TURNING A BASEMENT INTO AN INVITING FAMILY ROOM

When it comes to staging your house for market, the more livable, finished space you can show a buyer, the better! And when it came to this basement…it wasn’t exactly the kind of space that would have a buyer “oohing and ahhing!” But we changed all that and as a result, this listing had multiple offers within days and sold over list price!

In this case, low ceilings, dated paneling, and a cold tile floor were major turn-offs. With a couple of easy, low-cost fixes, however, this basement was easily transformed into a bright and cheery family room in no time!

I first tied it all together by painting the walls, doors, trim, and paneling a nice creamy shade of antique white. This was the best color choice to make the room seem much larger and more open, and to brighten it up since there were no windows. Next, I painted the ceiling and cleaned up the fireplace using a baking soda solution and metal brush.

After giving the tile floors a good scrub, I warmed them up with an inexpensive sisal area rug, then layered that with a faux-animal hide I cut out in the shape of a cowhide rug using a couple of yards of faux-fur found on clearance.

To add visual square footage, the sofa and chair were arranged on the diagonal. Not only does this layout open up the space, but it also draws the eye directly to the fireplace.

Lighting is especially important in rooms like this where there is no natural lighting to be had, so a floor lamp and table lamp were also placed on the diagonal to light up the furthest points of the room.

A glass top coffee table helps reflect the light and keeps the space looking open and airy, while silk greenery as well as black & white artwork placed over the fireplace, help draw the buyer’s eye around the room and make it feel more homey.