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Building a Home Design Dilemma Basements

Finishing Our Basement...Input Appreciated...

3 years ago

last modified: 3 years ago

We are finishing our basement. I originally wanted more of an industrial basement look with painted ceiling and LVP floors...but our house is really open on main level and we need noise buffering...so we are planning carpet tiles and insulated ceilings...there will also be a guest bedroom, bathroom, 'hang out area' kitchenette/bar, storage and workout room...

Here is floorplan with rough sketch of what we're doing. Husband is doing it by himself and with some friends...so no architect, etc. black spots are planned doors.

Our son is taking the future 'guest suite' area which is bedroom and computer area; but whole basement uses that bathroom so we only made door from one side.

We have college girls that have friends that spend random nights on way back to campus [arrive midnight stay until next afternoon, etc]....so imagine them all piling in the big green area...

someday we envision all 3 kids' families visiting and some staying down there and also for us to entertain in town and out of town friends, etc...

We are debating where to put a door?

Option 1)

sliding barn door to main hang out area...

concern: if someone staying in guest area or son on streaming on computer will be disturbed by someone going to bathroom.

Option 2)

door to 'guest suite' after the bathroom...[that's why it's shaded a different color]

this would be nice for guests [son streaming videos or future family with little kids sleeping in this area...] but not as 'open to whole area' if wanted...

might have noise on main level as it's open staircase...

We are doing an 'inverted bar idea' so you step in to the long counter with fridge, popcorn, snacks, etc. but not typical bar....the left side is open [there will be a bar height counter to lean on]...right side is wall [exercise room on opposite wall].

The fireplace wall will have tv mounted above. It's an electric fireplace. Just enough past the window to be able to trim the window out...

Windows are large but not daylight.

Any other issues/ideas?

OPTION 1

OPTION 2

Thanks.

Trish

Featured Answer

Trish Walter
Original Author

2 years ago

last modified: 2 years ago

Update: We went with option 2 with a wall and door so he could have privacy and for future guests.

We aren't completely done [shelves in kitchenette/bar, shower in bath, decor, arcade games and foosball table, etc.] but it's done enough to show pictures in case anyone cares.

Stairway down

Here's the 'other half' [don't mind shower door sitting there ha]

Workshop/Mechanics Room

Here's the storage room behind the fireplace wall [goal is to organize it this winter lol]

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Comments (8)

bpath
3 years ago
Let’s talk about the storage area. How wide is it? What will you store in there? Will there be shelving, racks, hooks? Will things be on the floor?
fnmroberts
3 years ago
https://youtu.be/omZvd2Vd3PA

This is a video showing our basement multi-purpose Great Room. We also have an Office in space set aside for a full bath that hasn’t been developed plus a large Storage area with shelving.

Cannot see dimensions. I recommend placing masking tape on the floor so that you can visualize the space. Also plan on lots of lighting and put on dimmers. Plenty of outlets and sufficient circuits.

Quiet the furnace noise via a double wall. Do that using a 2x6 for the base plate and header with non-common 2x4 studs on opposite sides so that noise doesn’t carry thru via vibration.

Good luck.
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Trish Walter
Original Author
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
storage area will just be shelves all around. Seasonal Decor, crap we don't know where to put, etc.

All areas are framed at this point. Don't have 'dimensions' I can estimate...the whole space is about 1400 sf I think?

I took pictures...it's a mess. lol.

storage room is almost 8 feet wide.

MAIN AREA [right side of floorplan]

close up of storage door [this will be where tables will be and opening to bar/kitchenette.

Trying to mainly figure out where to put a door that can be open most of the time but when son or future guests want more quiet can be used...

@fnmroberts love your basement great room.

Thanks.
Trish Walter
Original Author
3 years ago
any opinion on where to put the door ? thanks.
lyfia
3 years ago
I would want a combination of the two. The gaming area enclosed with a door that is closer to the bathroom entrance and so you can't see into the gaming area either as they can be quite noisy too as well as messy and a door to the other basement area for extra buffering from noise going both ways. A barn door will let more noise through though as it is harder to seal it.

Enclosing the gaming area also provides more privacy for whomever is going to use the bathroom.
fnmroberts
3 years ago
I’m not a proponent for either Barn or Pocket doors - like lyfia says.

looking at your layout, can the Bathroom door be set on the bias at the corner with the “hall” configured such that the entrance becomes convenient to both spaces?
fnmroberts
3 years ago

Just found this. In spite of not liking barn or pocket doors, maybe something like this could work for you.

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