Maximize Your New Basement

Can I tell you a secret? This is one of the wildest things I’ve noticed. Families will come to Total Basement Finishing feeling really frustrated with their small spaces, they talk about how they need more room to relax, spread out, and get things done. We finish their basement, add hundreds of square footage to their home, and make room for all the things they want to do.

Several months later, I reach out to these families and ask them if we can photograph their new space with all their furnishings set up. And more often than not, they tell me, “Well, we don’t really have a ton of things down there yet… just a TV, a couch, and some exercise equipment.” At first, I found this shocking. How could a family invest significantly in a space they weren’t going to use?!

After some investigation, I started to understand. Many homeowners don’t know how to divide their new space. Their upstairs homes are usually divided into traditional household rooms: kitchen, dining room, living room, bathrooms, and bedrooms. Basements, on the other hand, are often blank slates. If you aren’t building a home theater or in-law apartment, you might be left with a large open space and no idea how to live in it.

The first thing that I recommend is creating zones. If you wanted a ton of open space for kids to run around in, that’s fantastic, but empty space isn’t going to work for you when you try to actually live in your basement. If you want running around space, keep the zones relatively open, organize, and free from clutter. Create zones that make sense for your family, possible zone ideas: gym, lounge area, office, play room, craft table, game room, yoga studio, etc. There are SO many options!

One of my favorite examples of a homeowner maximizing their basement space is this little work station. Having a quiet space to study can make the difference between an A and a B on an important exam. And having a quiet space to prepare tax forms could prevent migraines… well, I don’t have the data on that, but it’s probably true. Check out this great article about background noise and work.

If you don’t already have a study space in your home, consider devoting some of your basement to that quiet sanctuary of focus. Contact us today for a free estimate!