9 percent of new homes in the U.S. have a finished basement, which is doing nothing but rising. People realize they’re wasting valuable square footage by leaving their basements unfinished. Why waste that space when you can turn it into another room in your home for a unique purpose?
The only limits to basement finishing are your desires and your imagination. What room have you always wanted in your home? By remodeling your basement, you don’t need a mansion to have a space that feels luxurious, auxiliary, and useful.
Let’s look at some of the best and most unique uses for a finished basement.
1. Host in a Mother-In-Law Suite or Small Apartment
With 4 million homes in the U.S. being multigenerational, the number of people who choose to live with their adult children is rising. Many families find this change in dynamic more accessible when they know that all the adults each have their own specified space that belongs to them.
By turning your basement into a mother-in-law suite, you offer your parents or your partner’s parents individuality and independence while sharing the cost of owning a home with them. These are also good options for recent college graduates who crave freedom but may not be ready to move out entirely on their own yet.
A good mother-in-law suite should include a sleeping area, living or home office areas such as a couch and coffee table or desk, a bathroom, and a small kitchenette. Even in smaller basements, creating an aesthetically pleasing layout is possible to meet all of these needs. You may consider adding some walls in your basement remodel to divide the space, but it isn’t always necessary. A good contractor can help you lay it all out.
Even if you don’t plan on having a multigenerational household, it never hurts to have a small apartment in your home. You can offer it to long and short-term guests or pick up some extra income by renting it out on home-sharing sites.
2. Learn and Unwind in Your Private Library
Have you dreamed of the luxury of your very own home library? This dream is well within grasp, with a basement remodel, some shelving, and many comfy chairs with side tables.
Line your walls with simple shelving units that a contractor can build, and then delegate spaces in the room as seating and reading areas. You can trust yourself to remember where all your books are or give them an old charm by getting a library card catalog drawer. There are also digital cataloging systems.Â
Organizing all your books may be a project, but then you’ll be able to reveal that all your prized books are in the same place, properly cared for, and organized. Your basement library will become your private hideaway from the rest of the world, where you can relax with a cup of tea and a text.
3. Produce in a Music Studio
Whether you work as a professional musician or a hobbyist, you can take your music-making to the next level with a home music studio.
Just imagine, you and your band can put out an EP without booking a studio. You can mix and master whatever work you want right in the comfort of your own home. With the workspace right there, who knows, you could start making a partial income from it.
This renovation will require some sectioning off of the basement and some soundproofing. You may also want to build places for instruments to be kept. But because music studios can be pretty small, you may still have plenty of basement room to remodel for other purposes.
4. Hang Out in the Classic Bar and Pool Table Basement
We know what every guy’s dream basement looks like. It’s gotta have the pub signs, the bar, and a classic pool table. Sure this is a great look, and you can’t go wrong with it, but have you considered something more sophisticated?
Today’s basement bars don’t have to still look like basements. You can create something sleek with subtle overhead lighting. Think of a marble bar top with stainless steel seats. Put down a gray hardwood floor. And swap out that pool table with something more versatile.
You can choose a pool table with a ping pong cover (great for any friend groups who love beer pong) or something electronic! Video games can be just as social as physical games, and you’ll offer your friends something unique with the newest gaming system or something vintage from their childhoods. There are also virtual sports options that are equally fun.
The takeaway is this, by all means, remodel your basement into the cool hangout/bar area of your dreams, but don’t let traditions hold you back. Consider the aesthetics and activities that you’d love and enjoy most!
5. Workout in Your Own Home Gym
The COVID pandemic has led to inconsistent gyms opening, and closing, requiring masks, not requiring acts, etc. It can be so much to keep up with. Building a habit of going is the only way you’ll see results at the gym, but with the changing protocol, it’s hard to make that habit.
Using your basement finishing project to build a home gym, you can combat this problem. Not every home gym is the same, so you should consider some of your favorite workouts when designing it.
Some standard features of a basement gym space are a sprung floor, a mirror wall (to check your form), and a water station. It can also be good to have a ballet barre, some rubber flooring for grip, and a sound system for music.
6. Relax in a Cozy Movie Theater
Basements make great home entertainment centers. By putting your TV, music, and video games in the basement, you can keep those kinds of distractions out of the main living area of your home. A basement entertainment center turns entertainment into a treat instead of a given.
Get the coziest couches and recliners in your home movie theater. Set up a flat screen or even a projector. You can even have a snack station for popcorn and soft drinks. These simple yet evocative additions can take family movie night to the next level and make it feel like an actual event.
7. Educate in a Home Schoolroom
Whether you’re a homeschooled family or not, many people find it necessary to have a designated school area in their home. A schoolroom for kids can help on snow days and COVID-19 exposure days, giving them a quiet, private space to complete their homework.
Tables and chairs or desks are necessary as is a good wifi connection. You have shelves for school supplies. Sometimes it’s fun to have a wall painted with chalkboard paint so your kids can express their biggest ideas on the wall.
The best thing about a basement schoolroom is that it can be multipurpose. Add craft supplies and a larger drafting table to become a craft room. Keep your desk and home office space down there so that you can work quietly side by side while keeping an eye on younger kids.
For design, lean into bright and inspiring colors. It’ll help lighten up what can otherwise be a fairly dark room and help everyone working there stay motivated.
8. Entertain With a Small Bowling Alley
We told you that your only limit was your imagination. How cool would it be to have your bowling alley right in your home?
A typical basement can fit about two bowling lanes. Depending on your budget, you can have the pins manually set or invest in a bowling lane machine to do it all for you. Your home is bound to become THE hangout spot for you, your friends, and your kids as soon as everyone finds out you have bowling lanes.
This is also a great option if you want a bar/hangout area in your basement but want to add an unexpected touch.
Basement Finishing to Help You Live Like a King
By beginning basement finishing, you open up yourself to a world of possibilities for what your home could be. Think about the kind of room your home is missing, and then remind yourself that you have lots of square footage going completely unused! Expand the habitable zone of your home, add something just for fun, or make work easier for everyone at home with a basement renovation.
Want to start considering some basement options? Contact us to talk through your ideas today.