A lot of homes have basements. But a great deal of them also do not realize that they are not using this room to its full potential. In fact, quite a number of families use their basements only for storage purposes. Thus, it becomes a dingy room where no one wants to go.
Do not worry though, your basement is not a totally hopeless case. You can transform that dull basement into a bright and usable room through some basement renovation. Here are some home improvement tips to help you out.
The first thing you must think about when doing a basement renovation is how you will use the space. Are you going to transform it to a living space which will often be visited by your family members? For instance, this can become a game room or entertainment room where your family can hang out on a daily basis. Or would you like it to become a special room which you would use only for occasional purposes. Perhaps it can be another guest room.
This should be your first consideration because the design will be based from this.
Then you will have to plan the renovation process while considering existing structures in your basement. Are there vapor barrier, framing or insulation installed? What are the other structural formations there that you will retain? Doing this will not only help you in he designing stage, it will also be crucial in your budget. Complete fundamental structures would mean another item lost in your expenses list. You would also have to consider your city's building code and see if you still need to update your basement structures to comply with it.
Lighting is another factor you should look into when searching for basement renovation tips. But the key here is to try to bring as much natural light in the room as possible. Again, this still depends on the location and existing structures of your basement. For instance, a walk out basement which has direct access outside, windows must be included in the renovation to let light in. But if your basement is completely underground, you would have to consider window wells.
The use of colors is also another factor you must consider among basement renovation tips. In this case, you should pick out colors which will brighten your already dark, dull and dingy basement. Stay away from using grays and beige alone. Instead, go for the warmer colors like gold, yellow, orange, rust tones and brown. Decors, furnishings, walls, rugs and flooring should also be of the proper color. Colors add warmth to the room. And the warmer the feel in your basement is, the more enjoyable it would be stay there.
There are a lot of basement renovation tips available in magazines and the internet which you can read so you can come up with basement ideas. However, basement renovation is not an entirely easy feat. It can also be very challenging especially if you are starting out an unfinished room, or overly crowded space with lots of machines. So for these purposes, you can hire a professional interior designer or contractor to do the job for you. They can give various basement renovation tips for you to choose from.
