Your basement is real estate worth investing in and could soon be an essential part of what ties your family or friends together. However, if you are having trouble figuring out where to begin with a renovation, there is some helpful advice that is common in interior design brainstorming sessions with homeowners. In fact, Alair Homes North Island gives you 10 ways to turn your basement from a dungeon to a glamorous sanctuary.

1. Try Adding Color

Basements are renovated in a way that everything seems to be a shade of neutrals. Instead of accepting that the below ground space is going to be ugly, consider making it an area that has decorations in one bold color. To give the basement more of a dramatic effect, consider using a second bright color in a contrasting tone.

2. Create a Theme for the Room

One of the best interior design techniques is to think of a theme. For instance, if everyone in the house is a big fan of a sports team, the downstairs can be decorated to match this theme. This means that everyone gets to show some personality by showing support for their team.

3. Recreation Room

Is there rainy or snowy weather outside for part of the year in the area you live? If this is the case, basements renovated to be play areas can help keep the family fit. For example, instead of the kids sitting around and playing games on the computer, they could be playing ping pong, indoor badminton, or other creative physical activity games that normally shake the floors upstairs.

4. Space for Adults

Instead of giving up on hanging out with your friends, the downstairs can be used to create a space that has a bar, sink and bathroom. This area would be for adults only, but it might be a helpful solution to keeping your single friends from feeling left out now that you have started a family.

5. Show off antiques and memorabilia

In order to show off your full collection in a small museum, the downstairs is often one of the best places to do this type of memorabilia display. On top of this, there is very little sunlight in a downstairs space, and this helps protect valuables and collectibles from the damage of UV light.

6. Brighten the space

Basements are notorious for being a place in the house that does not have windows. Instead of keeping those overhead fluorescent lights that are always flickering, consider new ones that add as much light as possible to the downstairs without creating glare. Other techniques to brighten a former cellar include painting the walls in pastels.

7. Erase the dungeon effect

Basements that do not invite people to sit and read the paper have a formidable presence. To make the downstairs a little bit more cozy, add layers of softness. For example, layer the furniture with pillows, hang up nice pictures and put a rug on the cold floor.

8. Create a rental office space

In some cases, a basement can be rented out as office space if there is access to a bathroom. While local codes will need to be followed, the process is much easier than expected. It can also give a stay-at-home working family a chance to take a break in a professional office space.

9. Make the space more practical

When you are renovating the space, think about making it a place where everyone wants to visit to do their hobbies. This means that tables and shelving can be installed to house crafting supplies, board games, woodworking tools and other types of activities.

10. Installing a Fire Place

Depending on the availability for an exhaust system, a fireplace can be installed in the downstairs that will instantly turn it into one of the most sought-after rooms in the house. In addition to a variety of styles, your family can stay warmer in a downstairs area that is a partial basement.

When you need to have major remodeling done to your downstairs or simply needs some advice for making it into a habitable space, we have the solutions you have been looking for. At Alair Homes North Island, we are happy to help you with any questions you might have.