Two different homes with the desire to make their basements a family friendly extension of their first floors, yet two very different style preferences. Both families were looking for a place their kids could retreat with friends, a destination for entertaining all ages and a place where play is welcome. At the same time, how do you take an unfinished basement or a formerly simply finished basement, make it a space where everyone can play, but not let it feel like a basement?
Interestingly, designing a basement is a little bit like a hospitality project. On one hand you want the basement to flow with the first floor, but on the other hand, you want it to feel like a fun escape. Starting with the look and feel of the home and then pushing it a touch can make a basement feel connected, but also like a destination. Both basements had the architecture and the functional need for banquette seating - a great place to gather with cards, a board game, a snack or just to chat. In one banquette, a wood feature wraps the walls with a dramatic dimension. And, in the other, a floral wallpaper brings in a welcoming and youthful blue.
For ease of entertaining, a kitchenette area made sense in both basements. While one features more storage for kid friendly tableware, the other features a wine fridge for more adult entertaining. Stylistically, one is more saturated and moody and the other is lighter with a striped wallpaper.
One feature where these two basements differ is one is home to an avid golfer. The golf simulator allows him to easily play a round, but it also offers another reason to retreat to the basement and host friends and family.
While the approach to updating a lower level for functional family usage is similar, the styles of these two basements are as unique as their families.