Monday, November 7, 2016

How Would You Use a Bonus Room?

We didn't set out to have a finished room in the basement, when we first started the house.  But as we looked at the space and heard from the previous owner that it was his favorite room in the house, we thought it needed a second look.

I wasn't excited about it at first.  Dark brown paneling, ceramic tile floor and a wood stove vented through an unlined chimney.  But once we gutted the space, it revealed its advantages.  It's a dry basement (even with all our recent rain - so rare in this area)!, it has lots of windows (4!) that let in bright, natural light, and there is already plumbing for a half bath.

So, we got to work!  First, we installed new insulation and drywall.  


And then Mainely Ceilings installed a new suspended ceiling, magically hiding most of the pipes and wires that criss cross the space.  An amazing feat!





































This week the guys are adding some trim and leveling the old floor.  Then we'll spruce up the bathroom and do a little painting.  But that's the extent of our plans.  Because in reality, how the space is used will depend on the future homeowners.  They can decide what other improvements they want to make.







So, I'm curious.  How would you use this space?  Man cave?  Craft room?  Kid playroom?  What would work best for you?


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9 comments:

  1. We are a family of 5 with three small children. Playroom for sure!

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  2. Retired couple, so combo craft & TV room.

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  3. We moved from the East coast to the Southwest and MISS our basement playroom. Looks great!!

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  4. If it is big enough I would finish the bathroom and add a room for an office or guest room. Is the laundry down there? Laundry room/storage. And a rec room. Can all that fit in there? I for sure would add an egress window. Basements without an additional exit freak me out. Can't wait to see the finished house!

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    1. An egress window would be required for it to be a bedroom - and also a major investment! But who knows, maybe the future owners will want that! At this point, the laundry is also part of the room and there is lots of storage in the back with the furnace, water heater, etc.

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  5. Thanks so much for the feedback!!! As I guessed, it really depends on the buyer's situation. Getting it ready for them to do the finishing touches still seems like the best approach!

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  6. Craft room! Oh, all of that glorious space! I could have ALL of my machines out AND my quilting frame AND an ironing station AND storage for all of my stuff IN ONE PLACE! I'd even be generous and let the hub's have a corner with a workstation for building his airplanes. Sigh. Now I want a basement which totally isn't a happening thing in coastal Louisiana, lol!

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    1. Ha ha - so nice to let the hub have a corner :-) And I remember when we lived in Louisiana with no basement.....not sure I could go back to not having one. Where would I put all my stuff????

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