You want your basement to be bigger than it is. Right now, the ceilings feel low, and the rooms feel cluttered and cramped.
What can you do to make it better?
1. Actually Make It Bigger
If you want your basement to look bigger, you should make it bigger. How can you do that? One way that you can manage this is with basement underpinning. This renovation will add square footage to the lowest level of your home. You can click here to learn more about what is basement underpinning and who you should hire to do it. One of the benefits of underpinning is that it gives you a rare opportunity to fix problems in your foundation. So, if you want to waterproof your basement, now’s your chance to do it.
2. Knock Down Walls
Another way that you can add space to your basement is by knocking down non-load-bearing walls to create more of an open-concept space. Not only will this give you more floorspace to work with, but it will also make the space look bigger. Walls divide up the floorplan and block your line of sight, which makes the entire area look cramped. Only consider an open-concept floor plan if it matches your vision of a finished basement. If you’re hoping to have a guest bedroom and a private workspace down there when your renovations are over, then you shouldn’t knock down all of the walls.
3. Design Strategically
When you’re working with a smaller space, you have to be very careful with your design. Otherwise, you can quickly clutter up the area and make it a challenge to live with. For instance, say you want a laundry room in the basement. You want to put a washing machine, a dryer, a laundry sink, a drying rack and an ironing board in there. Putting all of these items side by side will take up a lot of floorspace.
So, what can you do instead? Here are some simple design changes that would help you maximize the space in this scenario:
- Get smaller, stackable laundry machines.
- Install a wall-mounted, fold-out ironing board.
- Get a laundry sink with a storage cabinet for detergents, dryer sheets and other essentials.
- Get a retractable indoor clothesline instead of a standing drying rack.
4. Pick the Right Furniture
Limit bulk by using furniture that can do more than one thing for you, like a couch that has a pull-out bed or an ottoman with a hollow centre meant for storage. Having double-duty furniture will help you maximize convenience and functionality while taking up minimal space.
5. Use Optical Illusions
You can also trick the eye into thinking a small space looks bigger than it really is. It’s the same way that certain types of clothing can change the way that your body looks. You just have to know some key design tricks:
- Draw the eye upward using vertical storage like shelves and bookcases
- Use mirrors to make the room brighter and extend your line of sight
- Hang curtains (including shower curtains) higher up on the wall
- Don’t push all of your furniture against the walls
- Don’t make these design mistakes that make your room look smaller
Don’t settle for a too-small basement. Follow these tips and get the grand and gorgeous space of your dreams.
