Discover the Best Basement Design Ideas in Ontario

By researching basement design ideas, you can turn it into a multipurpose living space, such as an extra bedroom or area for sports parties, vacations, movies, and more. You can even set up a basement home bar for entertainment.

A finished basement can add value to your home and provide plenty of usable square footage for the whole family. However, all smoothing steps must be cost-effective.

This article from the Happy Construction blog offers several basement design ideas that require a small budget.

The meaning of the finished basement

A basement is considered finished when the entire surface is complete and insulated, such as the living space upstairs. The basement should generally have a whole electrical and HVAC system, plumbing and easy access to stairs, finished walls, ceiling, floor, etc.

On the other hand, unfinished basements lack air conditioning, plumbing, electricity, unfinished walls, floors, ceilings, etc. Remember, if some (but not all) of these elements are finished, we still consider the basement incomplete.

Basement design ideas on a limited budget

• Use a concrete floor stain or paint

A common approach to concrete floors is to add a floor covering such as a tile, laminate, vinyl, etc. If you want to stay on a budget, expose the concrete floor.

Additionally, there are benefits to exposing a concrete floor. For example, the concrete floor makes the height between the floor and the ceiling appears higher. In addition, concrete is durable, easy to clean and strong enough. Most importantly, concrete flooring dries quickly, and you don't have to throw away the flooring material in the event of a flood or minor water leak.

You can paint the concrete like wood for a more attractive look. One gallon of solid or translucent concrete stain can easily cover 400 to 500 square feet of floor. You can also use colour. Happy Construction experts suggest the combination of epoxy latex paint for concrete painting. This material significantly reduces the possibility of crushing and flaking.

Remember, before painting the concrete, you must clean it of any dirt, oil and rust.

• Leave the roof uncovered and use a dark colour on it.

The bare ceiling reveals random pipes, wires, and ducts running through the exposed joists, which could be more attractive.

One of the best and most affordable ideas for finishing the basement ceiling is to use drywall like the upper floors. Drywall roofing costs about $1 to $1.50 per square foot.

The problem is that installing ceiling drywall requires skill and experience. Quickly contact the technicians of Happy Construction Company and cover your roof in the shortest possible time.

• Finished basement stairs

Most of the time, the homeowner ignores the staircase while renovating the basement. But this is the only area that you can improve with minimal cost. We do not recommend opening the stairs, as it is more prominent and needs attention:

• Add a rug to increase their safety and appearance.
• Paint treads or stairs.
• Replace the old fence with a new one with art deco, industrial or minimal style.
• Change the shape of your staircase to a spiral form. This shape reduces the footprint of the stairs.
• Add a workspace, wet or dry bar, plant shelves, or a bookcase to the unused triangular space under the stairs.

• Use a divider to define the basement space

One of the ideal ways to define a space without floor-to-ceiling walls is to use privacy dividers. Accordion dividers are easy to install, and their multiple panels open, allowing them to stand flat without additional support.

Hanging solid dividers are made of resin, acrylic or thin wood. They hang from the rafters. Also, bookshelf dividers are another cost-effective material that you can use for a finished basement. This divider is placed against the wall and provides more privacy with more items on the shelf.

Budget-friendly ideas for finished basement flooring

If you want to keep your basement warm and dry, waterproof and insulated flooring can be a good option. One of the least expensive ways to design a finished basement is to use foam insulation panels. They cost only about $1 per square foot, half the price of conventional OSB-coated subfloor panels.

Finished vs. Semi-Finished Basement

A semi-finished basement is a habitable space, but it is not like other floors in the house. Although these basements will have walls, they may have different equipment or facilities than the upper floors. Additionally, in these basements, the ceiling is usually exposed.

You can use these basements as a recreational place for children to play, and they are probably not suitable for you as a place to live or stay.

Remember, if you're buying a home with a finished basement, you'll have to pay a little less cash to finish it because some of the work has already been completed. Although these basements are imperfect, they are still an excellent place to put gym equipment.

The humidity level is one of the most important things about a finished basement. Since the temperature is not controlled in these basements, humidity is a real issue. In general, a semi-finished basement is better than an unfinished basement. You only need to do a few simple things to have a finished basement.

Access to the basement

We call the basement unfinished if you have to leave the house to access the basement. A truly finished basement has internal, permanent stairs from inside the house to the basement. They should be walls on the stairs' sides with undisclosed studs or pipes.

Finished basement with bar

A basement bar is an excellent addition to an area renovation and can provide a stunning space for entertaining friends and family. You can liven up your basement with just a few installations, renovations, and creativity.

Remember, budget is a big issue. The price will increase if you want a fully custom basement bar with top-notch finishes. However, you can save money by doing a DIY job.

Some lively basement bar design ideas

Small and affordable home bar with unique shelves

Consider a quality dark-coloured shelf if you want a tiny basement bar on a budget. This design can create a masculine look. You can buy or build a wood counter for the bar top and spruce it up with creative wall art, rugged trim, and beautiful lighting to create a lovely custom bar.

Create a calm, rustic bar decor with custom shelving and lighting.

The rustic bar design is delightful. Combining reclaimed wood with high-level lighting and a polished stone bar can add a stylish and sophisticated look to any space.

Stylish, classy, stocky front bar with traditional shelving

Installing diagonal shelves is a great idea for displaying wine bottles in a modern yet accessible way. I suggest using cream colour, dark wood and a custom stone arch for a more beautiful look.

Bottom line

If you are looking for basement contractors to renovate your basement at the best price in Ontario, contact the team at Happy Construction. We ensure your project runs flawlessly while meeting all local standards codes at the lowest possible budget.