Find Basement Finishing Ideas

Having a plan is critical to the success of a basement finishing project. If you know you want to finish the basement but have no clue what to do with it, coming up with an idea can be a difficult part of the finishing process. However, making a finish basement project plan can also be the most exciting portion of finishing the basement. The ideas below will help you get your creative juices flowing so that you can begin to build your own unique finish basement plans.

WORK WITH WHAT YOU HAVE

One of the biggest mistakes that people make when finishing a basement is to start tearing into it with nothing more than an image in their head. This can lead to costly mistakes and dangerous oversights. Instead of being one of these people, begin by walking down into your basement and making a rough drawing of what it currently looks like. Be sure to include every component of your unfinished basement, from the windows and doors to the plumbing and furnace. In addition, sketch in every beam and post write down exact measurements of everything.

CONSIDER THE POSSIBILITIES

Although a basement can be anything that you want it to be, there are certain types of areas that are ideally suited to the basement environment. These include:

• Home theaters - A basement is naturally darker than the rest of the house. This makes it the perfect place to put in a home theater, where a lack of light can work to your advantage.
• Game rooms - Large, open areas make a basement a great place to put in a game room. In many basements, you can fit a pool or air hockey table, dart boards and board game tables and still have plenty of space to mingle.
• Children’s playrooms - A well-lit room in the basement can give your children a place of their own where they can have fun without disturbing adults, and there is usually enough space to build in cupboards and shelves to keep their toys organized.
• Home offices - A basement often feels like a separate entity from the rest of the house, and it can be very quiet as well. This can make it a wonderful place to get away from the demands of home and get some work done.
• Wet bars - Basements already have plumbing pipes in them, so it takes a lot less to build a wet bar there than it would in an alternative area. This area can be used not only for wine and adult parties, but for children’s birthday parties or a soda-stocked teenage hangout.

THINK ABOUT LIGHTING

Because basements are so dim, you will want to make allowances for this when creating your finished basement designs. However, there are ways to maximize the light in the space so that it will feel like a home instead of a dreary dungeon. For example:

• Keep it open - An open floor plan is much brighter than one with a lot of separate rooms, and it is cheaper to build as well. Design your basement to make maximum use of window space and available daylight.
• Enlarge your windows - The larger your windows are, the more sunlight you will have in your basement. Even if you have to dig new window wells and cut into concrete, it can be worth it to replace your windows with bigger ones.
• Use French doors - Replacing your interior and exterior basement entry doors with French doors can be a simple way to let in more light, and it will make your basement feel more open as well.
• Install plenty of artificial lights - Even if you have maximized the sunlight reaching your basement, it may still feel darker than the rest of the house. Be prepared to use more lights than you would on an upper level, and consider using recessed lighting or track lighting for maximum effect.

LOOK AT OTHER PEOPLE’S PROJECTS

Don’t be ashamed to look at your neighbor’s basement finish ideas to help you get a fresh perspective. Home improvement magazines and basement remodeling websites can also be great sources of inspiration, so spend some time looking at them and thinking about how other people’s designs might work for you. In addition, talk to people who have walked this road before and get their input on your project.

USE 3D IMAGING SOFTWARE

Imaging software can be an invaluable way to get a clear picture of your project, especially for people who are very visual. You can play with different design ideas without expending a lot of paper, and you can plug in your basement measurements to make sure that everything fits perfectly.

Get more information on how to finish a basement.