Basement Decorating Ideas
In the bowels of a house lurks a strange, uninviting area that accommodates equally unappealing items such as the hot water system, central heating unit and enough family photo albums in various states of disrepair to keep a fanatical scrapbooker enthralled for years.
Basement decorating ideas are bandied about roughly every springtime and the family all have definite ideas on what should be done with the space. Dad wants to create a home theater, Mom is keen to have a craft room and the teenagers just want somewhere to lock themselves away so they can talk on the phone in peace. Not all basement decorating ideas have to be about full-blown remodelling jobs.
The most basic of concepts involves gutting the area and removing all junk and clutter. Once you have an empty floor, you will have a better idea of what to do. Does the room need more light, and if so, what kind of mood should it provide? Is a paint job in order? Would new floor coverings make a world of difference? Basement decorating ideas should start with the fundamentals that turn the shell into something liveable and comfortable, and then you can move on to soft furnishings and quirky pieces.
Flooring
Always consult professionals when trying to determine what to do with your basement floor. This is an area of the house that is prone to serious moisture invasion, so spending money on carpets will be a waste. If the report on your floor is that it is moisture proof, then go crazy.
Otherwise, only consider options that will be practical. As much as you would like to come up with basement decorating ideas that will land you a pictorial feature in House Beautiful, you do need to keep within the parameters of what you are working with.
Walls
Again, consider the quandary of dampness. Depending on what you are planning to use your basement for, it might be advisable to spend some money on long-lasting drywall. Run your basement decorating ideas by your contractor and he will tell you how far you need to go to achieve your aims while ensuring any work done lasts a long time.
Paint
Unless you are turning the basement into a home cinema, think light. Paint the walls and ceiling a couple of shades lighter than what they are upstairs. Such an enclosed space requires opening up and color can create that illusion. This is one of the easier basement decorating ideas to bring to fruition.
Once you have the basics sorted out, you can enjoy shopping for furniture that will fit the purpose and mood of the room. This is when the more fun basement decorating ideas come into play, and you can have a ball mixing and matching and working to turn what seemed like a dungeon into an extra, and exciting, room of your home.
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