Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Inspiration

Basement remodel ideas that won’t break the bank

If you want to remodel your basement on a budget, here are a few ideas

Julie Scagell
By

If you’re tired of looking at the same old large room in your basement and need some inexpensive remodel ideas, we’re here to help. Having a basement is wonderful for entertaining, for housing an extra bedroom or office, or for using as storage, but it’s often one of the most underutilized spaces in a home. But there are ways to breathe new life back into it with just a little paint, furniture, and imagination.

Here are a few basement remodel ideas to get you started. You won’t believe what a big difference small changes will make in your home.

Media room basement
Rachid Jalayanadeja / Shutterstock

Add color and texture

Basements are often dark and oddly shaped. Either they are one giant square, or they are an odd shape with hallways and rooms that don’t feel cohesive. One way to combat this and make a large space feel cozier is paint. Find a calming color like medium gray or sage green and paint either a feature wall or the entire space. Obviously, if you don’t have a lot of light to bring in, you should opt for lighter colors to keep it feeling as open and bright as possible. You can also add wallpaper, batten board, or a herringbone feature wall to anchor the space and decorate around it.

Bright basement space with gray walls
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Dedicated areas

If you’re dealing with one big room, designating different parts of the room for different activities can help break up a large space. For instance, if you want a home gym, dedicate part of the basement for it with clear delineations like mats, weights, etc. Then, you can dedicate another area to watching the big game with a couch, TV, and decor to center that space. Finally, you could have a dedicated reading nook with a bookshelf and comfortable chair. You can use the furniture and decor you already have, but rearrange the room so that each area has purpose and meaning.

Recommended Videos

Gaming

Game room

If you have little ones or love to host game nights, why not turn your basement into a game player’s dream? Invest in a card or game table and put shelving up (or a closed storage cabinet) to house all the games (or toys when the kids are young). Not only does it give your basement a sense of purpose, but it frees up your living room and kitchen from all the chaos and mess game nights brings with it. Once you have the space set, you can decorate the walls and have other seating areas for people to chat or watch TV.

Related

These are just a few basement remodel ideas you can do without putting up doors, walls, or other structural changes, minimizing cost and allowing you to enjoy the area more. You’ll be surprised what paint, decor, dedicated areas, and texture will do to really bring your basement space alive.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Julie Scagell
Julie Scagell
Former Digital Trends Contributor
I am a freelance writer based in Minneapolis, MN. My passions include my dogs, talking about my dogs, and taking pictures of…
Kitchen remodel before & after: A few changes brighten up this space
Check out this Redditor's very own kitchen remodel
Father and daughter cooking in front of pvc kitchen cabinets

Doing a kitchen renovation can seem like a daunting task, especially if you are tackling it yourself and not hiring a contractor. But since the kitchen is where most of us congregate to cook, eat, work, and entertain, it's one room that deserves to look and feel bright and warm. If you've not spent any time on Reddit, it's a great place to go to get inspired and see real kitchen before and after pictures posted by others. One Redditor posted a stunning kitchen remodel that they've done, and seeing what it looked like before and now gives you perspective on how small changes can add up to big improvements.

Previous

Read more
5 clever outdoor lighting ideas even if you don’t have a big backyard
These space-saving outdoor lighting ideas can be great additions to your patio or balcony
Small outdoor cozy patio with soft lighting

When you don’t have much space to work with, you have to look for clever outdoor lighting solutions that function appropriately and don’t ruin the look of your exterior design. For those of us with small outdoor spaces like a patio or balcony, unique lighting solutions that don’t require a ton of space are a must.

So today, we’ll share five unique outdoor lighting ideas ideal for small outdoor spaces that don't sacrifice your design, and we'll show you how best to style these lighting solutions, so you can create functional decor that fits your home. Whether you prefer string lights outdoors or something more unique, we have some solutions for you.
Firefly lights
If you’re looking for a cute space-saving lighting solution for your patio or balcony this summer, look no further than . These solar-powered lights look like little swaying lights in the summer breeze. Place them in your planter boxes or outdoor pots to illuminate your space. They aren’t bulky and won’t hinder your plants. Instead, they might just add a whimsical touch to your mini garden. Alternatively, you can place these stakes in the ground to line the edges of your outdoor patio. They fit perfectly alongside bushes and small shrubbery without appearing out of place.
Mushroom stake lights
With aesthetics like cottagecore, whimsigothic, and fairycore gaining prominence among apartment dwellers, lighting like  is a fantastic idea for creating the perfect fantasy landscape. Great for balcony planter boxes, mini gardens, or small pathways, these mushroom stake lights are super compact. You can choose between 12 and 24 mushroom lights to stake around your patio or in planters on your balcony for a mystical look. And for homeowners who want something more spunky and unique, there’s also multicolored options.

Read more
Kids’ bedding that doesn’t scream ‘theme’ – Your children may just love these ideas
These kids' bedding options will make their room a dream
Pink kid's bedroom

When kids reach a certain age, many seem to land on a favorite movie, cartoon, or team. When that happens, their bedrooms can turn into a reenactment of sorts, with toys, dolls, posters, blankets, and even bedding flanked in their chosen obsession. While it's adorable, and we love to inspire play and imagination, sometimes it can feel like a little too much of a good thing. If you're looking to keep your kid's room theme-free (or as close as possible), here are some kids' bedding ideas that will inspire you to get started.
Try dark colors

Yes, kids can get a bit messy, so if you can avoid a pristine white duvet, why not save yourself the cleaning headache? We love this Crate and Barrel dark blue organic reversible cotton blanket. It's soft and warm and washes up like a dream. The color also goes with just about anything, so you could opt for pink or green sheets and then cover it with ivory or light gray pillows to keep it a bit brighter.

Read more