How to Avoid Basement Design Problems

Candice Olson redesigns a basement that suffers from all the basic problems common to most basements.

By Candice Olson
Filed under: Basements, Makeover

My clients wanted a TV/entertainment area, so the old cabinetry was removed and a new TV platform was built at a 90-degree angle to the corner fireplace. All the furniture in this area was laid out based on this angle.

My clients also wanted to entertain large groups of people in the space, and a long bench with comfy seat and back pillows provided oodles of extra seating. The deep space underneath was handy for storage.

Kids also had to be able to play in the basement without taking it over, so a quarter of the space was designated as their zone by a change in flooring. Their toys were hidden behind wall-to-wall plush chenille curtains hung on a ceiling-mounted drapery rod. These "soft walls" also pull across to provide privacy for overnight guests sleeping on the pull-out sofa bed.

Now my clients are not only enjoying a new family addition but also an additional floor in their house.

(Interior decorator Candice Olson is host of Home & Garden Television's Divine Design. For more ideas and information, visit www.divinedesign.tv.)

« Previous 12Next »