Basements

A Renovation Favorite

When I was a kid we bought a house that had a partially finished basement. The floor was tiled, the walls were painted, welled windows provided a source of natural light and a back door offered walk-out capabilities. There was a root cellar and a workshop already down there. My father took things to the next level by adding interior walls which created a laundry room and a somewhat scary bathroom complete with shower. He bought a pool table and a barber chair for the space long before it was cool. Full disclosure: the space seen above is not my childhood home.

Design by Wentworth

I've been a sucker for basement renovation stories ever since but who could have imagined what we've been doing downstairs since then. Wine tasting rooms, saunas, and gyms have elevated the cellar to a bona fide living space. Here's a story writen by the designer of just such a space.

Design by Landis Construction

Speaking of pool, there seems to be a recurring theme with basement renovations that goes like this, "we wanted a pool table." Before you take the plunge and buy yourself a regulation-sized Brunswick I suggest you take a close look downstairs at the placement of poles, pillars and exterior walls. Make sure you enough room for the billiards table or get in some practice shooting with the short stick. Here's another basement renovation story.

More bonus room stories not about basements.