No More Basement Blues: A Bloomington Basement Remodel

Spunky and Modern: A Basement Tailor Made for Our Client 

This homeowner appreciated the size of her home: modest, but just right. It had a nice sized main level and the potential to create more living space in the lower level. 

She loved the natural light and the warmth of the wood floors on the main floor, and dreamt of being able to mimic that brightness downstairs.

She was planning to stay in her house for at least 5-8 years more – or perhaps even through retirement. A recent empty nester, this homeowner could see herself eventually moving or making modifications to the home to allow her to age in place.

Since she didn’t have plans to move out anytime soon, she decided it was time to finally make the changes necessary so that her home could fully support her lifestyle!

Before the Basement Remodel

While the owner enjoyed the fact there was a second bathroom in the home, there wasn’t much else she liked about it. She was embarrassed to send guests there, and didn’t even like to be in there herself either.

In addition to the small and “basementy” bathroom, she was frustrated by the lack of storage space. There was a lot of physical square footage in the basement, but it wasn’t being utilized well, and there was no separated storage option. There was no efficiency to the space.
Plus, the basement always felt dark and dreary no matter what. The floor was always cold, and the knotty pine made it feel even more dark and dated. The lighting was terrible, and it was so uninviting and chilly, she truly hated going down there – much less having guests go down for any reason. 

Exercise equipment was always getting in the way, but it was rarely ever used because of dissatisfaction with the space and dreading going down there – to the cold, dark and mess.

Top Basement Frustrations

• Loud Sounds
  You could hear sounds and voices so clearly from the basement up in the main floor bedroom, it sounded like it was in the same room! And visa versa – the upstairs sounds carried downstairs – footsteps especially, which thundered loudly into the bedroom below. 
• Awkward Spaces
  The basement bathroom was too cramped for comfort. It was uncomfortable trying to get ready in the mornings; plus it was cold, lacked storage, and was simply not pleasant to be in. It felt embarrassing to have guests use it, so it was only used when absolutely necessary. 
• Finished… Sort of
  When walking downstairs, even though much of the basement was “finished”, it felt unfinished. It was casually covered with unattractive tile and old paneling, and those elements felt like a failed attempt trying to cover up unfinished concrete. 
• Cold and Creepy
  The laundry area was dark, cold and uninviting, and made the owner want to drop things and run upstairs as quickly as possible. She longed to be able to listen to music and feel comfortable while sorting laundry in a clean, bright, welcoming space. 

Remodeling Needs, Goals And Wishes

What are your hopes for your remodeled home?

“I’d like to create a multi-functional space in the basement that feels like part of the rest of the house, but still feels a little private.”

The homeowner imagined her parents staying in the new guest bedroom downstairs, waking up early and enjoying coffee in the bright, cozy family room until the rest of the house woke up.

She daydreamed about one of her 20-year old daughters coming home on college breaks and staying in a new guestroom, enjoying a space that would include her very own bathroom, along with a nice place for her friends to come over and hang out.

Key Basement Remodeling Needs:

• A larger and more inviting bathroom with more storage
• A finished laundry space
• Storage access that wasn’t directly connected to the bedroom 
• Noise reduction
• Separate family room/living area 
• Flex & exercise space
• A brighter, warmer family room that felt more a part of the home, and less “basementy”

Function, Feature and “Feel” Space Needs:

• A nice basement bathroom, with places for guests to unpack their toiletries and have sufficient space to comfortably get ready. 
• A small exercise room that wouldn’t take up too much of the basement footprint
• Warm, bright areas to look forward to being in, whether for a puzzle and a movie, quilting, reading a book while doing laundry, or simply having extra space to work on a project in.
• A pleasant laundry area to sort clothes, with a folding area, and good storage for cleaning supplies and extra toiletries. 
• Sufficient storage to keep the less pretty things like cat litter boxes and cleaning supplies out of sight. 
• To be able to turn on the fire and snuggle in to watch a movie or do a puzzle on a wintery evening. 
• Have enough room to move about freely – without tripping over exercise equipment or boxes.
• Storage options in the bathroom for toiletries and bath essentials 
• Be able to easily accommodate family and friends for long visits, where they’d have their own comfortable bedroom and bathroom space
• Energy-efficient appliances
• Upgraded LED lighting 
• De-humidification systems (to reduce basement mold growth!)

Guest Bedroom Remodeling Goals:

• Lighting options to keep the space feeling bright like natural light during the day, with the ability to make it cozy and inviting at night. 
• Room to comfortably fit both a queen bed and a dresser in the room, with plenty of space left to move around and get ready.
• A decent, standard-sized closet
• A bedroom that was so pleasant and comfortable, even the homeowner would want to sleep there!

What Would it Look Like? Basement Aesthetic Wishes:

• Mimic the MidCentury Modern elements found throughout the main level of the home, and enhance the overall MCM design style throughout the entire house. 
• Bring in the warmth of wood downstairs, for a natural and soft feeling, also staying consistent with the upstairs living spaces.
• Basement spaces that would make people forget they were in a basement.

After the Basement Remodel:

“I love how bright it is, but also that it just feels so complete and pulled together… it feels like me in a way that I would’ve never come up with on my own.”

Throughout the renovation of this Bloomington basement, our team focused on honoring the home and fulfilling the homeowner’s personality throughout all of the new spaces. Many elements of the space are personalized and unique, and the entire basement is cohesive with the main level. 

The space feels energized and new, with touches of color, and elements of modern geometry, and Mid-century Modern Charm. The fun pops of color are energetic and lively, but don’t overwhelm the space, being used carefully and selectively.

Final Remodeled Spaces Include:

• Living room space
• Workout area/flex space
• Basement bathroom
• Guest bedroom
• Laundry room

New Features Include:

• Brand new, large egress windows – in a space that was once underground!
• Opened up stairwell
• Cat litter box closet with wall cutout access

This Bloomington basement is no longer dark, dreary, uninviting, and cold – neither temperature-wise nor aesthetically. Rather, it’s bright, warm and cozy – fun, modern and stylish. With all of the new storage options, there’s no more tripping over things- not exercise equipment, boxes or cleaning supplies.

The laundry room is both bright and cheery and modern and cozy, with a pop of color from the Parakeet Green wall next to the warm sophistication from the Natural Carini Walnut cabinetry. The workout room/flex room is vibrant and energizing, with the fun and unique Retro Mod Ribbons wallpaper and Great Falls Blue sliding barn door.

Guests have a great spa-like bathroom to use when visiting, and doing laundry is a completely different experience. The new storage areas are functional and varied, and there is still a large unfinished portion for tucking away larger items. 

Life in the New Basement… 

This homeowner adores being in her new basement. She loves having new spaces in her home to linger – from kicking back and watching T.V, to sitting by the fire reading a book, or to simply have a different space to sit and have a conversation with a friend in, basking in the sunlight in a room that’s often even brighter than the living room upstairs. She’s excited to pull out the sewing machine and work on projects over the weekends, and loves having a comfortable place to sort and fold clothes. She spent evenings in the guest bedroom downstairs, and within weeks after the remodel was done, both her daughter and friends had stayed in the new guestroom (enjoying both the bathroom storage and large walk-in closet!)

Even the cat loves the new basement! It’s full of new rooms to explore, and has a great ledge to sit on and bask in the sun. The basement now even has a wall cutout for easy access to the litter box – tucked away in a closet keeping both smells and loose litter away.

This homeowner is ecstatic with her new space, and her daughter can’t wait to return home from college on breaks to stay in the newly remodeled basement! Her only disappointment is that wishes she was still living there to enjoy it even more.