basement design Archives

Interior Design: 3 Biggest Bloopers Made with Basement Remodels

July 1, 2021July 1, 2021

An Interior Designer’s Insight on How to Make Your Basement Live Large

One of the first things I normally see when entering a finished basement are the obvious signs that I’m in a basement. But that’s not what you want. You need to think of your finished basement as professional finished main level living space instead to create the ideal interior design. Read on for my 3 ways to improve the visual appeal of your remodeled basement.

photo example — Interior design by Karen Mills

1. Not taking advantage of natural daylight – In this basement design we situated the bar area in a spot surrounded by natural light to make the space feel more like a main floor level interior. To further enhance the light airy feel we also designed the bar with white counter tops, used lighter paint colors and flooring to bounce more light around the room along with adding ample lighting.

Karen Mills' blog — Interior finishes by Karen Mills

2. Not hiding the telltale signs of a basement living space. –When finishing your basement ensure that you hide all horizontal ledges behind dry wall, disguise obvious duct work in the ceiling design, and cover all concrete wall niches or anything else that screams basement.

Here in this space we added wood flooring, artificial light, and and accent lighting to give this basement a first floor feel.

3. Lack of adequate artificial light – As an interior designer I can’t emphasize enough the importance of artificial lighting. Here we started with general can lights, added task lighting over the island, and then topped it off with accent lighting inside the shelves and under the cabinets to create a real wow factor.

Remember lighting is a major key to success when creating a basement interior design because lighting draws you into the rooms along with a professional finished look.

For more great ideas and photos on basement interior design or remodels, sign up for our weekly interior design blog here

Plus become a fan of Kansas City’s interior designer and former host of the Living Large design show, Karen Mills, on
INSTAGRAM and FACEBOOK here!

Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Design: 3 Biggest Mistakes We Make in Basement…

April 25, 2019April 25, 2019

1. Not taking advantage of natural daylight – In this recent basement design we situated the bar area in a spot surrounded by natural light to make the space feel like the main level of the home. To further enhance the light airy feel we designed the bar with white counter tops and lighter paint colors to bounce more light around the room.

2. Not hiding the telltale signs of a basement living space. –When finishing your basement ensure that you hide all ledges, duct work, and niches or anything else that screams basement. Here in this space we added wood flooring, artificial light, and and accent lighting to give this basement a first floor feel.

For more great ideas and photos on basement interior design or remodels, sign up for our weekly interior design blog here

Plus become a fan of Kansas City’s interior designer and former host of the Living Large design show, Karen Mills, on
INSTAGRAM and FACEBOOK here!

Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Design: 3 Tips for Making Your Basement Live…

July 28, 2017July 28, 2017

If you’re lucky enough to have a basement and are thinking about remodeling or finishing it, keep these three tips in mind when designing your basement to make it live large like upstairs.

1. Bring in the daylight. When creating an interior design plan for your basement, think about ways you can bring natural sunshine further into your space. One of my favorite tricks? Use french doors or glass windows in interior rooms that allow the sun to penetrate further.

Other ways to bring in the light could include adding a glass door and and sidelights to a walkout basement or a large daylight window. For a daylight basement try creating a walk up.

2. Give it importance. Treat your basement space like you would a main level room. Use drywall on the ceilings and create focal points with architecture, color and/or interior design to give the rooms a “wow” feel. I personally prefer lighter wall colors in a basement that’s dark so it doesn’t feel a cave unless its a home theater area or wine cellar.

3. Beef up your artificial lighting. By adding extensive artificial light with wall washers, accent lighting and/or directional strip lights in addition to your standard lighting, you’ll find that your basement feels more like an upstairs living space.

For more basement remodeling ideas and more, sign up for our weekly interior design blog here

plus become a fan of Kansas City’s interior designer and former host of the Living Large design show, Karen Mills, on Facebook here!

Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Design: 3 Tips for Creating a Beautiful Basement…

May 5, 2017May 12, 2017

If you’re thinking about remodeling your basement, consider these 3 tips for creating a beautiful space that doesn’t feel like a typical basement design.

1. Bring in the daylight. When designing your basement, think about ways you can bring natural sunshine further into your space. One of my favorite tricks? Use french doors or glass windows going into the interior rooms that allow the sun to penetrate further and keep them open for entertaining to maximize space.

Other ways to bring in the light could include adding an a large daylight or above ground window, enlarging an existing window or by creating a walk up basement from a daylight basement if possible.

2. Give it importance. Treat your basement space like you would a main level room. Use drywall on the ceilings, add drapery panels over small windows to make them feel grand, and create focal points with architecture, color and/or interior design to give the rooms a “wow” feel. I personally prefer lighter wall colors in a basement that’s dark so it doesn’t feel a cave unless its a home theater area or wine cellar.

For more basement remodeling ideas and more, sign up for our weekly interior design blog here

plus become a fan of Kansas City’s interior designer and former host of Living Large, Karen Mills, on Facebook here!