Toronto Interior Decorator Tips For Basement Renovations

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August 25, 2016

Having a finished basement in your home is a great way to add liveable space and even increase the value of your property. But how you go about your basement renovation makes all the difference to the finished product. Interior Decorating Toronto experts who work on basement renovations typically have specific strategies they use to make sure the work is carried out seamlessly and that no details are ever overlooked.
Consider the following tips from Hope Designs, your trusted Home Interior Decorating Professional for a sound basement renovation.
Plumbing
If you’re planning on adding a bathroom to your basement you’ll need to find out if the main drain for your home is above or underground. If it runs underground plumbing should be rather seamless. On the other hand if the plumbing runs above ground you will probably need a pump or grinder. Make sure you have a chat with your plumber or contractor before you start breaking concrete.
Home Decorating Toronto
Natural Light
The best kind of light is natural light but basements are usually scarce on this. Make sure that you plan the areas in the basement that will get the most use as close to the windows as possible. For instance, the seating area of your basement recreation room would be best situated near the window, while the bathroom can go without if you’ve only got one or two windows down there.
In addition, building codes will require you to have a second way to escape should there be a natural disaster. Installing an egress window with a window well will allow you to both meet these codes and provide you with more light. According to Toronto interior decorator experts the more windows you can install the better.
Ceiling
Basement ceilings are typically where you’ll find all sorts of obstructions like ducts, wires and plumbing pipes. For this reason, you’ll have to have certain sections where the ceiling will need to be dropped in order to accommodate for these components. In order to make sure your ceiling isn’t low throughout the basement try to keep the obstructions confined to one spot then create an area with a lower ceiling. Make sure the dropped ceiling continues to the walls in a natural transition. And instead of using ceiling tiles consider using drywall instead. This will make the space look more like a main or second-floor level rather than a dingy old basement and will make it look like you had a professional Toronto interior decorator tackle the space for you.
Interior Decorating TorontoWaterproofing
If your home is going to get flooded the basement is where it’s going to happen. Of course, you don’t want any flooding in your home, so one important thing you need to do is waterproof your basement. If there is currently no system in place to handle incoming water, you will need to install flooring material that is able to deal with getting wet. Typically, tile works best in this situation. Make sure a floor drain is installed if there currently isn’t one, and ensure that it directly leads into the storm drain.
Lighting
Good lighting can make or break the look of a basement. Aside from installing as many basement windows as possible to get natural light, you should also invest in appropriate lighting that will effectively illuminate the entire space. Since ceilings in a basement are typically lower than the rest of the house, light reflecting up off the ceiling works quite well. That means mixing it up with wall sconces and floor lamps.
Pot lights also work really well, but just make sure that you consider the cone of light that is emitted from a pot light. As it gets closer to the floor, you’ll need to space the lights apart appropriately to get adequate coverage.
Hope Designs, Your Go-To Toronto Interior Decorator
At Hope Designs, we’ve had our hand at a number of renovations on clients’ homes, including the basement. With our training, experience, and skill-set we’ve got the tools and the creative mind to develop the basement of your dreams. We look forward to helping you transform your home into one that you can be proud to call yours! Contact Hope Designs today!