One of the biggest trends in building and renovating is the high-end lower floor. Once largely neglected, basements are being outfitted with home theaters, full kitchens, and other entertaining amenities.
Text by Lisa Keys
Read the story
East Hampton, New York
This 3,500-square-foot lower level has a spa (with plunge pool, sauna, and massage room), a media room, and living quarters for staff or guests. Finished earlier this summer, it’s on the market for just under $20 million—though it comes with 18,000 square feet of main living space,too.
Read the story
Sagaponack, New York
This home on Hedges Lane was purchased by a Wall Street executive for $18 million. The 4,500-square-foot basement features a movie theater, a sauna, a billiards room, and staff quarters, and was part of the original design of the house, completed last summer by Farrell Building.
Read the story
Denver
Last year, media executive Bob Hampton hired Finished Basement to redo his 2,200-square-foot basement to the tune of $300,000. The idea started with a gym and ballet area for his wife, Janis, and evolved to include a media room, a bar with dishwasher and Sub-Zero fridge, and a climate-controlled wine cellar.
Read the story
Denver
Out of Africa and into suburban Denver, this 1,800-square-foot space by Finished Basement features a large bar of bamboo and granite, billiards, a media area, and a built-in gun rack. The sunburst ceiling hides the basement-y ductwork and ties the room together; the homeowners spent about $166,000.
Read the story
Chicago
Remodeler Dave Schrock, who runs the D.I.Y. site basementideas.com, redid this 1,200-square-foot basement in suburban Chicago. It features a wet bar, workout room, media area, playroom, and office space. There’s also an additional 200 square feet of unfinished storage. Construction cost about $65,000.
Read the story
Philadelphia
Earlier this year, Mark Oser, owner of Designs by Mark, designed insurance executive Keith Paul’s suburban Philadelphia basement. With a budget of about $275,000, the basement now has a theater with stadium seating, a playroom with a built-in swing set, a gym, and a “fun room” with billiards and arcade games.
Read the story
Nashville
Alan Willett, an executive at Verizon Wireless, hired Crane Builders to redo his basement last year. The space features custom woodwork, copper ceilings, and copper countertops on the wet bar. There's also a wine cellar, a home theater, and additional living space. "The basement is more high-end than the rest of our house," says Willett's wife,Amy.
Read the story
Nashville
This suburban Nashville basement has lots of built-ins and a wet bar with Viking appliances, a “floating” granite countertop, and African mahogany veneers. There’s also a media room and entertaining area. Construction costs were just over $250,000—Crane Builders had to find creative solutions to relocate support beams inside walls and deceptively vent radon gas.
Read the story
NEWSLETTER
RSS
MOBILE
HELP
Where's Vesco?
RSS
Mobile