7 Awesome Basement Remodeling Ideas
One room underutilized in most homes is the basement. It doesn’t have to be a dark place that’s used only to store holiday decorations and long lost childhood toys. It can be a place where you get together with friends and family and hang out. While most people use their family room and dining room to entertain guests, we’ll help you be more unique. Here are 7 awesome basement remodeling ideas that’ll make it one of the best rooms of your home.
1. Bring the Movies Home: Personal Theater
Everyone likes going to the movies – the beautiful picture and booming sound takes you into its reality. What if you could bring the movie experience to your home? One of the most common basement remodeling ideas is to turn your basement into a home theater.
It all starts with the television. With the beautiful 1080p and 4k TVs, movies have never been more beautiful. It feels as if you’re right there with your favorite characters. Not to mention you can get any size TV – from 30 to 90 inches. If there is enough space on your wall, then you can do it!
Projector screens are also a fun idea. They mount to your ceiling and project the image onto a pull down screen or your wall. It’ll allow you to have a large screen TV that doesn’t take up much space on your wall.
Sound systems have advanced overtime as well. You can customize your own set by buying a receiver and getting speakers separately.
Make sure your receiver is capable of handling your set up. You can get 3:1, 5:1 7:1, 7:2 or another configuration. The first number is the amount of speakers while the second number is the amount of sub woofers. There are also wireless options so you don’t have running cables throughout your basement.
The biggest difference between going to the movie theater and having your own basement theater is the seating. Most chairs at movie theater are uncomfortable and who knows who has been sitting in them. With your personal theater though, you can get comfortable recliners fit for a king or queen. It’ll take your movie experience to the next level!
2. A Home Gym Has Health Benefits
If you’re looking for a basement remodeling idea that will help you better yourself, then a personal gym is a great direction to go. You can lose weight while having a basement you’ll want to show off to guests. It’s the best of both worlds.
There are many affordable cardio machines on the market such as elliptical, treadmills and stationary bikes. You’ll want to make sure these are by an outlet because many require electricity for their screens and heart rate monitors.
You can also get many free weights and machines for your basement. These won’t require power so you can put them where ever you like. They’ll round out your home gym so you can do strength training and cardio without leaving the comfort of your home.
You’ll want your personal gym to be well lit. Have nice, bright florescent lighting. It’s both bright and energy efficient. Also, make sure you have windows so you can allow natural light into your home during the day. It’s also great to have air ventilation in your gym. You could get sweaty from working out. A slider or hopper window is a perfect addition.
3. It Isn’t All About You: Children’s Playroom
Not all basement remodeling ideas have to be about you. If you have children, perhaps making a fun, safe playroom for them is the right idea.
There are many different directions you can take a basement playroom. For younger children, you can have play mats and large interactive toys set up. This way your upstairs won’t become cluttered but you’re children have a dedicated space to play.
As your children get older, video games tend to be a common interest. They can keep their video games and controllers away from the upstairs so they don’t clutter your house. It’s also a nice way to give them privacy with their friends as they enter their teens.
4. Home Bars Are Perfect for Entertaining Guests
One of the most common basement remodeling ideas besides the home theater is a bar. Many homeowners like to turn their basements into personal bars. It’s rather easy and provides a fun place to hang out with guests.
You can buy a small bar from any outdoor living store or, if you’re handy, build your own. If you have a water line in the area, you can also build yourself a wet bar. A wet bar is a bar with a running sink.
Once you’ve got the bar set up, the rest is personal preference. Would you like it to be a sports bar? Hang flags, autographs and pictures from your favorite sports teams. Maybe you’d prefer a rock bar? Hang up guitars and concert memorabilia. There are many different directions you can take your new bar. Personalize it to fit your taste.
5. Large Games Mix Well With a Home Bar
As far a basement remodeling ideas go, large game rooms go hand in hand with a home bar. You can combine these two ideas to make the ultimate man cave basement.
What constitutes a large game? Pool, foosball, air hockey, ping pong, shuffle board and darts are large games you can add to your basement. They’re a great way to enjoy company while adding a bit a friendly competition. Keep in mind that they’re large so only get what will fit in your basement.
Another unique thing you can get for your basement are arcade cabinets. They’ll take up less space than pool tables and shuffle boards but you’re limited by where you can put them. They’ll need to be near an outlet so they can be plugged in. Much like your other electronics, be careful around windows and with flooding – you don’t want the weather to take a toll on your investment.
6. Knowledge is Power: Home Library
Not all basement remodeling ideas need to be theaters or bars. You can always turn it into your personal library. It’s a great way to relax and read a good book.
Turning your basement into a library may be the easiest, most affordable basement remodeling idea on the list. You’ll need a large bookshelf to house all of your books and a comfortable chair for reading. If you add a desk, it can also double as your home office making it both practical and relaxing.
As far as lighting, you may want to consider adding windows for natural light. It’s easier on your eyes while reading and doesn’t cost extra money on your electric bills. Also, floor lamps aren’t a bad idea. They’ll give you light for reading at night but they won’t overwhelm you by being harshly bright.
7. When In Doubt, Make It a Bedroom
If you’re looking for a practical and simple remodel for your basement, why not a bedroom? Having a spare bedroom has many benefits and it won’t cost you much money.
To get started all you’ll need are a couple of dressers and a bed. After that the rest is up to you. Is your younger child going to be using it? You can decorate it with their favorite cartoon or other interests. Will a teenager be using it? They can hang memorabilia from their favorite team, school projects, their own accomplishments or fill it with video games. Maybe you’ll use it as a guest bedroom? Then you can keep it simple because it won’t be used everyday.
If you’re making a bedroom in your basement, it’s important that you have egress windows. They’re basement windows that you’re able to exit through in case of emergencies. If your basement bedrooms don’t have an egress window, your bedroom isn’t up to code.
Personalize It However You Want
When it comes down to it, your basement can be anything you want. Some people go as far as to turn their basement into a hockey rink, arcade and even indoor pool. While those basement remodeling ideas are lavish and impractical, it shows that if you have the space, you can make it anything you can imagine.
Be Careful with Flooding
With Chicago’s crazy weather patterns, who knows when it may rain. If you live in an area prone to flooding, it could be a catastrophe waiting to happen. Since a basement is below ground, there is a potential for flooding. Make sure your wires are well protected and away from windows.
The good thing is that many electronics connect wirelessly now which will limit the amount of wires you have running throughout your basement.
Another Living Space
Your basement doesn’t have to be void of personality. Make it another living space and enjoy it with friends and family. You can choose one of the basement remodeling ideas from above, or it can be something unique that wasn’t mentioned. The fun part is, it’s completely up to you!
