UPDATE 1: Design
Design Motivation
Like many families, our clients needed more space and weren’t sure how their current home could adapt to the lifestyle of their young family without either having to leave their beloved neighborhood or take over the yard with an addition. We needed to find a way to grow the home without making any changes to the footprint, so we proposed a total basement overhaul.
Client Needs:
- An additional bedroom
- A full bathroom
- Hangout space
- Exercise area
- Plenty of storage
Areas of Consideration:
- A bedroom requires a means of egress for building code compliance.
- Mechanical equipment could create low ceiling heights.
- Exposed Pipes and unfinished basement walls don’t create a cozy atmosphere.
- The laundry area would need to stay downstairs.
The Final Basement Plan
Proposing a basement redesign to homeowners who only ever knew the space as an unfinished, dark storage room took some serious design work and planning. In order to be successful, the design really needed to be efficient to give our clients the breathing room they were looking for in the home. We segmented the lower level into appropriately scaled private and public zones, placed rooms with respect to existing window locations, and found design inspiration in materials that would brighten up the once lifeless basement. Unlike the existing basement layout, the new design made sure to immediately immerse the family in an open and bright entertainment space ideal for movie nights, playing games, or enjoying the company of friends. The large openness of the room also allowed us to tuck an efficient workout zone just beyond the living room seating. To prioritize their cozy new entertainment space, we strategically hid existing pipes and mechanical equipment and enclosed the laundry and storage rooms.
Creating A modern and Efficient Bathroom
The addition of a full bath in any home is a worthwhile upgrade, especially a 1930’s South Minneapolis home. The design incorporated a fully tiled shower and tub for all ages to enjoy, while the sophisticated finishes and selections will give the room a newly found elegance. We prioritized an efficient layout that kept all the plumbing along a single wall without making the bathroom feel overly cramped. The new design called for a natural wood vanity and warm-toned tile flooring with pops of whites and bronzes to maintain the modern feel of the room.
From Laundry Room to New Bedroom
In the updated basement layout, our goal was to find a way to create a full bedroom and bathroom without unnecessary sacrifices to storage or living room space. We made the decision to re-home the washer and dryer near the furnace, enclose the new laundry room for privacy, and put a bedroom and bathroom at the previous laundry location. Incorporating an egress window will give the new bedroom more light and a necessary exit in case of an emergency. Clever and practical space planning totally changed the way the family would be able to use their home, taking a once much-too-small-house and adding over 600 sq.ft of purely functional and beautiful space.
