“Basements will start to get the full treatment, with all the upscale finishes and elaborate lighting that are usually found on the main floor,” predicts interior designer LeAnne Bunnell. “Home theatres will continue to be the focus of these underground spaces, but integrated spa bathrooms and workout areas are on the rise.”

New Home Living recently asked Bunnell and other Alberta experts about the basement in 2008. “Open plan is still strong and many homeowners are looking at the basement as the addition they already have,” she says. “Wine-tasting cellars, customized storage rooms and some very luxurious laundry centres are bringing the basement into the light.”

Finishing up
If the basement in your new or older home isn’t yet finished, the first step is developing the basement well. “Basement development has not changed from a renovator’s stand point,” says Bill Young, co-owner, Edmonton's W.E. Young Renovations Ltd. “There are still four cold, gray, concrete walls that when cracked or the exterior grading is done incorrectly will make the home a hive for mould and mildew.”

His company looks at the basement as a “territory of untapped value.”  In every project, he says they intend to insulate the exterior of the foundation and create a barrier that stops the cold before it has a chance to penetrate the foundation and direct the water down to the weeping tile where it can be diverted away from the liveable space.

“The (budget) costs are always relevant, put all the bells and whistles in, from spa to theatre and you will be knocking at the door of Fort Knox,” says Young.

Take the case of Young’s typical customer who lives in a 30-year plus older home with a basement that was developed once in the ’70s or so. Since then, the foundation has cracked and they have some minor or major structural work to be done including larger windows, a sunken footing or heaved floor. Young says the condition can be related to over excavated storm and sewer lines; large trees that were planted too close to the foundation; poor lot grading and in some cases, inferior building practices.

“A lot of the previous homeowners took the path of ‘out of sight, out of mind’, passing these problems on to new homeowners,” he says. “The new owners are a lot savvier than those of the past. They understand that the basement not only keeps their house from tipping over, it has hidden value.”

Young estimates a basement development could start at $25,000 for the structural and water tightness portion and the interiors at $30,000.

What are the dos and don’ts of basement development? “Insulate and water proof your basement,” advises Young. “Our company promotes both exterior and interior foundation insulation and proper water proofing and water removal prior to any development. Do not build anything that is intended to have value if there is visible water infiltration.”

Basement makeovers  worthy of a closeup
If your finished basement lacks inspiration, RONA By Design offers consumers fresh basement makeovers in three different styles—oasis, global village and spirit.  Basement makeover product lists, two-dimensional plans and how-to tips are all available on http://www.rona.ca. “Our basement makeovers tell a story, the story of living,” explains Lisa Lemay, director of marketing, RONA Brand and RONA By Design. “Each space has its own, unique layout to please everyone in the house.”

The oasis style basement offers an “anti-stress” yoga studio and opened-space bathroom. Light and soothing tones, soft and fluid materials, simple lines and organic shapes make the oasis distinctive.

The global village style basement fulfils a double function: a wine cellar on one side and a potting workshop on the other.  Natural wood and slate decorate the gardening zone while cork, stone and metalwork set apart the wine cellar.

The spirit style basement serves as a family fun room with well-defined zones for playing, studying or a TV break.  Light and bright for vibrant young children, energized colours combine with kid-friendly, practical and resistant materials.

“Consumers found these layouts very inspiring and enjoyed the fact that they could use only part of the layout or recreate the whole plan,” says Lemay. “These designs also gave them ideas for their own basement makeovers.”

2008 Trends
Interior designer Elizabeth Arsenault has become an expert in basement design, particularly home theatres, with Calgary’s Smart Home Systems. “Functionality and cosy are two words that describe one of the biggest considerations in basement renovations,” she says.

”One of the latest trends in basement renovations includes needs such as storage. This is a huge concern and usually overlooked at the planning stage.” Homeowners are creating larger rooms for items such as decorations, gift-wrapping, crafts, luggage, seasonal clothing and equipment.

Windows, ceilings, floors & zones
Basement windows are getting larger. If the window is not that large, a full height window covering creates the illusion of a full height window, advises Arsenault.

“People prefer higher ceilings, so as not to create the “dungeon” feel or a place to just store extra stuff. “The higher nine- and ten-foot ceiling, she says, allows for creating multifunctional rooms like a nanny suite, the full piece bath, wine cellars, cold storage, yoga and exercise rooms and the recreation/home theatre rooms for entertaining. “These ideas are pretty standard, but “imagine the possibilities” with ideas such as studios and lounges.”

If the basement is one big open space, she suggests, creating zones like the bar, television or recreation areas by placement of furniture or flooring. The latest trend in floor finish, she says, is stamped or stained (heated) concrete floors.

“We predict newer trends for 2008 are rooms like the “creative art studio”, the “quaint play land”, the “dance studio”, the “jazz lounge”, the “spa retreat” and the “retro arcade.” She adds, depending on the size of the basement, another room becoming more popular is the underground showpiece garage.

Home theatre to gaming
“From an electronic design perspective, the (basement) “Home Theatre” experience is widening to encompass the gaming world with items like Nintendo’s Wii which offers Guitar Hero, Microsoft Xbox, D-Box interactive driving experience …,” says Ron Patrick, founder and president, Smart Home Systems.  “We also see more integration of PCs for Internet usage as part of the family entertainment area.”

For the latest home theatre equipment, at the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Patrick says, almost all major manufacturers of flat screens were showing an extremely thin line of displays. New models ship with a network jack on each TV so the consumer can plug their TV into the Internet to access a variety of services such as new updates and interactive TV, he says.

“In general, the industry delivers more features and better quality every year and just when you think we have reached the pinnacle, the bar gets raised another notch … Although it’s not shipping yet, Panasonic showed a 150-inch plasma this year as well as I saw a 108-inch LCD!”

Go pro
 Here’s what to look for in a basement-renovation professional:
• Get at least three detailed quotes.
• Ask for references and pick three projects to call and see. Call references from jobs performed five years ago, to see how the contractor’s work has performed over time.
• Ask the contractor if he or she is a member of a home builder’s association with a written code of ethics and call to check hisor her current standing.  Find out how long the company has been in business.
• Ask for penalty clauses to be included in the contract if the expected completion date is exceeded.
• Get a written guarantee on the work.
• Beware of low-ball prices, where the contractor wins on extra materials.  Try to plan the project carefully, so that there are as few surprise expenses as possible.
• Get letters of indemnity from subtrades that show they have been paid in full by the contractor.  The standard 45-day hold-back period on completion of work is generally less effective than actually having letters from each worker.” NL

SOURCE: RONA