New Living Arrangement Inspires an Ohio Basement Remodel
A couple create a lower-level suite for themselves to accommodate a parent moving in on the ground floor
Other than the polished concrete floor the homeowners had another contractor install, the space was completely unfinished and raw, with small glass block basement windows. “It was like a dungeon,” says their interior designer, Golnaz Motamedi. The goals were to lighten and brighten the space, soundproof it and accommodate all requested features, not an easy feat in the amount of space. Other challenges included fitting the design around the required ductwork, utilities and existing structural posts. “It was a challenge to make all of the spaces they needed fit into the plan and work together in a uniform way,” the designer says.
Some of the most important work was making sure the basement was safe and met codes. Motamedi reconfigured and reframed the steep existing stairs to fit in the proper rises and runs, and added lights along the bottom of the staircase. She got rid of the glass block windows and had egress window wells dug for two larger windows, one in here and one in the bedroom. The windows are low enough that they do not require a step inside, large enough to crawl through and the window wells provide egress via stepped designs.
Some of the most important work was making sure the basement was safe and met codes. Motamedi reconfigured and reframed the steep existing stairs to fit in the proper rises and runs, and added lights along the bottom of the staircase. She got rid of the glass block windows and had egress window wells dug for two larger windows, one in here and one in the bedroom. The windows are low enough that they do not require a step inside, large enough to crawl through and the window wells provide egress via stepped designs.
The ceilings are just a hair shy of 8 feet high. Motamedi replaced existing ductwork with updated smaller ductwork that wasn’t such a space hog. Then she organized an aesthetically pleasing ceiling that made the ductwork’s soffits (right) fit in — this meant extending the soffit all the way around the room to create a nice recess in the center of the ceiling over the lounge area. Now the ceiling is a design asset that looks intentional. And she added another purpose for it, placing LED rope lights in the recesses above the soffits to create a lighting element. Recessed lights in the ceiling also help brighten the space.
The clients showed her their furniture before she started designing so her design would complement their style. Their tastes skew midcentury modern, so she played off that and their need for storage with a long, dark-stained maple media cabinet. This component houses their TV and sound system, and a soapstone top lets it double as a bench when they entertain.
“With the concrete floors and the walls in here, we had a lot of flat surfaces,” she says. So she added three-dimensional texture with a wall composed of reclaimed wood pieces that are different sizes and colors. The electric fireplace needed to be fireproofed, so she found a tile that matched the soapstone cabinet top for its surround.
The clients showed her their furniture before she started designing so her design would complement their style. Their tastes skew midcentury modern, so she played off that and their need for storage with a long, dark-stained maple media cabinet. This component houses their TV and sound system, and a soapstone top lets it double as a bench when they entertain.
“With the concrete floors and the walls in here, we had a lot of flat surfaces,” she says. So she added three-dimensional texture with a wall composed of reclaimed wood pieces that are different sizes and colors. The electric fireplace needed to be fireproofed, so she found a tile that matched the soapstone cabinet top for its surround.
The wet bar is just off the lounge. It has a stainless steel tile backsplash that reflects light in what would otherwise have been a dark corner. The glass-front upper cabinets with lights inside also brighten this area. It has a sink, a beverage refrigerator and room for storing bottles and glassware. The soffit above the cabinet conceals a duct.
The couple decided to move the laundry room to the basement for their convenience. The door to the left leads to the new laundry room and storage closet.
Browse bar sinks
The couple decided to move the laundry room to the basement for their convenience. The door to the left leads to the new laundry room and storage closet.
Browse bar sinks
Here is a floor plan to give you a better sense of the layout.
There’s another nice egress window that brings natural light into the bedroom, and more soffits house LED lights along the ceiling. A simple wall-mounted headboard with shelves takes up little space in the modestly sized room.
Another subtle layer of texture throughout the lounge, hall and bedroom is a woven wallpaper on all of the walls. It helps soundproof the basement.
Another subtle layer of texture throughout the lounge, hall and bedroom is a woven wallpaper on all of the walls. It helps soundproof the basement.
The bathroom is just 7 feet by 7½ feet and receives no natural light, so making it feel open and bright was a challenge. “The bathroom needed to be a comfortable, clean space,” Motamedi says.
To address this, she used several strategies:
To address this, she used several strategies:
- A wood wall-mounted vanity and matching storage cabinet free up floor space so the tile extends all the way across the floor.
- Large-format white tile on the walls goes from floor to ceiling. This provides continuity and keeps things light.
- A corner shower with a clear glass surround placed next to the entry door keeps the views open.
- A large mirror bounces the light from the source over it around the room.
As for materials, the design is tailored but also has personality. Motamedi balanced the white with the warm two-toned wood on the cabinets and the colors in the floor tile. The floor tile continues that polished concrete look for cohesiveness but also introduces some warmer brown tones that pick up the wood. An accent border of dark penny rounds ties the floor tile and the cabinets together.
The result is a fresh new suite tailored to the homeowners’ tastes, where they can settle in and adjust to their new living situation.
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The result is a fresh new suite tailored to the homeowners’ tastes, where they can settle in and adjust to their new living situation.
More
Know Your House: The Steps in Finishing a Basement
10 Ideas for an Anything-but-Boring Basement
Basement at a Glance
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Size: 900 square feet (84 square meters)
Designer: Reliance Design Build
Sometimes when a new member arrives in an established household, design can help everyone assimilate to the new situation. In this case, a couple had one of the homeowner’s fathers move in with them. In order for everyone to feel like they had their own private space, the couple hired Reliance Design Build to design and construct a basement suite for them. They moved into it themselves so the elder member of the family would not have to navigate any stairs. The design includes a TV lounge, wet bar, bedroom, bathroom and laundry room as well as mechanical-storage space.
To get yourself oriented before we start moving around down here, we are standing in the TV lounge, the door to the left leads to the bedroom, the center door leads to the bathroom and the door on the right leads to the utility room.