Basement of the Week: For the Love of Sports and Games
Skateboards, an elevated train, a surfboard lighting fixture ... see how one family packed their basement with fun features
You know a basement is very important to a family when it takes a major feat of engineering to make it happen. Excavating this basement on the beach involved pumping out and purifying ocean water and pouring very thick foundation walls, to name a few feats. And it has a few fun features, including sports collections, a train hung from the ceiling and games.
"These are very social people and always have friends stopping over unannounced, are hosting large family gatherings and planning parties for special events and charities; they love being the house that everyone comes to for fun," says Josette Murphy, owner and principal designer at About Space. They wanted their basement to have a playful vacation-at-home feeling, including games, a media room with plenty of comfortable seating, a wine cellar and a kitchenette. Here's a closer look at what Murphy has dubbed "a self-contained playroom for adults."
Basement at a Glance
Who lives here: A family with a teenage daughter and teenage son
Location: Hermosa Beach, California
Size: About 1,150 square feet
"These are very social people and always have friends stopping over unannounced, are hosting large family gatherings and planning parties for special events and charities; they love being the house that everyone comes to for fun," says Josette Murphy, owner and principal designer at About Space. They wanted their basement to have a playful vacation-at-home feeling, including games, a media room with plenty of comfortable seating, a wine cellar and a kitchenette. Here's a closer look at what Murphy has dubbed "a self-contained playroom for adults."
Basement at a Glance
Who lives here: A family with a teenage daughter and teenage son
Location: Hermosa Beach, California
Size: About 1,150 square feet
As soon as you come down the stairs, this unique skateboard display lets you know this is no ordinary basement. "With the textural stone wall as a backdrop, and some carefully planned lighting, the boards become a scuplture," Murphy says. "It really sets the tone for games and fun."
"The client had a unique collection of signed sports jerseys, and she knew she wanted to frame them and display them, but we wanted something with more punch than just framed jerseys on a painted wall," Murphy explains. She designed all of the custom millwork and lighting around the framed jerseys, creating a unique visual backdrop for the game tables.
Thoughtful millwork and lighting design play a big role in the design throughout the basement. For example, this cabinet for pool cues is integrated with the rest of the woodwork.
A built-in dartboard fits into the display millwork as well.
A built-in dartboard fits into the display millwork as well.
The basement includes a lot of storage, including this large wine cellar. A glass door and sidelights allow the clients to admire their collection from the bar area across from it.
Fitting in all of the elements was quite a design challenge. "For the shuffleboard table, we realized we could place it pretty close to the side wall, since the players stand on the very ends, not along both sides. However, for billiards you need space all around for the players, plus clearance for their cues on those long shots," Murphy says.
"We planned the size and layout of the other spaces like the wine cellar, bathroom and bar in conjunction with the freestanding elements, and it all fit beautifully."
"We planned the size and layout of the other spaces like the wine cellar, bathroom and bar in conjunction with the freestanding elements, and it all fit beautifully."
Another major design challenge was hanging the client's train set. The design team planned around it from the start of the project, and strategically placed mechanical ducts in the ceilings and soffits to accommodate it.
"We were able to leave the maximum height over the central seating area, and built a ledge for the train and its tracks," she says. "It is fun to watch is go around, especially at Christmastime."
"We were able to leave the maximum height over the central seating area, and built a ledge for the train and its tracks," she says. "It is fun to watch is go around, especially at Christmastime."
"Lighting is particularly critical in a basement or other space where there is little to no natural light," Murphy says. "We think of lighting as a design tool, and primarily use it to set the mood and move the eye around. We try to combine different effects, such as backlighting, spotlights [and] grazing effects on walls or surfaces that have texture. You can do a lot with lighting, and you do not need expensive fixtures; you need creativity and dimmability."
The far end of the space contains storage and mechanical areas, as well as a powder room. A woodcut shows the family's love of surfing.
Typical of most powder rooms, this one is not large. "In a powder you don’t need much storage; what you want is a gorgeous sink area, interesting materials and a little element of surprise," Murphy says. "We worked with the client to select a sink base that is open and feels like furniture." The large sink is well scaled to the room and matches the scale of the entire open vanity. "It has a rear ledge for hand soap, which is all you need in a powder. Notice it does not touch the left-side wall. This helps keep it feeling airy and open."
Tip: "Placing the vanity away from the wall like this also allows you to hang a hand towel on the side wall to hang between the vanity and the wall, so it can be hung low at comfortable reach level, not way up high, which can be awkward — you know, reach up for the towel, water drips down [your] sleeve. It seems silly, but in the end these little things make a space a nicer experience," Murphy says.
See the rest of this beachfront home
Tip: "Placing the vanity away from the wall like this also allows you to hang a hand towel on the side wall to hang between the vanity and the wall, so it can be hung low at comfortable reach level, not way up high, which can be awkward — you know, reach up for the towel, water drips down [your] sleeve. It seems silly, but in the end these little things make a space a nicer experience," Murphy says.
See the rest of this beachfront home
"The fixture was custom made, but truly it was relatively simple to construct," Murphy says. "The electrician had it fabricated with standard fixture parts, with downlight fixtures embedded into the bottom of the surfboard. The whole assembly is hung from a stem and canopy that the wiring feeds through. Because you don't see the top of the board, the wiring was just run on top."