Room of the Day: Swank Basement Redo for a 100-Year-Old Row House
A downtown Knoxville basement goes from low-ceilinged cave to welcoming guest retreat
Annie Thornton
March 16, 2015
Houzz Editorial Staff
Last year Tim Hulsey and Lettie Flores bought a century-old row house in downtown Knoxville, Tennessee. They hired architect Brandon Pace to update some of the home’s finishes while preserving the overall feel of the space. As the basement had 6-foot ceilings and no direct light source, turning it into a more livable space proved to be one of the most dramatic transformations in the house.
“With basement renovations, typical design considerations, such as ceiling height and natural light, are amplified,” says Pace, of Sanders Pace Architecture. In the process of making the downstairs space more livable, he also exposed hidden details of the historic house and introduced functional and modern design elements to suit the couple’s taste. “We both love the fact that we can live in a 100-year-old row house and maintain the modernist style we prefer,” Hulsey says.
“With basement renovations, typical design considerations, such as ceiling height and natural light, are amplified,” says Pace, of Sanders Pace Architecture. In the process of making the downstairs space more livable, he also exposed hidden details of the historic house and introduced functional and modern design elements to suit the couple’s taste. “We both love the fact that we can live in a 100-year-old row house and maintain the modernist style we prefer,” Hulsey says.
“After” photos by Bruce Cole
Room at a Glance
Who lives here: Tim Hulsey and Lettie Flores
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
Size: 13 feet by 24 feet (4 by 7½ meters); 312 square feet (29 square meters)
Hulsey says that despite the row house’s downtown location, “we are well back from the street and away from much of the bustle that downtown living usually entails.” Two rows of six houses face this brick alley-courtyard, accessible only by foot. It’s one of the few remaining pockets of historic row houses in downtown Knoxville. Flores walks about 100 yards from the front door to her office, and Hulsey’s commute is a 20-minute walk.
Pace’s task was to update some of the interior spaces, including adding new floors and finishes and updating some doors. As mentioned, the couple also requested a more livable basement.
Room at a Glance
Who lives here: Tim Hulsey and Lettie Flores
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
Size: 13 feet by 24 feet (4 by 7½ meters); 312 square feet (29 square meters)
Hulsey says that despite the row house’s downtown location, “we are well back from the street and away from much of the bustle that downtown living usually entails.” Two rows of six houses face this brick alley-courtyard, accessible only by foot. It’s one of the few remaining pockets of historic row houses in downtown Knoxville. Flores walks about 100 yards from the front door to her office, and Hulsey’s commute is a 20-minute walk.
Pace’s task was to update some of the interior spaces, including adding new floors and finishes and updating some doors. As mentioned, the couple also requested a more livable basement.
BEFORE: A series of walls and closet doors broke up the existing basement. Six-foot ceilings made the space appear small, and Hulsey and Flores found the white tile floors uninviting.
They wanted to convert the basement into a welcoming guest suite that would also accommodate the existing downstairs utilities, including laundry and access to the back alley.
They wanted to convert the basement into a welcoming guest suite that would also accommodate the existing downstairs utilities, including laundry and access to the back alley.
AFTER: Pace started by opening up the ceiling. He removed the existing ceiling structure to expose the main floor’s original floor joists and brought the ceiling height up to around 7 feet. The team considered finishing the soot-covered joists but ultimately just sanded them, retaining a link to the building’s history and saving some money.
They kept the existing laundry and closet to stay on budget, but Pace designed a new paneled maple plywood storage system around them, which contractor Rob Fuhrig built onsite. The closet and laundry room now sit tidily behind seamless closet doors.
Pace also built shelves at the end of the storage system for Hulsey’s record collection. (At last count, there are about 850 vinyl albums downstairs.) The basement staircase is just behind the long wood storage system. A new sliding glass door from The Home Depot leads to the bathroom and back alley.
Sofa: Design Within Reach; wall paint: Aesthetic White; trim paint: Worldly Gray, both by Sherwin-Williams
They kept the existing laundry and closet to stay on budget, but Pace designed a new paneled maple plywood storage system around them, which contractor Rob Fuhrig built onsite. The closet and laundry room now sit tidily behind seamless closet doors.
Pace also built shelves at the end of the storage system for Hulsey’s record collection. (At last count, there are about 850 vinyl albums downstairs.) The basement staircase is just behind the long wood storage system. A new sliding glass door from The Home Depot leads to the bathroom and back alley.
Sofa: Design Within Reach; wall paint: Aesthetic White; trim paint: Worldly Gray, both by Sherwin-Williams
They left the space between the bed and sitting area open for an expansive feel. “When working with spaces like this, it’s important to not compartmentalize the space too much,” says Pace. Leaving the basement open as one big room also allowed more natural light from the alley to reach the core of the room.
Pace streamlined the storage system with concealed Soss hinges and touch latches. The storage wall reads as a smooth paneled wall and not as a closet space, reducing visual clutter.
Bed: Overstock; bench: Rove Concepts; carpet: Gray Hare, Shaw
Pace streamlined the storage system with concealed Soss hinges and touch latches. The storage wall reads as a smooth paneled wall and not as a closet space, reducing visual clutter.
Bed: Overstock; bench: Rove Concepts; carpet: Gray Hare, Shaw
Before Photo
BEFORE: Pace replaced the staircase’s chain link railing as part of the upstairs renovation. He designed a maple slat guardrail and a birch cabinet box to showcase Hulsey’s vintage stereo equipment and about 50 records. “We rotate them so that we’re not listening to the same albums all the time,” Hulsey says. The maple guardrail’s location and material relate to the downstairs maple storage cabinet.
Architects: Brandon Pace (principal); Ashley Pace (project architect)
General contractor: Rob Fuhrig
More:
Houzz guides to finishing a basement
Browse thousands of basement design photos
General contractor: Rob Fuhrig
More:
Houzz guides to finishing a basement
Browse thousands of basement design photos
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I was going to buy and remodel a house with a basement like this but the problem is when the ceiling is the joists from the room above, there is zero sound insulation between floors. We found you could carry on entire conversations at a whisper, when one person was on the upper level and the other person was on that level, and hear it perfectly. So it's not really practical for a space that will get any use. Maybe a guest room that doesn't get much use, if you provide ear plugs and don't have any private conversations.
In my case I considered insulating the floor above, but couldn't because the kitchen was above and it's ceilings were the same way, and already borderline low.
The ony remaining solution that might have helped was to put maybe 4" of foam insulation beneath the subfloor, then drywall that in. So you'd still have the beams at 7' height but with drywall between at 7'7". But nobody I talked to had ever tried this and wasn't sure it would work.
Did you use drywall between the floor joists or just paint?
I'd love to know how to find the floor lamps used?