Bringing a Basement Back to Life

We love an old house for its character and charm, but 100-year-old Craftsman bungalows are not without their challenges. Before, the basement in this home was, while spacious, essentially a dumping ground for a random assortment of household items, not the least of which included their refrigerator (during upstairs renovations). However, it held a ton of promise. 

We started by changing the floor to durable luxury vinyl. A whimsical wallpaper in white and gold covered the wall down the stairs from the main living level, and bright coral walls greet you at the bottom. Bookshelves hold all manner of home/pandemic school supplies, and a simple round table acts as a desk for the kids, a game table for guests, or a place for snacks when they’re watching TV. Turquoise plastic molded chairs added a pop of color and major durability — a must with three little kids. The rattan pendant provides texture and light for work and play. A framed chalkboard and a wheelie cart complete the mobile schoolroom setup.

Before: This room was where everything in the house went to hide or die.

A super-colorful rug anchors the living room half of the basement, and a big sleeper sofa doubles as an extra bed when their extended family comes to visit from overseas. The coffee table is actually two pieces that can be pulled apart and act as nightstands when the sofa is pulled out. 

Opposite the sofa, we wired the wall for a TV, added shelves for storage and decoration, and had cabinets built in to hide some weird structural stuff and for additional storage. Baskets with lids serve the same dual function as decor and storage, and fun graphic window treatments provide color and pattern and offer privacy when family spends the night. Now this basement is the place for the entire family to hang out.

Photography: Cati Teague