Your basement renovation will create an attractive, comfortable living space designed to enhance your entire home. Although the overall design should flow with your main floor, including architectural details in your basement renovations will ensure the character and style of your home is carried through to downstairs.
Many people opt to stretch their budget and install standard trim and baseboards in the basement. But certain types of architectural details can be added to the basement living space with minimal investment, delivering major returns in your property value.
Types of Architectural Details for the Basement
You can add various types of finishing touches to your basement living space, including:
- crown molding
- ceiling medallions and domes
- corner trim and moldings
- niches
- baseboards and trim
- beadboard or wood paneling
Using Crown Molding in Your Basement Renovation
Crown molding can transform any room from a standard finish to something more dramatic, adding depth to the walls and height to the room. This type of molding is close to flush on the bottom, but added profiles give the trim depth at the ceiling, and various shapes can be formed into the trim for visual effect.
Choose crown molding that fits with your room dècor, and complements the trim and baseboards. A small profile measures between 2 and 4-inches high, while larger profiles can measure 9-inches or more and create a dramatic effect in your home.
Color is another option. White crown molding works well in many homes, while stained wood styles add a sense of tradition and heritage. Prefinished crown molding makes installation fast, while some manufacturers offer primed molding that can be painted to match your room dècor.
Most basements have low ceiling heights, and crown molding may seem out of place. But at the right scale, crown molding helps to visually raise the ceiling height and make your basement feel more spacious and airy.
Using Ceiling Medallions and Domes in Your Basement Renovation
If you're planning on installing a drywall ceiling, overhead architectural details can be added for a touch of class. Choose specific areas to highlight, such as over a seating area or billiard table. Then opt for a ceiling medallion or ceiling dome in the right style and size to suit your space.
Ceiling medallions are mounted onto the finished drywall and generally painted out in the same color as the ceiling. Domes are framed into the ceiling cavity and must be installed before the finished layer of drywall. They also help to visually expand the room height and work well in hallways or too accentuate certain areas of the room.
Using Niches in Your Basement Renovation
A niche provides a special place for artwork and collectibles, and looks best set into an accent wall. Most niches are slightly set into the wall, with a shallow shelf and a decorative frame resting above the finished drywall.
An arched top is common, and directs attention to the item or items on display. White, painted niches are the most common, but many manufacturers also offer natural wood niches in popular species used from trim.
Including a niche to your basement living space allows you to dress up this area. Use your personal touch when choosing a design and location, and be sure to install this architectural detail before completing the drywall. Consider adding accent lighting to the area to properly illuminate your collectibles. Track lighting or spotlights work very well.
Using Baseboards and Trim in Your Basement
Every basement renovation needs baseboard. This simple trim covers the gap between your tall and flooring, tidying up that space. Floating wood floors require a small gap for expansion and contraction, and standard baseboards cover the space nicely. But many homeowners opt for specialty baseboards in larger, more elaborate designs to make a statement in the basement.
Consider matching your baseboards with crown molding and the frame of your wall niche, creating a coordinated look. Taller baseboard profiles may cost more, but they will also make more of an impression. Invest in a baseboard profile that matches those in the balance of your home, and consider how the molding accents your flooring choice.
Chair rails and other trim can also be used in the basement for practical and decorative purposes. Hide imperfections in the wall or use trim as an attractive transition; in any case, these simple strips of wood help to finish your basement living space.
Using Paneling in Your Basement Renovation
Wood paneling was traditionally used to finish the basement on a budget, since it could be tacked onto wood framing and provided a semi-solid finish. Nowadays wood paneling had taken on a whole new twist, and provides your basement with an upscale feel.
Paneling comes in a broad range of styles, including the traditional paneling with vertical lines and fake wood grains to mimic the look of genuine wood. Some paneling has the rustic look and undeniable charm of beadboard, which works on the wall or ceiling. Choose something that provides the look and feel of your home, and be sure to invest in his high quality fasteners, and support for the paneling where necessary.
Thin paneling may sag or even crack, leaving your new basement looking cheap and in a disarray. Check out the thicker styles and opt for smaller pieces that continue to provide a solid look, but require more support. Homeowners can pair decorative paneling with a chair rail and baseboard for a distinct look in their basement renovation that also delivers a low maintenance feeling.
Your basement renovation deserves the very best in design and finishing. Make this below-grade living space comfortable with architectural details like crown molding, ceiling medallions, baseboard, trim and wood paneling to dress up this space and help it to flow with the balance of your house. Finish the basement for added space, but don't forget these tiny elements to create an area that makes a big impression.
Posted by: TrustedProsSuggested Reading For You
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