There’s one thing that’s common to every basement that’s out there, no matter what home they’re under: they’re dark! It’s just one of the many side effects of being underground.
When you’re designing a finished basement, therefore, one of the biggest challenges you’ll face is finding a way to make that downstairs space a bright and enjoyable place to be in. There are a number of ways you can bring some sunshine to where there is none. For one, you can select from a variety of different paint colors that add natural brightness and cheeriness to any space. Also, you’ll have to consider the lighting and how it’s laid out. Finally, you’ll want to think of your flooring – is it reflective or light colored, or is it dark but compensated for by other design choices.
As you can tell, there’s a lot to think about! That’s why we’ve taken it upon ourselves to find 26 examples of finished basements that manage to get the brightness aspect right. You’ll see that they deploy a number of different design strategies to achieve the effect, any of which might work for you and for the style you’re after. So, take a look, and see if you can’t be inspired!
1. White and Beige
To keep things bright in your finished basement, strongly consider sticking to a white and beige color scheme.
2. Colorful Décor
Here, you have an example of a finished basement that keeps things charming and bright thanks to colorful décor.
3. Recessed Lights
Here, two small recessed lights augment the natural light coming through the window, keeping this finished basement bright.
4. Light Blue
Another wall color that works great for finished basements is light blue. Also, check out the floors used in this design.
5. Adding Interest
All white color schemes can get a little boring. For visual interest, you can consider adding wood accents.
