Designing a Clutter-Free Basement Hangout

The disorderly family room was a dumping ground for everyone's "stuff," and they longed to turn it into an organized, yet stylish space. So I gathered together my crew and geared up to turn this eyesore into a multi-functional room in which the gang can sort newspapers, paint pictures, watch television, entertain guests — or just relax and unwind (when they have the time).

I looked to Linda's artwork for inspiration for the room's design concept. One of her favourite pieces caught my eye, and I decided to use its rich colours — golden wheat, russet red and soothing sage — for my own colour palette.

As the family needed the room to operate on various levels, I divided it into zones. I separated it into a paper sorting and storage zone for the kids, an art gallery for mom, and a lounge area for dad (and I hope he shares).

In the kids' zone I put in tons of cabinetry and storage to help control all of the clutter. I then installed a newspaper-sorting island and some new laminate-covered counters. I also put down some installed funky, hardwearing floors.

Next, I made a showcase for Linda's art by hanging up some of her work along one wall. This whole gallery wall flows nicely into the adjacent wall where I installed a new high-efficiency gas fireplace with an amazing twist. I took one of Linda's paintings, had it blown up, transferred it onto vinyl and used it over the fireplace cladding for a spectacular effect.

I then moved into the lounge area, where I installed a comfortable, wheat-coloured L-shaped sectional with a sofa bed for any overnight guests. I also put in a cool glass coffee table, a whimsical soft yellow throw rug and an abundance of accent pillows in salmon and sage. This area is now the perfect spot to watch the TV in the new media centre I built right next to the fireplace.

I filled the remaining wall with stunning, adjustable bamboo-like blinds that give the room's small windows a larger feeling. To further brighten things up, I installed halogen strip lights under the storage cabinets in the kids' zone, small puck lights under the shelves in the lounge area, and loads of recessed lights in the room's ceiling.

After a few final touches, this basement was ready for its reveal. By adding lots of colour, plenty of organization and some personal touches, I managed to tame the chaos in this basement. It will soon be all play and no work (or maybe just a little less work) for this dynamic family. How divine!

(Interior decorator Candice Olson is host of Home & Garden Television's Divine Design. Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service.)