Many homeowners believe they have to put an addition on to the house to gain space, but in reality, they are literally sittting on top of a wealth of extra room. That dark and dingy Basement that you avoid at all cost can be transformed into the extra room you have been dreaming about. When beginning a NJ home remodeling project, consider utilizing this wasted space.

A Family Room

Basements are ideal as Family rooms because they are in such a quiet area of the house. Along with being a peaceful place to rest and enjoy time with others, you want this space to be cheerful. Brighten the basement by adding an egress window to bring in natural light. Choose whites, ivories, light grays, or pastels for the walls and take advantage of reflective surfaces such as oversized mirrors. Furnish the space in the same way you would any living room with comfortable sofas and recliners, ottomans, and entertainment features like a big screen TV for watching movies and gaming.

The Media Room

A media room is simply a term used to describe an all purpose room that is most often used as a home theater. What could be a more perfect place to watch your favorite films than the basement where it is naturally darker and quieter. Use a drop ceiling to soften the echo effect, and add soft lighting that won’t distract from the oversized TV screen. Keep it simple by using a sectional for seating, or go for the full theater effect by adding stair stepped floors with reclining chairs and sofas placed on each level just like you find at the local cinema.

A Home Bar

A home bar is a wonderful room for entertaining friends. When it is placed in the basement, it allows you to enjoy yourself without your guests disturbing the rest of the family. Have your contractor bring in a bar with stools for seating on one side and shelves, a mini fridge, and wine storage on the other. Place a flat screen TV over head, and ad a pool table for extra fun. Rather then choosing a traditional drop ceiling, leave the pipes and beams exposed. Paint them in a solid color for an industrial look that still has style.

The Wine Room

A wine room is a more sophisticated space than a home bar, and the basement can easily be transformed into a place where you can store and enjoy your favorite beverages. Finish the basement with rich wood doors and trim as well as plenty of shelves designed with special cubbies for the bottles. Be sure to include a refrigerator for those lighter summer wines that are best served chilled. Instead of a bar that gives the room the feeling of a local pub, place leather upholstered chairs around a table in matching wood tones.

A Play Room

If you want a place where your kids can be kids without making a mess out of the entire house, finish the basement and turn it into a play room. Paint the walls and ceiling in bright, fun colors with whimsical murals thrown in for an unexpected focal point. Be sure to create plenty of storage for both small and large toys. Use specially designed padded tiles for the floor so that the little ones have a soft surface to play on. Child size tables and chairs, bean bags, and large pillows are all the seating you’ll need.

The Guest Bedroom

A nicely finished basement is the ideal place for a guest bedroom. Whether you have friends staying for the occasional weekend or long term family members moving in, they can enjoy the privacy a basement provides. Decorate the bedroom in soft, relaxing hues. Use a variety of lighting. This includes overhead lights for brightness, lamps for task lighting, and accent lights to create the perfect ambience. Don’t forget to include a full bath in the design. Having their own bathroom, complete with a shower and tub, will keep both your guests and your family happy.

The Laundry

You may already be doing your laundry in the basement, but finishing the space properly will make this mundane task more enjoyable. Concrete floors painted to resemble stone or marble flooring is both attractive and practical for a laundry room. Paint the walls in a cheerful color, and add home decor items that make it feel more like an actual living space than a utility room. With the the plumbing already in place, this would be the ideal location for an extra bathroom as well.

Once you have completed the transformation of your basement, you will find that not only have you increased the living space in your home, but you have increased its value as well. Best of all, you and your home remodeling contractor will have achieved all this without ever having to put a costly addition on to the house.

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