Basement apartment lighting replacement
Kathleen Marineau
5 years ago
The previous owner installed fluorescent lights, the ones with pairs of 4' tubes, when he finished the walkout basement into a 2 bedroom apartment. We want to replace them with something that sheds light on dark corners, looks less like a cubicle filled office and fits in with a dropped acoustical tile ceiling.
Is there a source for learning how many, and what type of lighting to plan?
This will be a slow project because we only have about $100/month in the budget for improvements. Thus far we have purchased 2 ceiling fans w/light kits, one for a bedroom, the other for the kitchen area.
The family room area is 31'x11'
Old ceiling tiles have been removed for plumbing repairs and to install whole house A/C with heat pump. I'd prefer to get new lighting in before we close up the ceiling again.
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Comments (7)
Kathleen Marineau
5 years agoRelated Discussions
Help my son decorate a basement apartment (cross post)
Comments (7)My brother had a basement apt. in DC too years back. He got a lot of stuff on sale, but what I remember liking most was the black and white photos in black or silver frames. Definitely get a lot of lighting, and my feeling is not to be afraid of some color in a dark space, just add enough lighting to offset it. To me, deep color in a dark space looks better than off white which ends up looking dingy. Here is a pic of my almost finished basement family room in RH Dusk, a mid tone denimy blue. Ceiling will be black, trim will be a light tan, floors are light and carpet is light. It feels very cool and cozy. We still need to do the ceiling, trim and add the overhead lights. All the furnishings were things we had. (The crazy lamps were bought at Target for $5 each and the rug was $125, it's wool and 8x10, from Home Decorators OUtlet!) (Excuse my clean laundry on the couch)...See MoreRemodeling basement room into a studio apartment - need ideas.
Comments (9)@S Rodriguez - Good point. Will have to check. @Jmc101 - Responses below: No refrigerator. While it is not depicted, I intend to have a small refrigerator either in the cabinetry under the stove or as a stand alone. is "Storage" intended to be the ONLY storage for clothes and linen/towels? What about a dresser? Mmm...yes. I had not thought of a dresser. There is room to expand the right wall, behind the area marked "storage", further into the basement. However, due to the vents behind the wall the ceiling height would be lower than the rest of the room. is there additional storage outside of this room? The rest of the basement has a lot of empty room but I wasn't planning on giving any additional storage to the occupant. There is no room to move between the counter and sink in sketch 2. The sketch is not drawn to scale but that is a valid point. Need to double check. is the only access through the sliding door? There is a door (first pic above) which leads to the basement and the laundry room. However, the sliding door (which will be replaced by an entry door) is the primary access....See Moreneed ideas for basement redo into an apartment
Comments (5)Will it be legal and safe? Check with your code department about requirements. Will it make financial sense? Fixing a damp basement costs big money. Life will be much easier if there's a separate heating/cooling system and separate water/electric/gas meters and they cost. Sound-proofing, or the lack of it, can make or break a basement apartment, so budget for that. 10x20? Look at travel trailer floor plans....See MoreBuilding Basement Apartment- will recessed lights increase noise?
Comments (6)Those cans make your ceiling the equivalent of Swiss cheese for sound isolation. I’d find the smallest LEDs you can, and use the fewest amount. Also invest in some rugs upstairs with a nice underlayment or pad. They really do help to dampen footfalls noise. You’d lose some height if you do a resilient channel or double your Sheetrock. Is this an actual rental unit? Or just a place for grandma and grandpa?...See MoreKathleen Marineau
5 years agoKathleen Marineau
5 years ago
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