5 Tips for Transforming Your Basement into the Ultimate Living Space
In this article, we offer some easy steps that you can take to slowly, but surely turn your basement into the coolest new hangout place in your home.
21/09/2020
We often feel the need to try something new
in our homes to keep daily life exciting. Maybe
on your part, you’ve tried to change your drapes
or rearrange your furniture in the living room.
You might have upgraded the appliances in the
kitchen or painted the walls of your bedroom a
different color. But there’s one part of the
house that you may have overlooked: your
basement.
Most of the time, the basement
is relegated to be the catch-all for old items
and things that you want kept out of sight. It’s
also often portrayed on television and movies as
a dark and scary place, inhabited by sociopaths
or oddballs. But in truth, the basement is an
area that holds immense potential in becoming
the ultimate living space for your home. As an
enclosed, sub-level section in your home, it
affords coziness and privacy. That makes it
great for use as a new family room, a game and
entertainment room, and many others.
All
you need is a little physical effort—plus, lots
of creativity and imagination—to transform this
oft-neglected room into a place where your
family and friends can spend many happy hours.
Here are some easy steps that you can take to
slowly, but surely turn your basement into the
coolest new hangout place in your home.
Clean up. The very first thing you need to do is
to throw away all that junk. Not only are you
clearing space physically—you’re freeing up a
lot of mental space as well. You’ll be surprised
to find how emotionally cathartic it is to get
rid of unnecessary clutter. Plus, you can even
earn some money by selling these items off in a
garage sale. Make sure you sweep away all the
cobwebs, scrub the floors, and open the windows
in order to drive away any pests from your new
living space.
Shape up. The foundation
of any room lies in its basic structure of
walls, flooring, and fixtures. It would be good
for you to create a blank canvas where you can
freely paint your vision of a cool new hideaway.
Allot a small budget for some minor fixer-uppers
such as dings on the wall, creaky windows, or
leak stains on the ceiling. Make sure that you
also install or refurbish the basement wall
insulation to make the space more comfortable.
That way, it will always be just the right
temperature in your basement, no matter what
season of the year it may be.
Plan out.
Next, map out your vision for the space. Get a
pen and paper and
draw your ideal furniture
layout. You can also plan the position of other
items in the room, such as a brand-spanking-new
large-screen TV, a mini ref, or a pool table.
You can also add in some indoor plants to bring
a breath of fresh air into the basement. Or, you
can hang some art on the walls. Determine if you
need to add more lighting fixtures or wall
sockets to accommodate any new appliances you
want to bring into the room.
Shop around.
Now comes the fun part of gathering items to
dress up your new basement. But curating this
new living space need not burn a hole in your
pocket. You can bring in existing stuff you have
in other rooms of your home, or you can
repurpose old furniture that’s just been sitting
in storage. You can also check out great deals
online or go bargain-hunting in flea markets or
secondhand shops. All you need is a little bit
of resourcefulness in filling up your new living
space with stuff that will excite your senses.
It’s also a good idea to keep personal mementos,
like family photos or travel memorabilia, in
your new dugout in order to truly make it your
own.
Move in. After everything has been
put in place, you have nothing else to do but to
move right in and enjoy your new living space! A
small party is a great way to break in your new
basement as the ultimate hideaway in your house.
You can host a movie or TV show marathon, a game
night with coworkers, or a sleepover for your
kids’ friends. You’ll find that the
possibilities are endless when you commit to
enjoying this hidden gem in your home.
Conclusion
There’s no need for costly renovations or expansions in the floor area of your home. You can do a lot of quick DIY work to establish that extra space for you and your loved ones to relax in. If you’re still having a difficult time imagining how your basement can serve so many functions, take time to look around and appreciate this mysterious, but exciting underground haven. With just the right touches, it can be the respite that you and your family might be longing for after a long and tiring day!