There’s a difference between a cozy basement and a cramped one. If you feel like your basement could use some extra square footage, here are some tips that will help you make it roomier.
Look into Underpinning
Underpinning is a renovation project where homeowners extend the depth of the foundation, giving their lowest level more square footage than before. It’s the perfect solution if you want to give your basement a taller ceiling or turn tight crawlspaces/cold rooms into open living-spaces.
This isn’t an easy DIY project. You’re going to want to call in a team of experienced professionals to tackle the job and guarantee that everything is done correctly. A company like NTL Contracting has excellent basement underpinning services and offers additional services that will help move the project forward, like demolition, excavation and waterproofing. You might as well use a company that can do all of the work for you from beginning to end.
If you want to increase the size of your basement, your best bet is to get down to the foundation and make more space.
Focus on Vertical Storage
Basements are treated like storage units all too often. Homeowners will pack the entire floor with old junk, and then wonder why it feels claustrophobic down there.
Start by taking a good look at the items in your basement and determine if you actually need them. Stop holding onto things that you don’t like, want or need anymore. They’re taking up what precious little space you have in the house. It’s time to follow the wise words of Marie Kondo and ask yourself if an item “sparks joy” — if it doesn’t, it needs to go into the garbage or giveaway pile.
You can also add some room to your basement by using vertical storage to organize all of your remaining items. Use shelves, cabinets and cubbies to store books, board games, vinyl records and trinkets. Hang clothing and accessories on hooks. Arrange tools on magnet strips and pegboards. There are lots of possibilities.
Moving things to the walls will free up plenty of floor-space.
Use Optical Illusions
When all else fails, you can trick the eye to make a room look much bigger than it actually is. Here are some design tricks that will come in handy for the basement:
- Pick the right paint. Cooler, paler colours will reflect light and make the space look open. Darker colours will make things feel smaller and closed off.
- Decorating with mirrors make a space look bigger because they reflect light and trick the eye.
- Get bright lighting. A dim space will seem smaller at first glance. It’s a crucial tip for basements, which have little to no natural lighting to work with.
No one is going to visit your home and pull out a tape-measurer to see how long the walls are. They’ll have no idea that your décor has only added imaginary inches. It will be your little secret.
You don’t have to accept a tiny basement if you don’t like it. You have the power to change it. When you follow these tips, your space will look and feel big.
