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    Home » Blog

    How to Remodel Your Finished Basement (DIY Guide)

    by Jennifer Fancher 8 Comments Published: 11/17/21 Updated: 2/22/22 This post may contain affiliate links.

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    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.

    One Room Challenge Final Reveal

    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.

    Gray Collins La-Z-Boy sectional with rust colored accent decor

    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.

    Gray Collins La-Z-Boy sectional with rust colored accent decor

    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.

    basement family room with gray sectional and black accent wall
    vintage wooden chest with ornate carvings in front of dark accent wall

    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.

    vintage wooden chest with ornate carvings in front of dark accent wall

    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.

    Table of Contents

    • How to Remodel Your Finished Basement
      • Flooring
      • Stairway
      • Lighting
      • Paint
      • Curtains and Blinds
      • Furniture
      • Artwork
      • Decor
    • Tutorials in this Basement Remodel
    • Resources:
    • Pin This for Later!

    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.

    beige 80s basement walls
    Photo when we toured our Meadow Brook Home

    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.

    installing tarkett sureset vinyl flooring over concrete floor

    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.

    basement family room with rooms to go beige couch with blue accent pillows and curtains

    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

    dated stairway with ugly tan carpet

    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!

    Updated stairway with new carpet runner and iron balusters

    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.

    dated stairway with ugly tan carpet
    updated basement stairway with gray carpet runner, fresh paint and new black iron balusters

    What a difference!

    Lighting

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

    looking into a basement room over stair way baluster

    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.

    basement hallway with industrial ceiling light

    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.

    basement family room with rooms to go beige couch with blue accent pillows and curtains
    gray sectional from la-z-boy

    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.

    gray sofa with camel leather pillows and white walls

    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.

    charcoal accent wall with vintage chest and decor in front

    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!

    basement family room with vintage decor and a view into a music 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

    basement family room with vintage decor and a view into a music room separated by a gray accent wall and velvet curtains

    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.

    gray velvet curtains with a leather tie back

    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.

    black out roller shade for a basement family room

    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.

    black out roller shade for a basement family room

    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

    two console tables side by side to create one long table

    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.

    charcoal accent wall with vintage chest in front of it with a gray accent chair

    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.

    round metal side table with glass top next to a gray sectional sofa

    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.

    round metal side table with glass top next to a gray sectional sofa
    gray entertainment center

    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.

    vintage carved chest with heirlooms decorating the top

    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.

    vintage radio on a table behind a gray sofa

    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.

    Pin This for Later!

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

      December 29, 2021 at 4:24 pm

      Hi Ann! Thanks for reaching out! I found this rug at Target. If you want to see the exact one I purchased, I directly linked to the exact one at the bottom of the post. Hope that helps!

    2. Jennifer Fancher

      December 29, 2021 at 4:17 pm

      What a great question, Tina! Rug placement is tricky so I get how it can be challenging. For this room, I wanted the entire sofa to be over the rug, so that is how I based my size. I also made the walkway purposeful since this is a basement and our teen boys come and go without always wiping their feet! So I thought it would be easier to clean the floors than any stains that may get on the carpet.

      Hope this helps and thanks so much for reaching out!

    3. Ann Burke

      December 12, 2021 at 11:06 am

      Where did u get the rug for updated room?

    4. Tina

      December 07, 2021 at 11:51 am

      OH MY!!! It looks great! I just love it all. I really appreciate how you mix new and vintage and make it look so together. I like the color choices as well, looks masculine but not overly so. I can definitely see how the guys would like this space. But, I do have one question---the positioning of the rug---did you purposely leave the walkway open to protect the rug? I do have a reason---I am adding new rugs to several rooms that are wonky sized and have been testing out different placements. Thanks and have a blessed Christmas! 🥰

    5. Angela | @midmodernmama

      November 24, 2021 at 6:39 pm

      What a wonderful room! Here's to many happy hours enjoying it to the fullest!

    6. Brendt Blanks

      November 20, 2021 at 7:22 pm

      Wow, Jen! It all came together just beautifully. You all worked so hard, and it paid off!!

      Thanks for sharing it with us.

      Joyfully,
      Brendt

    7. Jennifer Fancher

      November 20, 2021 at 10:08 am

      Thank you so much, Mary! Have a great weekend!

    8. Mary

      November 18, 2021 at 7:56 am

      Beautifully done and lovely enough to be the main living room and not just a basement. Enjoy it to the fullest!!

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    Jen and Trent Fancher of Noting Grace

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