Basement Remodeling: Redesigning A Pre-finished Basement For 21st Century Living

Our clients, Eric and Katy, purchased their dream home in the country. The house was in a great location, had plenty of space, and a beautiful wooded yard. It's the perfect setting for this young family. The two-story home was built in the 1990s, and it showed. With dark oak cabinetry and even a senseless railing separating the family room and the dinette, the house was showing its age. It had great bones but needed some help to turn it into their dream home.

View All Of Our Finished Basement Remodeling Projects

They found us through a referral on Facebook and considered us to remodel their entire home near Mount Horeb. Unsure of their budget, we started planning the project with budget-friendly options that initially excluded a basement remodeling. However, a favorable market allowed them to increase their budget and accomplish their dreams in one big, efficient remodeling project. This included a basement remodeling and redesign to update and improve the functionality of the already finished lower-level space.

Re-imagining, Redesigning, and Remodeling A Previously Finished Basement

The original lower level was finished but was dated and featured a strange, inefficient design. The basement was accessed via a narrow stairway enclosed with walls. A large open area at the bottom of the stairs served no purpose. When you entered the basement, you could either go through one doorway into an uninspired office or walk through a narrow opening in the other direction to experience the exposed basement family room.

The existing basement was uninspiring and had lots of wasted space. Eric and Katy wanted us to design the new basement to include a guest bedroom, an upgrade for the half bathroom, a home theater, and a home office for Eric. A few creative tweaks allowed it all to happen.

This Basement Remodeling Project Improved The Layout

The original stairway was enclosed by walls. To give a sense of visual guidance, light, and connection to the rest of the space, we opened up one section of the wall and installed an open railing. This feature helps let you know where to go at the bottom of the stairs. Opening the stairway creates a path from the main level to the basement, guiding you naturally to turn the corner and face the walk-out patio door to the backyard.

Next, we realigned the hallway using space that we allocated from the former dark office. We installed dual barn doors. When closed, they provide privacy for the office space. When open, connect the office space to the rest of the basement. After completing the office, we incorporated the useless room at the bottom of the stairs with another room to provide the space needed for a dedicated home theater. We installed mass-loaded vinyl and acoustic insulation to help isolate the sound from the main level. A projection screen was installed. A formerly awkward closet space became the perfect AV equipment closet. We redesigned a more functional closet space for additional storage, installing a dual barn door to give it a sense of style and to preserve floor space. When the barn door is open to the room, the closet is closed. Sliding the door across creates privacy, isolates the space, and provides access to the new closet. It's super efficient and stylish and adds functionality.

Upgrading the Bathroom and Redesigning the Family Room

The basement had an existing half bath. So, the plumbing was already in place to expand the bathroom. Because one of the homeowner's goals was to have guest space, they wanted to upgrade the powder room to a ¾ bath, adding a comfortable walk-in shower. The study/office serves double duty as the guest space. Now, with the upgraded bathroom, guests can have privacy when visiting.

In the family room, we created a more functional entertaining space. We added a bar to the design. It's next to the cozy fireplace and features just the right amount of seating to have fun by the fireplace watching the big game with friends. The family can retreat to the home theater for a Star Wars marathon!

We replaced all the flooring throughout the lower level to give it a visual continuity. By making careful design choices and keeping the existing oak baseboards, we were able to give Eric and Katy more bang for their buck!

The Basement Remodel Wraps Up This Whole House Remodel

With the basement remodeling, Eric and Katy's dream home is complete. The home distinctly comes into the 2020s and provides a more organic connection to the backyard. Now, the entire home flows in a way that the original floor plan just couldn't. Eric, Katy, and their kids will live here comfortably for decades into the future!

Considering a home or basement remodeling project? Let us show you all the possibilities! If you live in the Greater Madison area, call the experts at Degnan Design-Build-Remodel at (608) 846-5963. Let us help you to take your home to the next level of comfort, design, and function! Ready to learn more? We're always happy to answer your questions.