How to Breathe New Life into Your Basement

Image courtesy of Paladin27/Flickr.

Basements often have a reputation of being dark and boring, but that doesn’t have to be true about your basement! By making just a few easy changes you can breathe new life into your basement and turn it into an area your family likes to gather and that can be used for anything from entertainment to hobbies. If your basement could use a little help, here are some tips to get you started.

Assess the Lighting

One of the biggest challenges in decorating a basement is its lighting, or lack of lighting. Look at your basement and decide if it has enough light, either by way of windows and natural light or installed fixtures. If you feel it is dark or that some places could use some extra lighting, find ways to add some.

Use curtains or blinds that can be opened wide to let in as much sunlight as possible and remove any landscaping elements outside the windows that are blocking too much light. Then, add light by way of ceiling fixtures, floor or table lamps or wall sconces. Think stylistically and try to add light that is functional and that adds character to the room.

Use Light Paint Colors

If your basement is painted dark colors it will seem even darker. Repaint the walls with light colors to make it look bigger and brighter. You don’t have to stick to whites and beiges, but you can opt for pale yellows, blues or greens to brighten the space. You may also consider creating some contrast by painting one wall a more prominent color and then sticking to a lighter tone for all the other walls.

Give it a Purpose

Make your basement useful by giving the spaces purpose. For example, you could turn one area into a movie and game room by adding a big television and a game table. Or you could create a home office in one of the rooms by adding a desk and plenty of storage. When you give the areas in your basement a very defined purpose, it becomes more than just extra space that you aren’t sure what to do with or how to decorate.

Continue Your Home’s Style

Sometimes it is easy to neglect the style and decor in your basement. But, if you continue your home’s style, by way of colors, furniture, and accents, into your basement, it will flow with the rest of your home. When your basement feels like it is part of the home, and not an extra, dark space, it will be more visually attractive and be used more.

Maintain Appliances

Many homes have the boiler, sump pump, furnace and other appliances and plumbing fixtures in the basement. If you keep these well maintained and have them serviced frequently, they will almost disappear into your basement’s design. Frequent maintenance will keep these appliances quiet and working properly, so you don’t have to worry about noise or damage in your basement.

Your basement doesn’t have to be boring. Use these tips to breathe new life into it and make it into a useful and beautiful space! We specialize in leak detection, sump pump repair, water heater services and more, so contact us to help you keep the appliances in your basement running smoothly.