The basement is often a neglected point in many
homes around the country. This space in many homes is
more utilitarian than functional. The sad thing is that
this space could be so much more for those who are
interested in taking the time and paying the attention
required to change the look from functional to fabulous.
In many basements this will require a little more than
minor home decorating skills while in other basements
around the country all that is needed is a little color
and a lot of style to make the basement the most in
demand room in the house.
One common complaint that people have about basements is
the fact that they are so dark and dreary. The reason
for this is that most basements have little natural
light that is allowed to flourish due to a serious lack
of windows. However, this can also work to your benefit
if you decide to use the basement as a media area. In
fact, with the low ceiling and low light in the
basement, this is probably the most perfect area in your
home to turn into an excellent media room complete with
surround sound and theater style seating. The only
problem in this case will be getting the neighbors to
quit begging to watch this week's newest DVD release at
your house rather than their own. To pull this off you
will want darker colored walls, floors, and ceiling in
this room, a large screen television, comfortable
seating and plenty of tables upon which you can place
your beverages and popcorn.
Another great idea for basements is an artist or music
studio. Basements can easily be portioned off into
smaller rooms and all kinds of lighting can be installed
in order to accommodate the lighting needs of many
artists (keep in mind that one size does not fit all and
artists that need natural light in order to work will
not find most basements accommodating). By creating a
smaller room, particularly for musicians, you are
allowing yourself the additional option of soundproofing
or at the very least dampening the room in order to save
not only your ears but also the ears of the neighbors
and animals that live nearby. These rooms can be simply
furnished and decorated with music notes, a music stand,
a comfortable place to sit, and the equipment needed to
create music for musicians or an easel, art supplies,
wash basin, comfortable seating, and perhaps a futon for
relaxation for artists.
If you are in need of a quiet place that is removed from
the family in which to work (and who isn't really) the
basement offers an ideal workspace for that provided you
could get the lighting you need. Most people will need a
professional to install the lights in a basement but
most people will definitely need additional lighting in
the basement in order to find the space tolerable for
work. However, once the lighting situation is taken care
of, the basement does make an excellent office space for
many people. Try adding filing cabinets and photos,
perhaps a fountain in order to make the area more serene
and conducive to the work that needs to be done. Of
course you will want comfortable seating and adequate
desk or work table space as well. Design this room as
you would any home office and it should do just well
regardless of your home decorating talent.
One thing you need to keep in mind when it comes to home
decorating and the basement is that many basements have
a tendency to seep in high humidity or after heavy
rains. Dehumidifiers assist with this problem but you
may need to decorate with this in mind if the water and
moisture is problematic. You will want to avoid mold and
mildew at all cost, as they will ruin any potential
enjoyment of your basement. Cork and ceramic tile are
excellent flooring choices in this case and moisture
barriers are an excellent idea to install before
'finishing' a basement.