Ideas for the basement: how to rationally use the underground floor

Only those who strive for the absurd achieve the impossible.
I'm guessing this is about my basement...let me go upstairs and double check. M. K. Escher

Your basement presents a great opportunity to increase the usable space of your home. This extra area takes up all the space underneath. So why not turn it into more than just storage?

There are many ideas for an unfinished basement, but you'll probably want to go beyond the options provided. It is better to focus on recommendations aimed at finishing the room. They will make it more cozy and comfortable.

These basement wall ideas will inspire you to transform it into your new favorite space.

Ideas with black walls

Don't be afraid to paint your basement walls black. With the right lighting and design, try to make sure it doesn't look like a gloomy room. Choose one of your basement walls as an accent wall. Then paint it black.

You can also paint all the walls black for a sophisticated basement bar vibe. Or you can create a den in a masculine style.

Use ceiling lights to illuminate different areas. They will help delimit the space and make the basement bright. You can also balance out the black color with a light wood floor.

Brick Basement Wall Ideas

Leaving the basement wall bare and exposing the bricks or cinder blocks can create a modern and industrial feel. It will create the look of an unfinished basement with minimal effort. One way or another, such a solution does not contribute to the feeling of warmth and comfort.

Try painting the bricks for a simple and inexpensive finished basement look. You may need to apply a moisture-proof coating first, otherwise the paint will bubble and peel. From the outside, the foundation walls are in contact with the ground. Moisture from the ground can seep through the brickwork and into the basement.

Avoid combining concrete floors with concrete walls. Too much concrete will make the room feel bare and echoing.

How to finish

Before you start decorating, you will have to go through a difficult stage of rough work. It is not so pleasant, but without proper finishing the room will not have ventilation, communications and heating. The base of the future flooring, or screed, as builders call it, is created first. In a monolithic foundation, concrete is impregnated with special solutions, which, upon contact with moisture, crystallize and tightly “seal” the floor. If a tape-type base has been laid, then a real “layer cake” made from materials is laid on it:

• Sand cushion;
• Roofing felt layer;
• Reinforcing mesh.

And only the screed is laid on top. After the rough stage of working with the floor is completed, it can be safely covered with laminate, linoleum, parquet or ceramic tiles. The choice of material depends on the room design project. If the basement will be used for living, then a heating system will be provided between the flooring and the screed, which will ensure regular heating.

The walls are primed several times before final finishing. Two or three layers of antiseptic composition will not only improve the “adhesion” between the surface and the material, but will also reduce the risk of the formation of fungi and mold. In the future cellar or pantry, the walls are simply plastered or lined with wood panels and moisture-resistant plasterboard. The latter can be painted in the desired color if necessary. It is better to use mineral-cement plaster, as it is more resistant to moisture than its lime and gypsum counterparts. The wood will have to be treated with special solutions that will stop the processes of decay and the spread of fungus. In residential premises, insulation is carried out with mineral wool, and on top of the plaster the walls are finished with PVC panels, wallpaper, wood, plasterboard, or simply painted.

The ceiling in the basement plays an important role, especially if the room is being restored, and was previously used to carry out numerous communications. The hanging option will help you cleverly “hide” all this splendor from pipes and wires, but at the same time leave constant access to them if necessary. Unfortunately, this method is not suitable for basements with low ceilings, because its frame will “eat up” too many precious centimeters. In this case, it is better to resort to moisture-resistant drywall. In high basements, you can make a multi-level ceiling from this material, which will become the highlight of the interior. In simpler versions, the surface is primed and plastered.

The corners and all joints of surfaces in the basement must be coated with the waterproofing solution, which is used to impregnate the base to create the screed. This way you can protect the room from dampness and mold.

Ideas for Basement Walls Made of Concrete

If you don't want to deal with the appearance of your unfinished basement walls, then you have other options. Transform a concrete wall into something beautiful with a simple coat of paint. Cover the concrete basement wall with drywall, panels, slabs or wallpaper.

Whatever you choose for the walls, make sure they complement the basement flooring you choose. They should work together to create a cohesive look for the entire basement.

You shouldn’t decorate the walls in a rustic style and make the floor ultra-modern. It will also not be successful to combine two types of wood that are similar, but not exactly the same. They either harmonize or are completely different.

Availability of basements

The entrance to the basement should also be present on the building design. There are only three options for its location:

• From the street;
• From home;
• Combined option.

In the first case, the basement will be considered as a completely independent room. Often closets are equipped with such an entrance, because gardening equipment is inconvenient to constantly carry through living rooms, staining the floors with earth. The entrance from the house is equipped for constant access to food supplies or to the living space. Doors can be wooden or metal. If the exit leads to the street, then it is better to choose a more durable and strong material. Metal will cope with this task better than wood. The second is chosen for interior doors, which are installed at the exit to the house. By type of execution they are classified into:

• Deaf;
• Panel;
• Paneled;
• Stained glass.

The latter must be purchased from heavy-duty glass. If the basement has not been renovated for living, then to avoid dampness or cold from the “dungeon”, choose double doors or combined with cladding. In some basements there are two exits at once: one to the residential part of the house, and the second directly to the street. In the first case, an interior door is used, and in the second, an entrance door.

DIY Basement Wall Ideas

If you know how to work with your hands and have some experience in building houses, you can do the basement finishing yourself. Start by treating the concrete walls with a vapor barrier. It will prevent the penetration of moisture from the outside.

Then insulate the space with foam insulation, spray foam, or other insulation material. Add insulation between the track strips and around all basement windows.

Then install the drywall onto the battens or wall mounts. The finished work should be a smooth wall that prevents moisture from penetrating and heat from escaping.

We plan at the design stage

Those who are building a house face many questions: from the number of floors of the house to the need to arrange a basement in it. The latter will significantly increase the cost of the work, but additional space will never be superfluous either at the dacha or in the cottage. In addition, basements strengthen the foundation, which is especially important in those regions where outbreaks of increased seismic activity are observed. Any construction must begin with a soil survey. Its composition on the site and the depth of groundwater will matter. Depending on these two indicators, the type of foundation is selected, and, accordingly, the features of the basement:

• Monolithic (tiled);
• Tape.

The second type is suitable for deep-lying waters and soil that ensures the stability of the building. Monolithic is a solid slab. It is used for more monumental structures in places where the groundwater level rises above the critical level - 2 m, and the soil is loose and consists mainly of sand. Construction traditionally begins from the basement. The first is to dig a pit, lay the foundation, and arrange a blind area. There are two main technologies for building a basement:

• With the preparation of the pit;
• With preliminary pouring of strip walls (reinforced concrete).

Modern Basement Wall Ideas

Modern interior design requires more effort in your basement. However, it will make your basement look most similar to the rest of the home that is built.

First, the walls should be made white or light, then a wooden floor should be laid. Install a drop ceiling that hides all plumbing, electrical and ventilation systems.

If you already have a finished basement, you can convert it partially into a laundry room. This solution will give you more space at the top. Repurpose an old laundry room into a walk-in closet or other small utility space.

Ideas for Painted Basement Walls

Changing the color of your basement walls can completely transform the look and feel of your space. Choose three colors for your basement remodel. Use the 10/30/60 method, where each number represents the percentage of room utilization. By the way, this approach is used in many popular basement design ideas.

The ceiling color in the basement is more important than in other rooms of the house. Bright white reflects light and makes the room brighter.

The color black will make the basement ceiling appear lower than it actually is. No matter what color you choose, paint everything from the HVAC system to the ceiling beams. This will create a finished look.

Rustic Basement Wall Ideas

If you're looking to create a home space that everyone can feel comfortable in, consider rustic basement design ideas. These ideas take a simple and somewhat frugal approach to renovating your basement.

You can achieve the effect by adding wood paneling to the walls or installing wood laminate flooring. Look for wood trim that has a distressed and distressed appearance.

If you have the budget to spare, you can choose real treated or reclaimed wood. It will give your basement a natural feel. Choose leather or suede furniture to harmonize with the wood.

Basement Wall Cladding Ideas

If you're not ready to commit to a completely rustic style, then wood paneling is a great alternative. They are perfect for creating an accent wall in your basement.

White paneling will help a small basement feel lighter and lighter. And so that the room does not seem gloomy and cold, combine it with a warm wooden floor.

This style can be continued throughout the entire room. Give your basement stairs some contrast. The front part of a white wood staircase can be imitated by wooden panels. Make the upper part of the stairs from warm wood.

How to make your basement comfortable

A basement will only become comfortable if all work on its construction and finishing is carried out in accordance with generally accepted standards. Then you won’t have to go out every year in a “death battle” with mold, remove frost from jars of pickles in winter and sort frozen vegetables. To make the premises suitable for habitation, several stages of work must be completed:

• Carrying out heating, ventilation systems and electrical wiring. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to stay indoors for a long time without batteries, even in the summer; if there are no outlets, the use of equipment is impossible, and neither guests nor owners will want to breathe stagnant air;
• Finishing. In this case, we are talking about the use of especially durable heat and waterproofing materials that will help reduce the percentage of humidity and stabilize the temperature;
• Selection of furnishings and room design.

If no mistakes were made during construction and finishing, then the room will be no different from an ordinary living room in a house.

Ideas for Stone Basement Walls

Unlike bricks and cinder blocks, stone creates a cavernous feel in a good way. This perfect wall finish transforms a basement into a wine cellar. To do this, use a large antique stone pattern. You can achieve this effect using wallpaper, wall panels or even real stone. The method you choose depends on your family budget.

Set stone is a modern look that adds texture to your basement. It is ideal for finishing the wall of your room. Create an accent wall. Close up the front of the basement bar. Build a half-wall that divides the space into separate usable areas.

How to keep warm

To get a high-quality insulated basement, act in two directions:

• Conducting a heating system;
• Insulation of the “box” of the room: walls, ceiling and floor.

Heating systems will artificially increase the temperature and pump in heat. The task of insulation materials is to hold it for as long as possible. The quality of finishing and heating system directly affects the microclimate in the basement.

Basement Wall Ideas With Wallpaper

Use wallpaper to completely change the look of your basement. Usually people don't consider wallpaper because it's damp and wallpaper is incompatible with dampness. However, if you have renovated your basement, then using modern wallpaper should not be a problem.

Apply wallpaper to drywall or other surface. Each zone can use a different design to demarcate the different spaces. In the main living area, use a simple pattern. Then something with a bolder pattern on the kitchenette wall.

For a basement bathroom, choose wallpaper with a bright and bold pattern. A small space allows for a richer design that would look overwhelming on larger walls.

Basement options

The basement is adapted to a variety of needs depending on the needs of the owners. In most homes, this room has impressive dimensions, which makes dreams of spacious areas for play, entertainment or work come true. Most often they create from the basement:

• Gym;

• Wine cellar with tasting area;

• A miniature bar for gatherings with friends;

• Swimming pool or sauna;

• Workshop for work;

• Laundry room for washing and ironing things. Relevant if the family is large;

• Billiard room combined with a darts and table tennis area;

• Games room;

• A greenhouse for growing vegetables or mushrooms. A kind of small household that doesn’t care about winter;

• A music studio with good sound insulation;

• Additional room for guests;

• Home cinema;

• Library and miniature reading room.

Place to rest

A place to relax in a spacious basement usually includes several functional areas:

• Reading corner;
• Bar counter for those who want to have a glass or two of wine;
• A platform for active games, and if dimensions allow, then even a miniature dance floor;
• Movie viewing area.

In small rooms you will have to limit yourself to one or two most important areas. The decoration of the basement room can be complemented by a cozy fireplace and firewood. They look especially colorful in rooms decorated in the now popular chalet style. The furnishings of the room have references to a holiday home, which is lost in the Alps, far from the bustling world. The chalet loves the abundance of wood, animal skins (imitation), brown-honey color scheme. Of course, the Alpine style is difficult to implement without the presence of panoramic windows with views of the mountains, but they are compensated for by false panels and an abundance of lamps of simple shapes. The fireplace is an integral part of the chalet. It is decorated with stonework or brick, and the fire doors are decorated with intricate ligature or ornaments, which are reflected in wall decoration and textiles. Please note that there should not be too many patterns; monotony prevails in the chalet.

Home cinema

In cottage houses, the basement is often equipped with a full-fledged mini-cinema. Films are viewed both on a modern large-format “plasma” of impressive dimensions, and on a white wall using a projector. The last option fits organically into the retro style. Seating can be arranged in several ways:

• Single chairs arranged in rows;
• Full-sized chairs with common armrests, like in real cinemas;
• Several sofas placed one after another.

The latter option allows, if necessary, to use the room for other recreation, therefore it is considered universal. A simple but sophisticated loft is suitable for a stylish cinema.

Library

A small basement can be converted into an individual room “for books”. The racks are installed solid: from the ceiling to the floor. A cozy place for reading or working is created in the corner. A soft sofa with a couple of pillows, a table and a couple of poufs for guests is enough. If you decide to place all your book treasures in the basement, then pay special attention to the fight against humidity. Over time, the paper may “bloom” in the bad sense of the word, and you risk losing your entire library.

Playroom for children

A residential basement is a gift for owners of a home “kindergarten”. If you arrange it tastefully, it will be difficult to pull the kids out of there. One area is allocated for creative activities: there are tables with chairs and a rack with kits for drawing, modeling, wood carving, modeling or creating crafts. Another area is designed for active games: table hockey, tennis, twister, trampoline, ball pool, rock climbing, children's darts. The third zone will be equipped as a resting place for children and an observation post for parents. On another site they usually embody a fairy tale for girls: with miniature castles, artificial trees and other attributes of the “kingdom of dreams.” Boys are given the opportunity to entertain themselves with construction kits and car racing on special tracks.

Gym

Spacious home basements are ideal for organizing a personal gym. For residents of cramped apartments, this dream remains unfulfilled, but owners of country houses are given a unique opportunity to realize it in their homes. The room is sparsely decorated, without skimping on mirrors. Just like in a real gym, there should be a lot of them, so that a person can see not only the result of working on the body, but also problem areas that still have to be worked on. When installing exercise equipment, maintain the recommended distance between them to avoid injury hazards.

Cellar

The cellar can be adapted for storing homemade pickles or wines. Country style is suitable for the latter. The trend, which was born in the American outback, loves rough textures and a range of “woody” shades. The walls are decorated with decorative bricks, chandeliers are hung from the ceiling on decorative chains, and empty glass containers are stored in barrels. A wicker tasting table and a pair of matching chairs are also placed here. If you plan to store pickles and food in the cellar, then you can save on finishing. It is not necessary to install heating in this room; natural ventilation is sufficient. When storing pickle jars, avoid wooden racks in favor of their metal counterparts. To increase the service life of the latter, the material is coated with a protective layer against corrosion.

Engineering systems

Initially, the basements were intended to house all communication nodes. A pumping station is installed in this room if the owners are connected to an autonomous water source. A gas or electric boiler, which is responsible for heating the entire house, is also placed here, as is an electrical panel with plugs. Engineering systems rarely occupy the entire basement area. If it is being equipped as a living space, they are separated from the room by a partition or decorative wall, so as not to spoil the overall appearance.

Wood Basement Wall Ideas

Lining the basement walls with wood planks will create a warm and comfortable environment. However, this option will require additional effort, since you will need to process each board separately.

A simpler solution is to buy ready-made wood panels. They are sold by the square meter, so you will get as much as you need. The panels are then connected to each other and glued or nailed to the wall. This is an inexpensive and easy solution for finishing basement walls.