Tag Archive for: basement design

The Benefits of Finishing Your Unfinished Basement in Lafayette and West Lafayette, IN

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Basements are no longer areas confined to storage and laundry. A finished basement can allow you to use your creativity to turn a dark and dull space into a beautiful and useful extension of your home. No matter what the size or shape, basement remodeling is one of the least expensive ways to add living space. Here are some of the benefits of finishing your unfinished basement:

Benefit #1:

Increase Your Home’s Value

Most families we talk with about remodeling wish they had extra room in their homes. By refinishing your unfinished basement, you add valuable living space that will only increase your home’s value. It is an especially good option if zoning laws and permitting in your neighborhood don’t allow for structural additions.

The cost of finishing your basement is usually less than adding an addition, and some of your cost can be recouped when you go to sell your home—you’ll recoup an average of up to a 70% return on investment, according to Remodeling magazine’s Cost vs. Value Report 2017. But your increased enjoyment and use of the space will be worth every penny as long as you live there.

Dance Studio

Benefit #2:

Make Your Home More Energy Efficient

Who doesn’t want to save money on their utility bills? When remodeling your basement, use this time to add insulation and other energy-efficient features that can reduce your heating and cooling costs. Items including energy-efficient windows and Energy Star appliances, LED lighting and compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs), and proper insulation help your overall energy savings and reduce your carbon footprint.

Benefit #3:

Create Flexible Spaces

While “upstairs” rooms are generally assigned a specific purpose, like a kitchen, bedroom, or dining room, your finished basement can be used in a number of ways, like a yoga studio, a children’s playroom, or a recreation room. Another benefit is that spaces in your finished basement can grow and change as your family’s needs change and are repurposed easily.

Basement Craft Room

Benefit #4:

Create Dedicated Spaces

As families were isolated at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, they needed to repurpose their homes to meet their work and leisure needs from home. Home offices and home gyms became necessities and more sought after than ever before. By finishing your unfinished basement, you can incorporate these dedicated spaces into your home for any specific requirement.

Benefit #5:

Add Storage

If you’re like most families, there’s never enough storage, so when creating your basement design, look for ways to add custom built-in storage. Utilize the areas under the stairs, add vertical storage, and built-in closets in out-of-the-way nooks and crannies, or create a dedicated storage room by closing off the mechanical area. Storage doesn’t need to be out of sight. Add attractive shelving, open cubbies, and wall storage units for children’s toys, crafts, or office supplies. Don’t forget overhead storage. Use hanging units and rods for wine glasses, gym equipment, or out-of-season clothing storage.

Benefit #6:

Generate Extra Income

Depending upon the zoning requirements in your jurisdiction, you may be able to transform your unfinished basement into a separate living unit. This can be used for multi-generational living or to rent out for additional income.

When adding a bedroom or two, keep in mind that to be considered an actual bedroom, bedrooms must have an egress window and a closet. This is more easily created with partially above-grade basements but can be achieved with below-grade rooms with some excavation. The addition of a bathroom also adds convenience, value, and the option of an income-generating extra space. A build-in rental unit may add appeal to potential buyers when you go to sell your home, as it can help supplement income and lighten, or even cover, the mortgage payments.

Benefit #7:

Make it Uniquely Yours

There is no cookie-cutter solution for finishing your unfinished basement. You get the pleasure of making it uniquely yours. You’ll work closely with our design team to incorporate the exact features you want to enjoy. It is a blank canvas upon which you can create something suitable for you and your family.

When you purchased your home, you likely bought it “as is” and had to compromise on some of the features you really wanted. This is your chance to get creative and add exactly what you’d like in your home. Make it your own with special features, including these:
Basement Wine Cellar

  • Wet bar
  • Wine cellar
  • Home theatre with built-in entertainment system
  • Cedar-lined closets
  • Sauna
  • Fireplace
  • Billiards room
  • Man cave
  • Craft room

Finish Your Unfinished Basement in Lafayette and West Lafayette with Riverside Construction

The benefits of finishing your unfinished basement are many, and working with a design-build remodeling firm like Riverside Construction can help bring your dreams to reality.

With a design-build remodeling firm, you work with one team throughout your entire project—from concept to design to construction. Riverside Construction’s well-planned-and-managed design-build process will ensure that your project runs smoothly and is delivered on time and on budget.

We’ll lead you through an initial in-home consultation meeting where we’ll discuss your remodeling goals, timeline, and budget and offer suggestions in these areas. We’ll then move to design, where all the fun begins. You’ll work closely with our design team and see your ideas come to life through 2D and 3D renderings.

We’re extremely proud of the beautiful basement remodeling projects we’ve completed for homeowners in West Lafayette and the surrounding areas. View our “before and after” photographs and project stories in our Basement Renovation Portfolio that will give you ideas for your own basement remodel.

Contact Riverside Construction to schedule a conversation with our design specialists. And download our free eBook: How to Start Your Remodel Off Right.

 

Maximize Your Basement Remodel by Including These Key Elements or Design Features 

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An excellent way to create extra room in your home is to turn an underutilized basement into a functional and livable space.

Doing so adds a wealth of new lifestyle and work-related opportunities for your family, together with a potential increase in the value of your property, especially when it comes time to sell. 

Given your basement’s scope for improvement, this is a refurbishment that’s important to get right. Part of a basement remodel process is choosing how you want the space to be used and the functional design elements and features to match.

With this in mind, this article looks closely at what you can include in your finished basement to maximize the space and enhance its functionality.

Home Office

Working from home has never been more popular, and the trend will likely continue in some compacity. Your basement could be a great place to set up a workstation out of the way of general family life. When planning a basement home office, you’ll need plenty of natural light to keep your mood high and prevent eye strain. 

Consider placing your main work area near natural light sources such as an egress window or a walk-out door. You’ll also require plenty of electrical outlets for your equipment, plus air conditioning and plumbing. Depending on your work, you might also need storage, such as shelving and built-in cupboards.

Check out our article Design and Build a Beautiful Home Office for more inspiration.

Home Gym

Passionate about fitness? Build a basement gym! A functional, comfortable, and aesthetically appealing home gym is the best way to ensure you stick to an exercise routine. Designing and building a basement gym is a fantastic way to have a designated space to keep fit that’s private and doesn’t encroach into everyday family activities.

Consider vital aspects such as light, ventilation, strong flooring, and power sources during the design process. Think about how you will maintain the air quality, how close you are to a bathroom and water access, and how you can define different spaces for different exercises (i.e. weights, yoga, cardio). 

You may want to add sound systems and specialized storage units as well. 

Media Room

Media rooms or home theaters are another type of room that has gained popularity over recent years. Again, the basement is the perfect place for it to go, especially as plenty of natural light is not a priority. 

Media centers require a lot of electrical wiring to provide proper lighting, video, and surround sound. You’ll also want to carefully plan the positioning of screens, speakers, receivers, A/V equipment, and video projectors. 

Soundproofing is another factor. You’ll want to reduce the amount of sound traveling to other rooms or adjoining neighbors via walls, floors, and ceilings. 

And then there’s seating and their overall comfort and placement. You’ll need to consider how many people typically sit down together, how you interact during movies, and whether children will require special seating.

Check out our guide on Ultimate Media Room Design Considerations for more inspiration.

A Secondary Kitchen

Secondary Kitchen

A basement is a fantastic place to add a second kitchen. A basement kitchen provides extra prep space for entertaining guests or working from home, without the need to continuously walk up and down the stairs.

The kitchen can support other basement uses such as a home office, media room, game room, or even a guest bedroom. If you have a young adult or aging family member moving in, the kitchen will form part of an apartment-style living quarters that is private and self-contained. 

An Additional Bathroom

Basement Bathroom

A bathroom is another potential basement addition. A full bathroom with a shower is ideal, but even a half bath will suffice, depending on the room you have and other requirements. 

Bathrooms are practical, especially if you intend for your basement to double up as an in-law suite or entertaining space. Your guests or family shouldn’t need to travel between floors to use the restroom when nature calls. Bathrooms also add to your home’s resale value.

Wet Bar

Wet bars are a fantastic addition to basements where hosting and entertainment are the core function, especially if you are a movie enthusiast or sports fan. 

A wet bar makes it convenient for you to serve guests without missing any action, and they are great for drawing people in and sparking conversations. Wet bars are also a stylish accessory that can keep guests around the area and out of your kitchen.

Playroom

If you have kids, you’re likely familiar with the space needed to house all of their toys. You’ll also have painful memories associated with stepping on Legos in your living room or tripping over dolls in your family room. 

While certain toys are appropriately stored in your kids’ bedrooms, a playroom can be a welcome addition to a finished basement. It allows you to minimize clutter and provide a dedicated area for your kids to play that’s separate from the main living areas of your home.

Additional Storage

Many homeowners are so zeroed in on maximizing the functional space in their finished basement that they lose sight of one key area: storage. The original purpose of a functional basement was to house HVAC equipment and store household belongings. 

This need is still present. Even when much of the basement has been converted to other uses, storage space should still be included. During the design process, consider where valuable storage space can be retained, modified, or added. 

After all, the basement is likely the perfect place for items like holiday decorations, sports equipment, bulk food items, and so much more.

Lighting Details

When finishing your basement, don’t overlook the critical detail of lighting. Since basements rarely have much natural light, it’s important to create a lighting plan that supports diverse activities throughout the day. 

Recessed or slim disc lighting is recommended for all-over illumination. Undercabinet lights work well around food prep areas. Pendant lights can be hung above tables or areas that need a focused spotlight. Use dimmable lighting around the TV. 

Remember, you want your basement to have a warm and welcoming feel — not be dark and dreary. An effective lighting plan is critical. 

Basement Bedroom Egress Window

When complete, your basement remodel should be stylish, functional, and practical. But you also want to make sure that it is safe. So, in addition to testing radon levels and including a smoke detector in the finished space, if your basement has a bedroom, ensure you include an egress window. 

In fact, in Indiana, ensuring the availability of some sort of egress window or door is a state requirement for basement bedrooms. Egress windows essentially allow an additional point of exit aside from the main entry point to the basement, which can be life-saving in the event of an emergency.

Work with a Qualified Design Build Firm like Riverside Construction

Riverside Construction, founded in 2008, is the go-to professional design-build team that has earned the respect and confidence of discerning homeowners in the Lafayette and West Lafayette areas. 

With an award-winning team of highly skilled and experienced professionals in a range of fields, we excel at listening to client ideas and then translating those dreams into reality. We can help you decide on a direction, provide guidance, and be with you every step of the way to ensure your dream home is achieved. 

Whether you’re refurbishing a basement, transforming a kitchen, updating a bathroom, designing a home office, or building an addition, let us guide your decision-making and partner with you to achieve the results you envision. 

Contact us now to schedule an initial conversation. We’ll be happy to answer your questions, listen to your ideas, soothe your worries, and work with you to finalize your plans.

2019 Basement Design Trends to Watch for in Tippecanoe County

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Basements no longer need to be damp, dark and unattractive storage spaces in the home. Today, finishing a basement can add much needed, affordable square footage that will allow for a variety of unique uses—a dedicated home theater, a game room complete with kitchenette or private in-law quarters are just some of the possibilities.

A finished basement not only adds space; it adds lifetime value. But there are right and wrong ways to tackle a basement renovation. Here are a handful of emerging trends:

Flexible Design Is Good Design

When planning a basement remodel, a good idea is to keep your options open. Today’s desires might not constitute tomorrow’s needs. Consider the following: Open space plans are adaptable to many uses. They will make a small space seem larger, and enlarge the realm of possibility for using space creatively. Whether you want your new space to be used for entertaining or to accommodate personal interests or needs, think about how to manage the square footage with a minimum number of walls.

Include the features that are important to you: Perhaps a snack center for children and grandchildren, a combination game room and media center rather than a dedicated home theater; space to pursue crafts or hobbies. Other time-honored ways to repurpose basement space include adding a guest bedroom and bath, a family room with kitchen or bar facilities, or even a home gym.

Adding recessed lighting throughout the basement banishes the possibility of a dark, dreary space while keeping future lighting options open. And no matter how the area will be used, you’ll always want to use appropriate waterproof materials to ensure your basement stays warm and dry.

Meet Special Needs with a Basement Remodel

Farmstead West Lafayette Basement Remodel 1

Sometimes special use rooms are just what the “doctor” ordered. If you’ve been looking for space for a home gym, your crafting supplies, a home theater, a teenage retreat, or a comfortable guest bedroom, the basement is the perfect space for these rooms. Take the opportunity to personalize your space, tailoring it to meet you and your family’s specific needs and requirements.

Popcorn and a Movie?

With available technology, adding a large flat-screen television and auxiliary speakers is simple. But if you want a “knock your socks off” media room, plan for built-in bookshelves and cabinets, comfortable seating, light dimmers, blackout shades and noise-dampening materials that might include carpet and additional insulation. There’s also no reason the room cannot be used for reading and music, so assess all the options as you begin planning your basement remodel.

Add a Mini Kitchen or Wet Bar

Double or triple your entertaining options by installing food prep or drink-serving capabilities. If there is existing plumbing in the basement, it should not be too difficult to add a bar sink; assuming that there is sufficient electrical service, small appliances like coffee pots, blenders, and slow cookers should also be easy to add.

What you will want to consider is the need for serving counters and clean up space, as well as for storage. But with the ability to prepare and serve food and drinks on the spot, you’ll double the pleasure you get from inviting guests into your home.

Make Room for Sleepovers

There’s a distinct difference between making space for teenage guests by spreading sleeping bags on the floor and creating a comfortable bedroom in the basement. A guest-worthy sleeping space involves many considerations, including the needs for appropriate egress windows, and the desirability of an adjacent bathroom.

Both should be discussed in advance with your designer at Riverside Construction to ensure that your needs can be addressed and to determine the budget.

A newer trend is to remodel a basement to provide additional multi-generational living space. Many families welcome in-laws and adult children today, and semi-private living arrangements are ideal. Such renovations can be “sweet additions” to a home, especially if your basement includes a walk-out feature, but they do require advance planning.

Comfort Underfoot

Both lighting and flooring are worthy of extra consideration when you consider a basement renovation. Floors, especially in winter, can feel damp and cold; it’s essential to install flooring that will minimize the cool, be visually attractive and durable, and cost-effective. Luckily, the options range from carpet with a good pad to installing radiant heat under tile or luxury vinyl flooring.

Whether you opt for an applied moisture barrier or go with in-floor heating under the finished flooring, be sure to investigate with your remodeling contractor the pros and cons, and determine the best, most cost-effective solution for your particular need.

Finally, Finish that Raw Space

There is really no way to express the personal sense of satisfaction that comes from turning underused or totally unfinished basement space into something attractive and functional that you can enjoy for years to come.

Knowing that a finished basement also adds value to your home is an additional reason to get busy on your renovation plans.

Riverside Construction has the experience and expertise to help you design your perfect basement room or to enlarge your home by renovating the entire existing basement. We can show you examples to inspire you, and we will also explain the perils of some all-too-common basement renovation mistakes.

Why not contact us now to discuss your wants and needs? We’re up on the trends and ready to get to work!