The basement now serves the same purpose as the living room. Often times, spending time in the basement is even more pleasurable. So, neglecting it is no longer an option. Today, we can find little gems and a lot of imagination on the lower floor.
In many homes, the basement is so well designed that it has become the most popular room of the household. The arrival of the home theatre has a lot to do with this. Hence, the importance of improving the appearance of the space to make it more enjoyable and useful at the same time. You can choose a more conventional decor or go for an unconventional style.
Usually, the very essence of the basement is joining two or more rooms together without any partition wall. For example, you could combine a recreation room with a kitchenette or a bar, a bar with a wine cellar, a lounge area with a fitness room or bedroom. If this concept suits you, you can always install the same decorative flooring throughout the basement. This will make the space look larger and feel bigger.
If you prefer dividing your rooms, the use of high partition walls is not the only option. Various floor surfaces, wall coverings, light sources of variable intensity, bookcases, half walls (glass, stone, wood) and decorative folding screens can easily divide the living spaces.
If you need to divide a room, opting for a glass door, such as the famous sliding French door, can be favorable. It ensures privacy, reduces noise and lets in as much sunlight as possible in the basement.
Playful and attractive designs often coexist in the basement, which gives way to a great decorative potential. You can experiment with a style that you did not have the audacity to try in the past, and then replicate it on the main floor or first floor. You could create a vintage style, a flamboyant ethnic decor, a typical bar design, a glorious contemporary look, or even a warm and rustic setting. The digital design is slowly making its mark as a trending style. The basement is the perfect area to try it.
The basement is also the best place to experiment with different colours. Painting all the walls in white is usually preferred because it brightens up a darker space. Yellow also serves this same purpose, as well as cream or light grey. That being said, nothing stops you from choosing vibrant colours, such as those of a volcano erupting, or a monochromatic design that fades into different shades, such as bold yellow, lemon yellow, saffron yellow, bright yellow and straw yellow. The basement is the ideal place to create crazy contrasts.
Mirrors are magical in the basement. They expand the space, liven up the rooms and reflect natural and artificial lights, making a darker place a little brighter. They create illusions in a fake window frame.
You can find tons of highly innovative lighting fixtures on the market. Add some to your decor and you will turn your basement into a vibrant space. Here is a little advice: track lighting lets you direct light wherever you please, which is a great advantage in a basement.
If you are a little timid about showcasing your collector’s items on the main floor, the basement is the perfect place to display your collectibles, such as antique and modern maps, posters, board games, motorbikes, and so much more.
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