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Lori Madden, MANGROVE REALTY ASSOCIATESPhone: (941) 780-8443
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Design Tips for Unfinished Basements

by Lori Madden 11/28/2021

If your home has an unfinished basement, it may seem like the space is useless until you take the steps to finish it. However, unfinished doesn’t have to mean useless. There are some simple and inexpensive ways you can make an unfinished basement work for you with no remodeling. Here are some inspiring ideas to try in your unfinished basement.

Soften a Poured Concrete Floor

Many unfinished basements have a basic poured concrete floor. Concrete can make the basement feel cold, harsh and uninviting. One of the simplest ways to add comfort and utility to your basement is by adding rugs, foam mats or carpet panels to the floor. You can use a bright and cheerful area rug to liven up the space and add some softness to the stark concrete. Foam gym mats are a great way to increase the comfort and safety of the floor and carpet panels can make the entire space feel more finished than it truly is.

Add Attractive Lighting

Most unfinished basements have very little to offer in the way of lighting. Yours might have a single fluorescent fixture or naked light bulbs for purely utilitarian lighting. While it’s important for the space to be well lit for safety reasons, there’s no reason you can’t dress it up and make it feel more like part of your home. Try hanging up some string lights either on the walls or from the ceiling rafters. The ambient light created by the smaller lights will warm up the space and make it more inviting. You can also dress up the existing lighting by adding stylish shades and fixtures.

Work With What You Have

One of the significant advantages to an unfinished basement is that you don’t have to worry as much about things like spilled paint or scattered sawdust. By working with the purely utilitarian features of your unfinished basement you can create attractive and functional workspaces. Try setting up a workbench with storage for tools and necessary materials nearby. You can create a dedicated art studio or crafting station with a simple table and some modular shelving. You can also use the space for other messy projects like repotting plants all without being in the way of other parts of the home.

Best of all, if you prefer a bare-bones industrial interior design style, an unfinished basement gives you an enormous head start. Add industrial style furniture, fixtures and decor to the space to use and expand upon what’s already there. If you lean into the existing aesthetic, you can easily create a home office or a lounge for entertainment with no remodeling.

These are just a few tips for working with an unfinished basement. After all, unfinished doesn’t have to mean useless.

About the Author
Author

Lori Madden

As a Florida native growing up in Sarasota, I have seen my hometown grow from a sleepy coastal town to a highly sought-after destination along the shores of the Gulf of Mexico. After working in Chicago for 5 years, I returned to Sarasota and saw it through a new lens and really began to appreciate what makes Sarasota so desirable, including temperatures that allow for year round outdoor activities including tennis (a personal favorite), golf, boating, kayaking, fishing, paddle boarding, or just relaxing and/or shelling on our pristine sandy shores, including Dr. Beach’s #1 beach in the United States for 2017, Siesta Key! Sarasota’s cultural amenities are many and diverse, appealing to a wide range of arts lovers. Downtown Sarasota has become a destination in itself, drawing many new developments for those who want to be within walking distance of Main Street's offerings and the picturesque bayfront and marina. Foodies will find an eclectic mix of locally owned and operated restaurants offering something for everyone, and there are now Farmers Markets every day of the week in various locations throughout Sarasota, but the Saturday morning Farmers Market in downtown Sarasota draws the biggest crowds. Since 1988, my passion has been selling real estate, representing both buyers and sellers. I have been recognized by my clients and customers for an uncompromising work ethic and dedication to helping them achieve their real estate goals. Relying on my experience as a real estate paralegal and being highly organized, I am able to help make the transition between contract and closing a smooth one for my clients. With an eye for interior and landscape design, I've been known to pitch in and help Sellers minimize and/or reorganize their belongings in order to stage their home to maximize its sale potential. I specialize in out of state buyers looking for their piece of paradise along the Gulf Coast and make it a priority to keep them up to date on our quickly changing local real estate market. I welcome the opportunity to share with you all Sarasota and her surrounding islands have to offer!