B is for Basement
A beautiful finished basement is a must when I buy my dream home. For
me, the basement has always been the entertainment space, and it’s all
about casual fun. Here, you can load up the on games (think poker and
pool tables), and kick back and relax. At my house growing up, the
basement was the kid zone. The best part of the basement is that because it’s
separated from the rest of the home, you can simply shut the door and
entertain you guests on the main floor when the kids make a mess.
On an episode of “Sarah 101” designer Sarah Richardson does a particularly good job of
creating a beautiful multifunctional basement.
Here you can be a bit more adventurous with
colour, as long as you remember that
natural light in the basement is often a minimum. Sarah uses a neutral
pallet with pops of daring but tastefully chosen reds. The curtained off
nook seen in the picture above separates the childrens’ play area from
the adult entertainment space. Such a neat idea since the curtains can
be pulled across to hide the mess or be used for putting on plays!
A close up on the kids area. Sarah uses kitchen cabinetry throughout the
basement for storage, since it can be easily customized to accommodate
low and awkward ceiling heights (caused by bulkheads). Ps. How cute is that turtle stool?!
Perhaps
my favourite idea is using full length drapes on
those tiny little windows that are the trademark of any basement. It
helps make the space seem more main floor, gives the illusion of larger
windows, and is another opportunity to add texture, pattern, colour, and
personality!
What would your 'B' be?!
xox
Tiffany Leigh
