How to Turn Your Dreary Basement Into a Relaxing Lounge

The basement is out of sight, out of mind for most homeowners, which is unfortunate. Your basement has a lot of potential, even if your guests never use it. In fact, since basements are often behind a closed-door, you have more opportunities to experiment with its design. Whether you want more storage, a lounge, or both, this article will help you transform your basement.

The 5 Step Process of Renovating Your Basement

Decorating is the best part of improving any space, but we aren’t there yet. However, you should still buy ranunculus flowers and other low-light plants, furniture, electronics, and accessories ahead of time, so they’re delivered on the same date. For now, start cleaning your basement.

Step 1: Deep Clean Your Basement

Most unfinished basements experience some level of dust, mold, or leakage, but more severe problems, like cracks in the foundation, need to be sorted immediately. Hire a professional landscaper to find these problems, so you know if you have re-cement your basement.

Starting with a clean slate will make the renovation stage less time-consuming. When you gut your basement, clean the area to ensure debris won’t enter into the bones of your home.

Step 2: Start Renovating

At the start of the renovation stage, you’ll need to seal up all exposed support beams, air vents, and foundation. You’ll also need to add more insulation to make the space less cold. Homeowners also have the opportunity to add more rooms, permanent shelving, and piping for a bathroom.

Some homeowners choose to keep their beams exposed. Just know that this could create a breeding ground for insects. Add bright paint or treated wood to prevent an infestation.

Step 3: Paint With Bright, Airy Colors

Most basements don’t have windows large enough to bring in natural light but don’t let that discourage you from entertaining in this space. Adding colorful paint and furniture is a simple way to make your basement seem brighter, lighter, and more inviting to your family and guests.

As a positive, you don’t have to bring this decorating choice into the rest of your house. Simply close the door to your basement, and it’ll cut off your bright basement from your home.

Step 4: Install Effective Storage Solutions

Basements can sometimes feel cramped due to a lack of storage space, but you can instantly crack down on clutter by installing permanent shelves into the wall. Add colorful bins, a set of drawers, and beachy-painted cabinets to hide the mess and open up the room simultaneously. 

To hide bookshelves use curtains. Not only will you create an uninterrupted flow on your walls, but you also have the chance to include patterns in your basement without using wallpaper.

Step 5: Add Furniture and Entertainment

After all of that work, you can finally start adding furniture and entertainment. Families with children may prefer plugging in a microwave or minifridge, a place to watch movies, a designated area for board games, books, floor hockey, or a hang-out space for guests.

Adults can utilize the basement just for entertainment. Install a large television, speakers, and a minibar for a fun, late-night party zone. Or, they can use their basement for gaming. 

We recommend making your basement fully-functional, with either a kitchen or bathroom, so you have the potential to rent it out in the future provided your windows are large enough.

About The Author: Sarilaya Cada. Sari, as she is aptly called by friends and colleagues, strongly believes that research is the heart of every content. She likes to write about marketing, design in all forms, and poetry. Bundling up with her cat while watching Netflix in her condo is one of her favorite past times.

Photo by Max Vakhtbovych from Pexels