Unfinished Basement Decorating

October 16, 2008

If you have an unfinished basement, chances are that you are having trouble figuring out what to do with it. It’s probably being used as a sort of storage pit, where pseudo-useless items are relegated to the purgatory below, waiting for the next big yard sale or trash day.

But not everyone has the money to put into finishing their basement. Even if you do, you might not want to put up with the hassle, the mess, and the constant stream of strangers moving filthy equipment in and out of your house for days, weeks, or even months at a time.

Luckily you don’t have to go to these lengths to get some use out of your basement. With a little creativity you can forgo the mess and expense, and find new, exciting ways to give purpose to the subterranean level of your home.

Illumination

Lighting or the lack thereof is actually one of your best friends in the basement. Since it is set in the ground, most basements don’t get much direct sunlight. Match this with the fact that lighting fixtures are usually sparse in this space, and you end up with a pretty dim area.

However in a space where you are trying to hide unseemly features, this can actually be a positive thing. Creative use of light, will lead to shadows falling on certain areas. By playing with different lighting fixtures, you can use this to cast darkness on the unsavory spots, and highlight the nicer areas.

If your unfinished walls have water spots or stains on them, a light centered in the space, can create a virtual room where the walls exist as the shadows themselves. This trick allows you to carve a circle of serenity out of the center of even the meanest of rooms.

While shadow can be used to hide certain aspects, light can be used to focus attention on others. Novelty lights such as Christmas strings, illuminated wall clocks, paper lanterns, and even lava lamps can create points of interest within a space that will command attention, leaving other spots unnoticed.

Water

The biggest enemy of the average basement is the water table. If you live in an area with a high water table, chances are that at some point during a particularly bad storm, that water table will rise up to where it is above the level of the basements floor. At this point, you will have a nasty flood that will destroy everything it touches, and can leave the basement stinky and moldy.

The first way to combat this is through education. Find out how often basement floods occur in your area, and do some research into the average height of the water table.

If you find that you are in an area which is prone to floods, a flood detector can be placed at the lowest point, to give you some warning when the waters rise. Combining this with a sub pump may give you enough firepower to keep the space dry through even the worst weather.

Another thing you can do is to seal the concrete of your basement with a silicate-based penetrating sealer, which will clog the pores in the stone and then expand, making them somewhat impervious to moisture.

If you are prone to floods, you should also take precautions with any items that you put in the basement. Water proof plastic bins can serve to protect delicate items, and a dehumidifier can help to get the moisture out of the air when the flood is through. Outdoor ready carpeting and rugs are built specifically to stand against the elements and can be great in this application.

Themes

Giving the basement a theme is an easy way to give life and purpose to the space. Since an unfinished basement is usually just a wasted floor of the house, this is where you can indulge all of your most fanciful endeavors.

Basement Game Room – Another popular use for the basement is as a family recreation room. Since it is extra space, you can feel free to fill it with all sorts of large frivolities which wouldn’t fit into the rest of the home. This can include pool tables, foosball sets, table tennis boards, and other large games. The atmosphere is also perfect for poker night, and a folding poker table can go a long way towards giving the room purpose.

Private Retreat – One of the positive aspects of the basement, is that it exists outside of the natural flow of the home. People come and go, but they don’t bother the basement, because they have to go down a flight of stairs to get there. Further, being recessed in the ground can insulate it against outside noises, and peeping toms who might otherwise snoop through open windows.

This makes the basement perfect for any private haven, or secret office utility you might need. Just carve a little nook out of the center of the space, and then decorate it appropriately.

Conclusion

Having a finished basement is a wonderful thing, but if you can’t go to the time or expense, you don’t have to give up your basement as wasted space. Just use a little creativity to accent positive points, and hide negative aspects in the shadow. Then give the room a purpose which will thrive within the rustic confines of the room.

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