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Best Basement Conversion Ideas


Turn Wasted Space into a Home Theater, TV Room, and More

© 2012 by Sarah Harris; all rights reserved; content may not be copied, rewritten, or republished without written permission.

A basement wine cellar; photo courtesy Jorge Royan


A basement wine cellar; photo courtesy Jorge Royan


This article was updated on 12/09/20.

Many of us have basements in our homes, but few of us know what to do with them. All to often they turn into a storage space—an extra large closet where we can pile up all the junk that we own, but don’t need, use, or want. There’s got to be a better way to use this valuable space.

Avoid falling into this trap by making smart use of your basement space. You can open up a whole new room in your house, and get rid of all that junk you don’t need, all at the same time.

Basement Finishing

Of course, if your basement space is as raw as the general contractor left it, you will need to make it a livable space. Consider some of these Basement build-out ideas.

Consider these practical ideas for converting your basement:

  • Get Active in a Game Room.

    A basement pool table; photo courtesy Sarah Harris

    Depending on the size of your basement, there are any number of dedicated environments you could create down there.

    Many table top games are compact enough to fit in basements, and there are many multi-game tables available as well. You might consider installing a pool table, a ping pong table, a foosball table, or anything else that you are passionate about.

    Hang a dart board on one wall, away from any seating and delicate objects of course. Yes, your basement has the potential to be the most fun room in the house.

  • Chill Out in a TV Room or Home Theater.

    It has become common nowadays for our television sets to become the centerpieces of our living rooms but why limit yourself?

    Many people don’t even know what to do with a living room any more, barring the presence of a TV. However, making your basement into a TV or multimedia room could not only make great use of your basement space, it could also free up space in your living room and boost your home equity.

    Get creative. Move your old sofa and chairs down to the basement and get some new furniture for the living room. This change has the potential to completely transform the feel of your house.

  • Get Aristocratic; Build a Wine Cellar.

    This may not interest all of you, but those interested in wines should definitely consider this possible use of their basements. This area of the home can be temperature controlled to keep those fruity bottles happy.

    Wines have been traditionally stored in cellars because the insulation from being underground keeps out light and heat, creating a dim temperature neutral environment in which wines won’t spoil.

    Consider setting up a Winsome Ancona Wine CabinetWinsom wine rack, and even a cozy tasting area where you can enjoy your favorite varietals alone or with a partner by romantic candle light.

  • Cheer on Your Team in Your Sports Bar.

    Why go out to the bar and pay inflated beer prices to watch the game when you can bring the bar to you?

    Building on the previous suggesting of moving your TV down to the basement, you can also turn this space into a fully functional sports club. Install a beer fridge and a mini-bar, pick up some stools and leather ottomans, and invite friends over to enjoy the next big event with you.

    You can set the decor any way you’d like, get a great view of the game, and best of all—never have to drive home. If you are a huge Jimmy Buffet fan, why not go for a Tiki bar theme?

  • Work Out in Your Home Gym.

    It’s important to exercise and get fit, but it’s sometimes tough to find the time and space to do so at home. This inconvenience leads many people to take up expensive gym memberships.

    But why not convert your basement into a workout space? You’ll have all the privacy you want, all hours access, and no membership fees. Your basement has so much potential, it’s a shame to let it go to waste.

Did you enjoy this article on best ideas for basement conversions? Did you find it helpful? If you can answer yes to either of those questions, please share the link with friends and social media. And if you have some related ideas please share them with our readers in the comment section below. Thanks for visiting; we’re all in this together!


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About the Author:

Photo of Kelly R. SmithKelly R. Smith was a commercial carpenter for 20 years before returning to night school at the University of Houston where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science. After working at NASA for a few years, he went on to develop software for the transportation and financial and energy trading industries. He has been writing, in one capacity or another, since he could hold a pencil. As a freelance writer now, he specializes in producing articles and blog content for a variety of clients. His personal blog is at I Can Fix Up My Home Blog where he muses on many different topics.

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