November 8, 2021, 6:52 pm | Read time: 6 minutes
Just like an attic, a basement is primarily used for storing and keeping various items. Alongside winter and summer clothing, old children’s toys are stored, and behind old furniture, some forgotten garden tools are hidden. However, the space in the basement can be used much more effectively.
Older houses, in particular, usually have a spacious basement. Due to eerie stories, cool temperatures, and damp air, most people are reluctant to spend time in the lowest level of the house. However, you can make basement rooms cozy and inviting. Here are 11 ideas on how to use basement spaces effectively.
Overview
Home Office
Working from home has many advantages. Still, it’s advisable to clearly separate your workspace from the rest of your living area. The basement is ideal for setting up a home office where you can be productive because it’s quiet. It’s important not to neglect decorative elements. Various seating options provide variety.
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Hobby Room
A classic idea for making good use of the basement is a hobby room. Underground, swirling wood chips, loud music, clattering sewing machines, or stored tools are hardly a bother. In the hobby room, you can let your creative spirit run free. Even a dropped paintbrush isn’t as painful as on the expensive living room carpet. It’s important to ensure there’s enough light. In addition to a ceiling light, various smaller light sources create a bright and pleasant atmosphere.
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Spa and Wellness
Swimming pool, sauna, and relaxation area–the dream of having your own spa comes true with a basement renovation. The downside of this project: transforming the basement into a wellness oasis is usually costly. You can get a sauna from a hardware store for about 1,500 euros, but you can’t customize it.
Dressing Room
If you swap out seasonal clothing in your closet during summer and winter, you can avoid the back-and-forth with a dressing room in the basement. Celebrities like Kendall Jenner set an example with an adjoining beauty area in the basement. In addition to a wardrobe, mirrors and proper lighting are essential. A bench and a large rug complete the look. It’s important to ensure the air isn’t too damp or cold; otherwise, the clothes may smell musty.
Home Theater
A large screen, a film projector, various cozy seating options, and a candy bar as a finishing touch: that’s how you create your own home theater in the basement.
Gaming Room
If you want to use the basement as a theater, you can also use the screen for video games. The large screen enhances the gaming experience, making game nights with friends even more fun.
Wine Cellar
You can use even a small part of the basement to store some fine wines. The basement has the advantage of being generally cool and dark. At too high temperatures, the wine would age and lose its freshness.
Related: Where You Should Store Good Wine
Guest Room
If the rooms on the upper floors of the house are already occupied by bedrooms and children’s rooms, you can accommodate your guests in the basement. You can be just as creative with the design and decoration of the guest room as with the rest of the living space. Or how about an alternative interior style?
Laundry and Utility Room
A logical idea for making good use of the basement is to turn it into a utility room. It’s often already used as such. To make the laundry room more inviting, it’s advisable to use bright colors. Existing tiles can be covered with special foil or painted with tile paint. A rug and a bench with cushions can also brighten the mood of the rather gloomy room. With a clean design and natural materials, the room feels inviting–even with a washing machine, dryer, and heating system.
Playroom
If you want to delight your children, you can transform the basement into a fantastic playroom. Here, you can build large pillow forts and set up model trains. The best part about a playroom in the basement: if the kids don’t finish building, puzzling, and playing, there’s no need to tidy up. They can continue playing the next day without delay. Thick carpets or cork floors are ideal for a playroom on the lowest floor.
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Home Gym
Fitness equipment is generally anything but attractive and doesn’t easily fit into the rest of the apartment’s decor. In the basement, however, they’re out of sight–but not out of mind! You can also do your exercises here undisturbed, without unwanted glances or playing children.
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Regularly Ventilate the Basement Even in Winter
How Can Renters Use Their Basement?
Not everyone has access to an entire lower basement floor. Homeowners also have the advantage of being able to remodel and use their basement as they wish, as long as it doesn’t violate the law. Renters usually have access to only a small part of the basement, if the house has one and they are allowed to use it. There are rules that renters must follow when using the basement. For example, renters are not allowed to simply install a sauna. However, the basement of a rental house can be used in various ways.
Renters are also allowed to use their basement as a workshop. They can also set up and use the available space as a home office or exercise in the basement. “Exceptions may exist if products containing substances hazardous to health are stored in the basement,” explains Anja Franz from the Munich Tenants’ Association. These include cleaning, washing, and cleaning agents, fuels, heating oil, paints, varnishes, and solvents.
Even in the basement, you should be considerate of your neighbors. “The rental agreement and house rules generally specify what the basement can be used for,” says the expert. This includes, for example, adhering to quiet hours. This means that loud and disturbing noises should be avoided between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. Franz adds, “It’s also important that renters don’t store everything they want in the basement. Dangerous goods or perishable food should not be kept there.”
Sources:
Munich Tenants’ Association
Houzz
Wohnglueck