Transforming Your Basement from Bleak to Chic

by Scott Stonebreaker

The days of the dark and dank basement, strewn with boxes, dusty exercise equipment and tangled holiday decorations are rapidly becoming a thing of the past, replaced instead by luxurious media and game rooms, European-style pub rooms, second kitchens, wet bars and guest rooms.  Homeowners by the droves are reinventing their formerly stodgy basements in search of more livable living space and are finding that basements are just too valuable to leave rough and unfinished.  Creating an “upscale downstairs” is a burgeoning trend. Among new-home buyers the two things they typically want to do immediately are install a deck and finish the basement.  While basements are not the top remodeled space—kitchens and baths remain the leaders—they are a sizeable chuck of the $215 billion U.S. remodeling industry. Not bad when you take into account that only 68 percent of all U.S. homes even have basements.
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By Scott Stonebreaker

You want to change the look and feel of your house, but you also want your remodeling job to look fresh for a number of years while complementing the existing features of your home. How do you choose the right project and design for you and your family?

First, make sure you take your family’s lifestyle into account when selecting an area of your home to remodel.  For example, if you get a lot of traffic through the house, consider hardwood floors. Families who frequently entertain in the kitchen may want to expand the room and add an island or some comfortable chairs. If your bathroom is the place where you escape the world, add a whirlpool tub or a deluxe shower.
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Turning your Living Space into a Working Space: The Perfect Home Office

By Scott Stonebreaker

As high school graduates head to their first year at university and college graduates leave the nest, many parents are finding a bit more breathing room in the family home. Maybe a bedroom in your home has opened up and is ready for repurposing. Imagine the possibilities: Your newly emptied bedroom could become a den, a library, or even a media room.

One of the most popular ways to keep that now-free room functional is to create a home office.  With solid planning, it is possible to create a home workspace that you will actually want to work in, whether it is a comfortable, organized space to pay household bills or the headquarters for your home-based business.  In fact, many homeowners need a place to work from home occasionally. A growing number of organizations allow their workers to telecommute and, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), 12 million houses nationwide have a dedicated home office space.  Telecommuters can enjoy the perks of a dedicated home office too.
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