house.
Control the humidity to make the basement more comfortable to be in. Make sure you have proper ventilation throughout the basement. Ensure that the surface runoff goes away from the house to avoid leaks. If needed, add a dehumidifier to remove the excess moisture from the air.
Think Open-Concept Space
Keep your basement as open as possible. Adding multiple walls to a space that already feels enclosed will only make it worse. Keeping it open will help with that feeling, plus allowing people to be throughout the whole basement and still hang out with everyone at the same time.
Add Décor
It’s easy to forget about adding some art and décor to the basement. However, if you want to spend lots of time down there, you want to make it comfortable feeling. Add wall art, blankets, throw pillows, and other decorations that suit your style to the space. A bit of greenery as well will help liven up the space, and keep the air fresh downstairs.
Build in Storage
Since we know how easy it is to throw things into the basement that you won’t use very often, help control the clutter by adding storage. You can design unique storage shelves and closets that you may not have done upstairs in the living room. Add shelves into the wall rather than buying a bookshelf.
Use Natural Finishes
To help make the basement feel more welcoming, use natural finishes. Basements have lots of concrete, and if you don’t do anything to contrast that, all you’ll feel is the harshness of concrete. Using light wood tones will help give the basement that warm andwelcoming feeling.
