One advantage of living in New England is the extra square footage gained from our full basements. Over 35 years in business, we have become increasingly creative with how to use this space below. In post-pandemic living, we’ve seen a shift from primarily functional basements to luxurious ones. The reasons go a bit beyond the timeless reasons to remodel a basement.
Since our clients are at home more than ever with continued remote work arrangements, they expect their space to support all types of activities: work, rest, and fun. Upscale basements are a way to keep everyone in the family comfortable, doing what they love in forms as varied as media rooms, music rooms, spas, saunas, game rooms, exercise rooms, golf simulation rooms, and billiard rooms – just to name a few. Using basements for these activities is a great use of available space.
Here are 8 high-end renovation features that sets these luxury basements apart from the norm:
Electric fireplaces add warmth to a luxury basement remodel, both literally and figuratively! This perspective view design drawing helped our clients visualize how their music room could be even more inviting with a stone fireplace and a comfortable seating area. While their daughter plays the piano, they can listen in comfort and style.
Sliding barn doors and pocket doors add both style and space saving measures to lower levels. These pocket doors with frosted glass panels allow light to pass through while providing important sound dampening from this newly renovated media room. The full glass barn doors to this exercise room add an element of style to the space and allow light through even when closed.
Basement foyers serve as transitional spaces to the fun that waits beyond. If ceiling height can accommodate, we install eye catching light fixtures in our basement remodels, like this trellis cage chandelier from Shades of Light. There is certainly a place for recessed lighting, but we aren’t solely limited to can lights in upscale basements. While we’re looking up, it’s worth pointing out that plaster trumps drop ceilings in luxury remodels. We ensure plumbing and electrical wiring is well placed so we can build access panels to reach what’s needed when needed.
A well equipped dry or wet bar is a must-have feature for all high end remodels. Whether it’s exercise or entertainment, all activities are improved with a cold beverage. This striking dry bar graces a Concord home’s basement featuring a white polished quartz countertop with a ceiling height silver stain beveled mirror tile backsplash. We find that many clients feel more bold with product selections for their basements than on main levels. Our designers are ready to provide lots of options for both the courageous and conservative.
Exercise rooms are definitely pulling their weight in today’s remodels. Over the pandemic, many left neighborhood gyms to workout at home. As the Peloton fanclub grew, so did the need for an upscale setting for our burgeoning home gyms. Some are installed with engineered floors like this; others have installed wall to wall rubber flooring for ultimate comfort during your burpee sets.
Media rooms are a great way to bring the family together. We’ve installed television niches, permanent movie screens, or retractable screens with a built-in soffit in the media room’s ceiling. We’ve surrounded a large flat screen with custom cabinetry, to allow for extra storage or shelving for photos or decor. These rooms are all ready for the credits to roll.
Maximizing natural light has always been important in a basement remodel. But in a luxury basement, it’s essential to capture every ray that comes your way. It may mean excavating larger cellar window wells to accommodate larger windows, which in turn creates outdoor opportunities for beautiful and classic stonework. We are fortunate to have great relationships with landscape designers and masons, like Ahrohnian Landscaping and Design. For this renovation in Dover, our clients wanted the ease of the walk-out basement made possible with a large sliding glass door and flanking full size windows.
Engineered vinyl plank flooring has come very far in creating a luxurious style. You can achieve the look of an authentic wood floor with a durable waterproof alternative that protects against mold and mildew, unfortunately frequent issues that plague basements. This beautiful basement remodel includes vinyl wood planking with golden tones abutting a natural stone fireplace surround. Our clients are creating spaces that they love and use through luxury basement remodels. If you feel like your basement could use an overhaul to better suit your family’s needs, talk to a JM Construction Designer to see the possibilities.
