Steps for Turning Your Unfinished Basement Into a Living Room

Your unfinished basement represents a ton of potential. Turning it into a liveable area where you can relax and entertain might be easier than you think. Follow these steps, and you'll be lounging around down there in no time.

Conduct a Preliminary Damage Assessment

First, you've got to check for any potential damage. A lot of times, there might be a crack in the foundation. Foundation repair is crucial if you want to turn your basement into a living room. Otherwise, all your hard work could be lost. Repairing the foundation doesn't take too long, and it'll make the rest of the work worthwhile. 

Properly Seal the Room

After checking for damage, it's time to think about sealing the basement properly. Most unfinished basements aren't entirely waterproof. As such, small amounts of moisture might find their way inside. Applying an industrial-grade sealant to the corners should solve the problem, though. After this important step has been completed, you can move on to other projects.

Think About Floors

Flooring would be the next project on your list. Don't fall for the wooden floors, though. Those tend to wear down a lot faster than other options. We'd suggest tile for the easiest solution. Tile doesn't need a whole lot of attention. Plus, you could always throw a rug on top of it. You can also choose to install carpet if you want something more warm and cozy. Carpets can require more cleaning, especially in a dusty basement, but it can be worth it if you want the warmth. Concrete can be another option. This is an inexpensive option, but isn’t very comfortable. However, you can add rugs to make it more cozy and warm. Concrete flooring is becoming more popular, so it can be a good option if you want your basement to look trendy and modern. 

Get Creative With the Walls

Have you thought about what you're going to do with the walls? For a truly sublime experience, start by hanging up some drywall. Make sure there is a little space between the basement's walls and the drywall. Once the drywall is in place, the space will start feeling livable instead of feeling like a dingy basement. After drywall is installed, you can start decorating. Wallpaper tends to be pretty easy to work with, especially if it is peel and stick. So, you might want to use some of that. Nevertheless, there's always something appealing about good old-fashioned paint. You might want to purchase some wall decor too. Unique paintings can start to give your living room character. Don’t underestimate the importance of focusing on designing and decorating your walls. 

Choose Lighting

Next, it's time to think about how you'd like the lighting to look. Most basements don't have a ton of windows, and some of them don't have any at all. So, how you plan your lighting will make a huge impact. Blue lights might not feel super relaxing. So, if you want it to feel like a living room, you might want to use something with a reddish hue. You might also want to purchase a few lamps if you don’t want the lighting to be too harsh at night. It will lighten up the room, without being too bright while you are relaxing. 

Purchase Furniture

The last thing you will want to do is purchase furniture for your new living space. Think about how much space you have to work with. If you have a large living room, a large sectional sofa can be a great option. If you don’t have enough space for a sectional, a loveseat and some chairs will work great too. Choose a furniture style that you know you will love for years to come. Don’t go with anything too trendy, but also don’t be afraid to show off your personality and taste through furniture. Furniture will tie the whole room together and can create a focal point for the room. Make sure you take enough time to make a decision before purchasing the furniture. 

Turning your unfinished basement into a living room is pretty straightforward. Follow the tips in this guide, and you'll be done soon. Then, you can focus on enjoying it.

Tips for making your living room the coziest place on Earth

There's nothing better than coming home from a long day at work and drinking a cup of coffee or tea wrapped in a blanket on your sofa. It's the moment of peace in a day everybody deserves to have. So, why not make the best of it by increasing the comfort of your living room? Whether you're dealing with a limited amount of space or simply want to give your spacious room a more intimate feel, there are a lot of things you can do to achieve just that. Just remember one thing - coziness is not only about aesthetics but also about appealing to all your senses at once. So, here are some great tips for making your living room the coziest place on Earth.

Rounded edges and soft shapes are the right way to go

If you want to turn your living room into a cozy nest, you'll need more smooth and curved shapes in the room. Solid and rough edges and many flat surfaces give the image of harshness and rigidity as if you need to sit up straight and take everything seriously. Allowing your living room to indicate a more careless style will help to create a more relaxing atmosphere. In a cozy living room, the furniture should practically embrace you and give you a warm hug, allowing you to sink into the sofa, snuggle up, and relax. Round corners on sofas and armchairs make them feel more tactile and welcome, while circular items, such as a round coffee table, invites you to gather around it. As a final touch, make the ambient even cozier by adding soft carpets under furniture and fluffy cushions on hard surfaces.

Adding some texture will make a huge difference

Even the most neutral homes can benefit from a touch of texture, and every home should definitely have some. Pursuing texture means you're one step closer to getting that homey vibe and making your living room the coziest place on Earth. For example, natural fibers such as lightly stained wood, jute, organic cotton, and linen should be used instead of synthetic materials and polished surfaces. To our eyes, a clean surface can appear dull and one-dimensional, but you can introduce some tactility and complexity so that it becomes appealing and intriguing. Just imagine relaxing on linen cushions and wrapping a wool blanket around you while reading a book. It already feels cozier, right?

Play with the scents 

Since coziness implies pleasing all of your senses simultaneously, let's talk about the sense of smell. Scents have a significant impact on our mood, so make sure to choose the scent that will make you relaxed and content. Use scents that transport you back to a moment when you were at ease. You can never go wrong with lavender and fresh green notes. The spa-like vibe these two notes create will instantly make you tranquil. Additionally, make sure to air the room regularly. A stuffy room can never be a cozy one as well. It's essential to choose more soothing scents in order to make your living room the coziest place on Earth.

Add a personal touch to your living room

One of the best ways to make your living room the coziest place on Earth is by adding a personal touch to the room. There's nothing more relaxing than that homey feeling of belonging. So, think about what makes you feel at home. For some people, that's a shelf full of books, a room flooded with plants, or a wall adorned with pictures of your family and friends. If that feeling lies in your favorite color, then make sure it pops in this room. We can design an atmosphere that is cozy and inviting on numerous levels beyond aesthetics by giving a room a deeper significance and thinking carefully about the things we surround ourselves with. After all, the home is where the heart is, so make sure to pour your heart into this room, and you'll feel cozier than ever.

Set the mood with the right lighting 

Lighting plays a big role when it comes to making your room cozy. Too much or too little light can never feel right. So, you'll have to set the mood with the just-right amount of lighting in your living room. Drapes have great mood-setting power - not only do they add flair to your room but also cast a natural glow upon the whole room. By layering curtains, you can experiment with the light level you allow in the room.

Additionally, to create a warm, inviting atmosphere, install a dimmer switch on your lights and layer your lighting with multiple light sources. Set the mood with a softer, more diffused light by using a lot of accent lights. You can use lamps to create focal points on side tables, sideboards, and bookshelves in a cozy living room. This way, your attention will be on these snug and comfortable areas of the room.

Pay attention to details 

You can't make your living room the coziest place on Earth if you don't pay attention to details. The secret of comfort lies within the little things we put in our rooms. However, we have to be moderate because adding those little details can turn into cluttering really fast, and we don't want that. Here are some great ideas for incorporating little details in your living room to make it cozier:

• Put mirrors on the wall: you can choose different sizes and go for fun framing. Displaying mirrors on the wall will give the room a warm depth and a more intimate vibe. 

• Hang some artwork: choose the picture from your favorite artist and hang it on the wall. You can visit a local gallery and buy some fresh art from new artists. This will add that extra layer to your living room and give it the homey vibe you seek. 

• Install a fireplace: if you want to go all the way, a fireplace is the right choice. This warm addition will take the coziness to the next level. After all, there is nothing better than drinking hot cocoa by the fire with your family.

Keep in mind...

If you have a bug for art and you already have a bunch of artwork you want to display on the wall of your living room, we recommend you don't go overboard with it. While art is precious, sometimes it can suffocate the place. So, choose a picture or two you like the most and display them. If you have many pieces that you don't know where to place just yet, you can always keep them safe in a storage unit until you decide. However, it's essential to store them properly and take care of them in the right way. After all, expensive pieces demand special care, so make sure you learn everything there is to know about storing artwork. This includes learning about what temperature you should store it at, what is the allowed level of humidity and lightning, how to pack them properly, etc.

What do you think about these tips?

After reading all these great tips for making your living room the coziest place on Earth, what are your final thoughts? We think if you follow these steps, your living room will be so comfy that you'll never want to leave it. And isn't that the dream?

The Difference Between a Living Room and a Family Room

As our lifestyles evolve, our homes evolve to meet new needs. Basements are finished now, bathrooms are larger, and ceilings are higher. One side effect: The lines are getting blurred between home spaces, and it’s getting harder to tell the difference between a living room and a family room. Open floor plans and less formal leisure time may cause you to question the purpose of each room. But there’s a place for both in your home, particularly if you love entertaining.

The Family Room

After World War II, the family room was invented for families to reunite and spend time together. It grew larger to accommodate televisions as they became mainstream. Now, they are less formal gathering spaces where family members can put their feet up on the couch or lounge on the floor with cushions. Cozier than living rooms, family rooms are more kid-friendly. It’s home to so many activities—reading, gaming, watching movies, and even exercising—that abundant storage is key.

Location

It’s ideally located next to the kitchen, so families can grab snacks or even eat in front of the TV. Often it has a door with access to the backyard, deck, or garden. Family rooms are often near the back of the house, intended mostly for private use, not guests.

Also Known As

• Den

• Media room

• Rec room

• Game room

Distinctive Furniture

• Entertainment center

• Sectionals and recliners

• Large, functional coffee table

• Ottomans with storage

Accents

• Durable indoor/outdoor fabrics

• Throw blankets

• Cushions

• Family photos

The Living Room

Victorian parlors evolved into living rooms, which are less fussy now, and more comfortable for guests. While the focus of family rooms is often directed at various screens, living rooms are still about entertainment, focusing more on guests and conversation. It’s a showcase—and safe space—for more valuable possessions.

Location

The living room is nearer to the entrance of the house, making it convenient for visitors. It’s usually connected to the dining room, so parties can graduate from cocktails to dinner.

Also Known As

• Cocktail room

• Front room

• Drawing room

• Sitting room

Distinctive Furniture

• Loveseats and accent chairs

• Antiques

• Piano

• Display cabinet

Accents

• Expensive art

• Heirlooms

• Ornate rugs

• Coffee table books

Can they be combined?

Sure! In many new constructions, the living and family rooms are consolidated into one large “great” room, with high ceilings, large windows looking onto the lawn, and easy access to the kitchen. Combining the rooms isn’t without its challenges—it needs to be casual enough for the clutter of frequent family use but presentable enough for guests.

Historically, the purposes for each area made the differences between living and family rooms much more distinct. You can decide to use one room for guests and the other for family, combine them, or convert them. What’s important is that these spaces meaningfully contribute to the way you want to live.

Simple Ways To Enhance Your Living Room

With the exception of the dinner table and bedroom, a home’s living room is typically where people spend the majority of their time at home. If you ever have guests over, you likely congregate in the living room. If you’re watching the big game, it probably happens in the living room as well. All that said, does your living room scream inviting? Is it a place you’d want to relax in? If the answer to either of those questions is no, we have some simple ways to enhance your living room; learn what they are in the guide below.

Give the Walls a Fresh Coat of Paint

Fresh paint is probably the easiest way to bring any room back to life. There are two routes you could go when it comes to paint. You could either repaint the color you already had which might be counterintuitive if your original color is outdated. The other option is painting the walls a modern neutral color. Pro tip: when in doubt, go for a light gray.

Get Unique Light Fixtures

Most homes have underwhelming light fixtures in their living room or no fixtures at all—you should change that and get something unique. Now, you need to be careful when choosing unique light fixtures because you want a focal point in your living room, but the light fixtures shouldn’t be it. Look for light fixtures that will fit the room and décor naturally but something that’s different than what you’d normally pick.

Upgrade the Furniture

Everybody expects to walk into a living room and see basic furniture, so why not change that expectation? Updating your furniture to something more modern or unique can take your living room to another level. If modern styles aren’t your thing, go for something reclaimed or vintage—it’s sustainable and unique.

Upgrade Your Entertainment Center

No living room is complete with the television, you may have the TV mounted on the wall to increase your experience, but you can do more than just add a TV. Enhance your living room with essential entertainment center items like video game consoles, 4K television, and streaming devices. If you’re a big movie buff, you could make your entertainment center more theater-like with a sound system and projector.

If you’re only going to focus on enhancing one room in your home, the living room is probably the best option for most people. By applying our simple ways to enhance your living room, your friends and family will be amazed when they come to visit. You might even surprise yourself.