Making the most of your basement space
What used to house only the furnace, laundry facilities and maybe a root cellar, is now a comfortable living area
For years, the basement has commonly been treated as an afterthought in terms of home design. In fact. not only was it ignored from a decor standpoint, it was also grossly underutilized as a living space, and was instead seen mostly as a cold storage area or a place to house the laundry machines.
Those days, however, have long since passed; basements have come to take their rightful place as comfortable, useful, and livable parts of the home.
“Having a furnished, completed basement in both new constructions and existing homes is a must,” said Walter Assi, owner of Renovco, a Dorval-based company specializing in design and renovation. “The basement is now seen as a continuation of the rest of the home; people are investing more to create beautiful and practical rooms.”
If homeowners are constructing a bathroom in the basement, for example, they generally spare no expense and install appliances and fixtures that would traditionally be reserved for bathrooms in the main parts of the home.
Gyms, wine cellars, playrooms, home offices, extra bedrooms with bathrooms, and home theatres are some of the contemporary uses to which homeowners put their basements.
“Instead of just cold laundry rooms, people are really using the space,” Assi said. “They’re also installing really sophisticated storage systems in order to optimize the area.”
Lighting has become an important design component in basements.
While recessed LED lights are popular because they don’t take up space or emit heat, points of natural light are in demand as well.
“In homes with smaller windows, we’re digging from the outside, cutting into the foundation and creating larger windows,” Renovco’s Walter Assi said. “People are trying as much as possible to make the basement feel like just another room in the house. Natural lighting plays into that.”
People are also installing elements that allow for extra sunlight.
“For example, if we put in a bedroom with walls that block a lot of light, we’ll install French doors,” he said. “That way the light continually passes through the glass to the rest of the basement.”
In addition to lighting, the concept of a healthy basement is hugely important in modern home design. The term refers to having air quality and humidity levels in the basement that are identical to those of the rest of the home.
“We’re always checking for water leaks, or any condensation in existing constructions,” Assi said. “If it’s an old basement, we also do decontamination and disinfection techniques on the site before we start the reconstruction.”
When building or rebuilding a basement, one key task is to create a thermal shield in order to ensure no condensation or humidity penetrates.
“Insulation is very important, as is proper subflooring,” he added. “The goal is to make the basement as comfortable as any other room.”
Because basements have traditionally been used for functional purposes only, their ceilings have
“We still use ... suspended ceilings but ... they’re much more domestic-looking and have richer designs...”
Walter Assi
usually been made of suspended, office-like tiling. But as the room has evolved over the years so, too, have the ceilings.
“We still use the concept of suspended ceilings but the materials and designs have changed a lot,” Assi said. “They’re much more domestic-looking and have richer designs, unlike their cold and commercial predecessors.”
Despite the fact that these contemporary ceilings are slightly pricier than models of the past, consumers are choosing them in order to achieve a warmer look. They’re also willing to pay for perks such as fireplaces.
“People love having fireplaces in their basements,” Assi said. “There are different options available, including gas and electric, and it’s the perfect example of the type of luxurious design element that people never would’ve included in their basement in the past.”
In addition to proper air qual- ity and fireplaces, homeowners are also investing in soundproofing systems for their basements.
“It’s important if you have a home-theatre system and want to watch movies without disturbing the rest of the house. Or if you have teenagers or kids, or you plan on entertaining guests. It’s always a good idea to get soundproofing; it really maintains the serenity in the rest of the house.”
The common theme in all of these new decor and design techniques is that the entire notion of basements has changed.
“People are demanding a real living space now, so it’s required a total rethink of the basement,” Assi said. “It’s a beautiful thing when people make the most of their space; I’m very happy to see that (basements) have evolved in this way.”