Create Some “Me” Space with a Finished Basement

These days, many people are choosing to stay in their homes rather than getting a new home when space gets tight. They look to make the most effective use of the space they have. If you are one of these people, look at basement finishes to repurpose your basement to be a living room, extra bedroom, or recreation room, increasing your living area in the home and making it more spacious.

It’s amazing how finished basements not only create more space in a home, but they can really change the dynamics of a home. Say you finish the basement and make a relaxing family room with a TV. Soon, everyone is collecting in the basement in the evenings to watch TV and relax. This leaves the upstairs family room open for new activities. Or maybe, it simply ends the arguments over who wants to watch which show on television. Now family members can watch in different rooms.

Some preferred suggestions for making use of the newly finished basement include:

Children’s Playroom

Having the children’s playroom in the basement reduces noise in the rest of the house. In two-story homes with the child’s bedroom on the upper floor, playing and jumping in the room generates vibrations that can be heard and felt through the ceiling in the room underneath. Letting the children play in the finished basement, keeps them safe within the house, without the noise. An added advantage is that all of their toys and clutter stay hidden downstairs so that every guest who drops in does not have to see the mess. 

Man Cave

Man caves are common options for men who just want a getaway place in their own house. These rooms are generally outfitted with anything a man and his pals could want: big-screen TV, mini-fridge loaded with sodas, beer, and snacks, and maybe a video gaming system. There are no rules for the interior design of a man cave except that it should match the man of the house’s expectations. Movie themes, outdoorsman themes, sports themes and mechanic/garage themes are all common.

Rec Room

People still have the need for recreation rooms in their homes. The basement is an excellent location for putting a ping-pong table, pool table, air hockey table, or basketball hoop. Rec rooms can be designed to be big enough to accomodate these large games that demand plenty of space. While these active games are occasionally located in a garage, they have a tendency to be made from materials which must be protected from the elements. With a finished basement, the room uses your home’s heating and air conditioning system, ensuring the longevity of your pool table’s felt and wood or the electronic scoring system for a basketball game.

Exercise Room

The basement is the best place for exercise equipment that requires lots of space. Treadmills, stationary bikes, weight lifting benches, rowing machines-whatever workout equipment you have (or want to buy) will fit nicely in a room in the basement dedicated to personal fitness. You can conserve a lot of money on gym memberships when your favorite workout machines are right downstairs.

No matter which purpose you use your finished basement for, you will surely appreciate the extra space it provides and the problems it solves.