How to Remodel Your Finished Basement (DIY Guide)

Our dated basement family room gets a much needed update. Here's a DIY guide on how to remodel your finished basement.

Bring on the movie nights and family time! Our Basement family room is finally finished and I am so happy with the results!

We've slowly been chipping away at giving our basement a much needed update. In fact, we just completed our home gym.

We couldn't wait to create a home theater and game room for our boys while also finding a perfect place to spend a lot of time for us too!

And we needed to make sure the room flowed with our adjacent music studio, so how do we create this blended space that works for our family?

WARNING: This is a long post with lots of awesome details, so get your favorite beverage and find a cozy spot as I pour over all the details of this new space.

Well, for a brief moment - I wasn't sure if we were going to be able to show the full reveal!

It was down to the wire with our sectional sofa.

We ordered our Collins Sectional back in February of this year and had it custom made from the wonderful team at La-Z-Boy.

But when it arrived 4 weeks ago, there were two left arms! So they raced to get this sofa finished on time for this big reveal and the correct piece was delivered Saturday.

Phew - it was really close! Stay tuned for a detailed post on the customizing process and why we thought this was a good investment for our family.

This beautiful sectional was the anchor that designed this room!

And it is our first 'grown-up' piece of furniture we own. Meaning - we didn't have to put it together or buy it at a discount store.

What's so nice about it is that all my tall boys will finally fit when it comes time to watch movies.

I gave our existing ottoman a fresh new look with a faux leather look.

And then I tied in those camel accent colors with the rug, pillows and decor.

Isn't this piece beautiful?

This has been passed through many hands in Trent's family and it finally landed in our home. And I'm in love with it!

It has a stunning gray granite top and these gorgeous carved doors.

Now that you've seen the finished product, let's get into some of the details of this living space and how we brought it up to date.

How to Remodel Your Finished Basement

(Some affiliate links are provided below. Full disclosure here.)

We were very lucky to have a space that was already finished, with the drywall installed and basement ceiling finished.

The previous owners even took an extra important step and sealed the concrete block foundation walls.

So if you have an unfinished basement space and are looking for tutorials on how to get a finished look, then this isn't the tutorial for you.

Other than some easy electrical work and updating the stairs, there aren't too many significant changes to this space.

But if you have a completed lower level that you are wanting to create a perfect space for your family by giving it a much needed update - then I got you covered!

Here are the basic steps we took as well as some great ideas for your basement living room.

Flooring

A few years ago, we started with our basement flooring. We had carpet covering a concrete floor, so we ripped that up and installed luxury vinyl tile.

When you install luxury vinyl tile over concrete, you want to choose a type of flooring that can handle moisture. This flooring has a built in vapor barrier and is super simple to install because it's peel and stick.

Check out the full tutorial on how we completed this DIY project.

We only purchased enough for this family room, but loved it so much that we continued it throughout the rest of the rooms like our son's basement bedroom and our small home gym.

While this diy project gave this room an awesome update, it sat like this for almost 2 years becoming the afterthought of our home.

I really wanted to create a space we could all enjoy.

And there still were dated things that needed to be addressed.

Like our carpeted stairs.

Stairway

The dated balusters and dirty carpet made our basement look like an old house.

So we knew it would be a good idea to finally tackle this project and it took a bit longer than we thought.

But these steps have come a long way!

With a simple stairway update and a new carpet runner, you can increase the value of your home by giving it a fresh, modern look.

Here is our step by step tutorial on how we updated these basement stairs.

What a difference!

Lighting

We replaced the light fixture that hung over the steps with one that has a slight industrial look.

Since our music studio is adjacent to this family room, we wanted to give a wink and nod to that decor.

We continued the industrial look with the rest of the lighting by simply updating the ceiling fan and the fixture at the bottom of the stairs.

So I chose fun fixtures that resemble stage lights with fresnel glass. We thought this light for the bottom of the stairs was a good choice.

And the ceiling fan was a great addition to continue that music studio feel.

Paint

Since we have such a dark basement with limited light, painting the walls a white color was a must.

Our wall color is Grace Note from Romabio Paints in Interior Matte. Their mineral based paint is perfect for basements because it continues to absorbs CO2 and helps refract the light differently than typical acrylic paint.

Since I wanted there to be a point of interest, we created this beautiful accent wall using Romabio Classico Limewash and their lime glaze.

This created a cozy feel by incorporating a dark color into the room without it feeling oppressive.

The Limewash has depth and softness that still makes a bold statement.

And it's a great way to add drama to our family room!

Here you can really see how the music studio can be seen from this room.

Because our basement lacks natural lighting, when we enclosed this wall for soundproofing, we installed a glass door.

In the studio, we have 2 double glass doors that light pours into, and I didn't want to lose any light from coming in.

But what do you do when you want it dark to watch movies since this is a theatre room for us.

Curtains and Blinds

If you've ever been in a theatre, then you know that velvet curtains are a definite.

So to give us the option to have a dark room on a sunny day, I installed these velvet curtains to help block out the light.

They are two rods joined together with a hinged rod elbow connector that works for corners.

I found this cool leather tie back on Amazon to help keep the curtains contained since both these doors get opened and closed a lot.

But since our sectional is massive, drawing the curtains behind our sofa is a challenge.

So I reached out to my friends at Affordable Blinds to see what options they had.

I love this company and have used their blinds in four different rooms in my home.

Affordable Blinds have black out roller shades that come with a motorized mechanism that opens with a remote control!

How cool is that? We feel so boujie!

So now we can create a true theatre room anytime we want!

Furniture

Behind the sofa, I needed something to fill the space and found these console tables from target for $50 each.

I simply just placed them side by side to create one long table that works perfectly for this space.

I needed an occasional armchair that complemented our sectional.

A few years back, I worked with the team at HomePop to create a cozy eat in kitchen space, so I am thrilled to be working with them again.

This armchair is the perfect match for this room and looks stunning in front of our accent wall.

I originally planned to pair a metal side table with it, but found it worked better for our sectional.

The round glass top fits right in next to our two glass doors.

And I love the mix of modern and vintage right next to each other.

And our old entertainment center got a new look as well.

A local vendor at my favorite antique mall, the Mended Fence, sells Fusion Mineral Paint and she helped me pick the perfect color for this room.

It's called Ash and I love the deep tones it gives the room.

I updated the doors with some fresh caning to give it a much needed update. You can peep all the deets in this post if you want to check it out.

Artwork

Finding affordable artwork makes me very happy!

I will be sharing some awesome tips on how to DIY your own custom artwork for your home very soon!

My favorite piece is this custom printed canvas from Canvas Discounters.

This is a photo I took when we lived out in Vegas. We took a trip to Zion National Park and I fell in love with the scenery.

Decor

The rest of the room were the fun, decor details that tied everything together.

If you're new to Noting Grace, then you will quickly learn that I love to incorporate vintage items in my home.

Especially those with meaning.

My friend gifted me this antique mirror that had been in his family for years.

I placed a framed marriage certificate that belonged to my great great grandparents in front of the mirror.

The chest and the lamp come from Trent's family and that smaller crock is from my mom's side of the family.

I love how they all flow together and each has it's own story.

Trent was helping his dad clean out the attic and stumbled upon this vintage radio.

I knew this would give that perfect musical touch to this space without being too obvious.

I gave an old faux plant a new look with this DIY makeover. Tutorial will be coming soon!

So from dated and dreary to fresh and new!

If you are looking for ideas for your own basement makeover, then I hope these ideas inspired you.

It doesn't matter the project size, you can still create an inviting space for your friends or family. Sometimes the easiest ways are working with what you have and making small improvements to your diy basement renovation.

Tutorials in this Basement Remodel

• DIY Basement Stair Remodel and How to Install an Indoor Outdoor Carpet Runner
• Updating an Old Entertainment Center
• How to Reupholster an Ottoman
• How to Install Iron Balusters
• Limewashing an Interior Accent Wall

Resources:

Wall and Ceiling Paint: Interior Matte Romabio Paint in Grace Note White - Amazon $67 (sponsored)
Accent Wall Paint: Romabio Paints Classico Limewash in Nube Gray with Lime Glaze (sponsored)
Painting Accessories: Handy Pail Tray Liners - Home Depot $5 (sponsored)
Flooring: Tarkett Sureset Luxury Vinyl Tile in Pecan Swirl
Stair Treads: Unfinished Pine - Home Depot $12
Stair Balusters: Bulldog Stairs - Etsy $213
Stairway Light: Duncan Collection Light Sconce - Home Depot $75
Stairway Decorative Vent Cover: Decor Grates - Amazon $13
Runner Rug: Well Woven Leifen Grey -Amazon $156
Ceiling Fan: Olde Bronze Pismo Collection - Urban Ambiance $377 (sponsored)
Ceiling Light: Verndale Industrial - Amazon $150
Area Rug: nuLoom Vintage Pauline - Target $280
Curtain Rod: Matte Black - Home Depot $16
Curtain Rod Hinge: Hinged Elbow Connector - Amazon $18
Curtains: Gray Velvet Pinch Pleat - Home Depot $49
Curtain Tie Back: Leather - Amazon $10
Black out Roller Shade - Affordable Blinds $300 (sponsored)
Sectional Sofa: La-Z-Boy Collins Sectional in HomeRun Silver - La-Z-Boy $3000.00
Accent Chair: HomePop Emerson Wingback $655 (sponsored)
Accent Table: HomePop Round Accent Table $100 (sponsored)
Sofa Table: 2 Console Tables - Target $50 each
Black Table Lamps: Pre-owned - Similar ones here
Recovered Ottoman: DIY Tutorial - Fabric - Amazon $45 / Buttons - Amazon $24
Updated Entertainment Center: DIY Tutorial Mineral Fusion Paint - Mended Fence (sponsored)
Leather Accent Pillows: Better Homes and Gardens Brown Pebble Faux Leather - Walmart $17
Accent Pillow: Better Homes and Gardens Gray Chunky Knit - Walmart - $20
Accent Pillows: Knit Covers - Hobby Lobby $19
Chunky Knit Throw Blanket: Studio McGee Rust - Target $35
Decor: Brass Clock - Hobby Lobby $25
Artwork: 30x40 Printed Artwork on Canvas - Canvas Discount $72
Artwork: Framed Vintage Print - Download - Etsy $4 / Photo Mat - Amazon $16

It has been so wonderful joining up with the One Room Challenge again after taking a few seasons off. So I want to give a huge thank you to the sponsors who helped us put this room together and for believing in our design plan!

Home Pop || HANDy Products || Urban Ambiance || Affordable Blinds || Romabio Paints

Be sure not to miss this season’s Featured Designers and the Guest Participants links at the One Room Challenge weblink up! As always, special thanks to the One Room Challenge media Sponsor, Better Homes and Garden and to Linda - owner and creator of the One Room Challenge.

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