Finished basements are a great way to add additional square footage to your living space. In many cases, you may only have a few hundred square feet to work with. You may have planned on using your basement as a rental space. In that case, you probably want at least a kitchenette and full bath. This may not prove to be realistic with the available space. So what can you do with the otherwise underutilized room ( especially if your basement was build with waterproof concrete ) ?
Playroom or Game Room
Need a space for younger children to keep all their toys so they aren’t all over the house? A basement playroom could be perfect for your needs. A quiet place to play that doesn’t involve playthings being in the walking areas can relieve stress for you. If you have older children, or they outgrow it, you can turn it into a game room. Older kids and adults alike can enjoy this sort of space. The most popular features in a game room can include billiards and foosball tables, perhaps even a dart board. Some also include gaming systems and gaming or beanbag chairs. Of course, you can’t leave out a reading and study area with comfortable seating and plenty of reading material.
Home Theater
In smaller homes, you may not have the perfect spot to watch movies comfortably. Making a spot in the basement for a home theater could be perfect. All you need is a big screen TV, entertainment equipment, good speakers, and comfortable sofas and/or chairs. Having a small refrigerator and perhaps a small half bath would make it the perfect entertainment center for your home. A small home theater can share space with a kids’ playroom or game room, as well. All of these items are available at a fraction of the cost they were in the recent past. This is most likely due to the higher demand.
Exercise Room
Need a place for your exercise equipment? Do you long for an out of the way place to practice aerobics, dance, or yoga? Perhaps you have a child who is participating in ballet, cheer, gymnastics, or other activities requiring a dance or exercise area. An exercise room or dance room can be a fine solution. You’ve probably seen rooms with full length mirrors on the wall. The mirrors are optional, but complete the space, as well as make it feel larger. In any case, you don’t need too much room for it. It may even be possible to hold a small dance studio for friends or clients in the space.
Extra Bedroom for Older Child
Have an older or adult child who really doesn’t want to share a room. A common solution is to put a bedroom in the basement. It’s perhaps the most famous use of a small basement space. Bear in mind that basement bedrooms may not be considered “legal” bedrooms if they lack designated closet space or easy egress access. But the functional space is probably the easiest way to utilize the area. Discuss with your contractor the best ways to utilize the space for your specific needs.
Music Room
Have a husband, boyfriend, or teenager that wants to learn drums or have a jam out session? A small basement would be perfect solution to hopefully make their session less noisy for everyone else in the house. Maybe you have a collection of guitars or violins where this basement area could be a space to store them and keep all your musical instruments organized.