psssst…. shop our spaces here!
Do you remember the pole basement?
Disclaimer: This post is really long. A dear friend often accuses us of being the Encyclopedia Brittanica of hybrid design websites. This is really for our portfolio, so we’re sharing all the things here today. Just thought you may want to be warned before diving in. ;}
We were excited to share a sneak peek of what we had up our sleeves in our first post a few months ago. When our sweet clients contacted us about their amazing basement, we were more than thrilled to put our heads together and come up with a great arrangement that both worked hard to meet their needs, and is also oh so pretty. This house came with an amazing potential for an additional level that would add so much to the value of their home, let alone their enjoyment with all things life and entertaining. We are so excited to share the end result with you today!
It was so much fun to put all this together, thus the photo overload. It was a small second house underneath their actual house, and we had a blast styling all the final photos. There are still a few fun final touches we intend to add, but thought we’d go ahead and share today: the pole basement reveal!
The main challenge for this space, was hiding away all the poles that were used as support for the house, while also utilizing the spaces and dividing them up to give our clients what they wanted and needed for the spaces.
This first space is the main sitting area, on the other side of the old staircase.
The old fireplace was a natural focal point, so we divided the first area into a nice space where family and friends can gather.
Perfect for all things football games and entertaining!
A nice grey sectional and generous rug help anchor the space, while we kept the left side open and turned it into a bit of a bookshelf/seating area. This way they keep it open for storage and more, while adding interest and detail. It’s versatile for future needs as well, as they grow with their space.
Double bonus: It also conceals one more pole in the alcove, while helping form a hallway to the rest of the space. It helped to whiten and brighten the old dingy brick on the fireplace.
We added new windows with Window World. As usual, they helped brighten everything up.
Their windows are amazing, and we know first hand because we’ve used them in our own home. They also add energy efficiency, made the space safer in case of an emergency, are under a fantastic warranty, and oh so much more.
We loved adding detail with accessories like old books, baskets for practical storage, and fun tokens that show a bit of personality.
These fabulous sconces from Kichler sent the seating area over the top, and added that crowning touch of detail, while these amazing industrial pulls from D.Lawless add more character.
On the other side, you can see where we added a fun bar, which just adds to the main gathering space and all things entertaining.
Against this wall is where we added the bar, for storage and showcasing some of their favorite things.
She actually participates in competitive fishing, and had some impressive trophies to showcase. We planned the shelving to accommodate her pieces, along with some beautiful Kichler underlighting which really brought it all to life.
Oh, and we now officially want the barstools we chose for them. Cue barstool envy. Are these not the cutest?
They have plenty of storage to showcase their favorite things from football relics and fun photos, to vintage glasses and collected items.
Here’s another shot of her fabulous trophies {which were a bit of a challenge to capture with photography since they’re glass.
They really are so much fun in person.
The other side of this wall, houses his home office.
He needed a space to work at home, and we were glad to provide a suite of sorts, for both his office and overnight guests.
So we designed a simple space for his desk and other things to provide an ample work area, while still creating space.
We loved fitting some custom shelving around these filing cabinets for some much-needed storage. It’s a combo of showcasing some of his favorite things, along with practical solutions for all things books and documents.
The fabulous sconces are from Kichler, and offer more lighting in the office.
One of the things we love the most about the finished basement is all the ample lighting that’s available for their spaces. This is such an important design element that we’re always careful to include. All of the canned lights that you see throughout the project are Kichler, too.
The office door opens up to a bit of a suite situation, offering extra space, and again, concealing those support poles.
We loved topping it off with a much-needed ceiling fan from Kichler.
Who knew that ceiling fans could be so attractive?
We were thrilled to open up the space, and add a fabulous new window with Window World, so that the basement feels breezier now, and not quite so closed in.
It’s also safer for anyone who happens to stay downstairs.
The added closet in the space gives them extra storage, and we loved adding some light with this awesome cabinet lighting from Kichler.
It’s a nice alternative when space is scarce but adds so much more with light and bright in the closet.
Layers of cozy bedding and awesome little accents brought the simple space to life.
Next up: The bathroom! This was the existing space, before.
The previous owners brought plumbing in circa 1970 something, and it was never finished off.
So we built a bathroom around the existing pipes with as little disturbance to the concrete as possible.
Our very favorite is creating something from nothing and we love these results.
To save a little, we took a pre-fab vanity and customized it a with some D.Lawless Hardware, and a simple mirror.
We also added some fabulous Kichler lights.
We loved adding some fabulous Jeffrey Court tile to bring their shower to life.
So much fun character for a space that didn’t previously exist.
We always love bringing their pieces and designs into our spaces to add so much more.
Shelving and an ample shower stall that will be used for their guests and sweet fur babies, are perfect for this space.
We love this awesome combo of both form and function.
It all came together oh so beautifully in this little bath!
The entryway is one of our favorite elements in their remodel, because it’s the hallway upon entering the space.
It added so much character with high function to everything, and it’s oh so much better than the cinderblock before.
It’s all about those sweet, simple details that make it oh so very nice.
We love the idea of something so useful for them as they come and go using this space as their main entrance.
One of our fave elements is the details on the new staircase.
Such an improvement from the steep before, and oh so pretty.
That old crusty door was replaced, and we added a Kichler chandelier to the top of the stairs for a nice statement piece.
Thanks so much for tuning in today.
This space was a great example of what happens when a great collaboration of people come together.
From the fabulous owners who were open to fun ideas, and our friend Matt from CopperRock construction who helped bring all our vision to life.
A very special thanks to Matt and his wonderful conglomeration of a crew who most definitely worked hard to pull off the space.
Sometimes it can be a challenge to hear a homeowners vision, then design it and bring it to life. This is why we love doing what we do, and working with amazing people really make it easy. We loved listening to their ideas and they also trusted our suggestions to help make it all happen and complete the space to give them what they want and need.
We also had the wonderful help of our friend Jess who helped us pull off the photoshoot… it’s the little things and all the wonderful people who help make it all come together, and it truly is all about teamwork.
Thank you so much for tuning in on the not-so-little-basement that could today.
We love the way that it turned out and hope our sweet clients enjoy many years of amazing family fun in their now nearly double-sized house. It certainly gave them lots of extra space, and we’re oh so excited for them!
We hope you enjoyed this fun {somewhat extensive} collection of awesome before and afters!
Apparently, we really like doing basements and have a few more projects coming your way a-la finished areas to share, so stay tuned for more.
As always, let us know if you have any questions.
We hope you have an inspired day!
____________________
And just in case you’re curious…
We don’t believe in the dream home, we believe in your home. And we can’t wait to help you discover it all over again.
The Handmade Home : Love Where You Dwell.
The Handmade Home is thrilled to bring both full on rehab and design services to our clients.
We offer in-person, full service design options, from a complete kitchen overhaul to a simple consult in your home on how to spruce it all up. If your kiddo needs a big kid room, your home could use some paint palette ideas, or even a brand new build from the ground up… we’re glad to help. Both nationally and locally in the Nashville area, we even offer a wealth of resources for our clients, right at their fingertips.
If you’d like to hear more about what we have to offer for you {because the possibilities really are endless} please be sure to check out our design services page, here! While you’re at it, be sure to check out our completed projects here.
We look forward to hearing from you, and we welcome the opportunity to work with you!
To read more about us, be sure to check out this page here, as well.
Have an inspired day!
Alice says
This is phenomenal guys. I absolutely love it. Those finishing touches really send it over the top!
Janna says
As always you guys are so inspiring. I love the solutions that you came up with for this space! Thank you for all the effort that you put into your posts. This basement is beautiful!
Stephanie says
WOW. Such clever solutions for this space. I love the seating and bar area! Great work as usual
Meryll says
Great space planning and beautiful decor! You guys knocked it out of the park!
ashley @ the handmade home says
Thanks so much for your sweet words Meryl- Amongst everything else ❤️❤️❤️
Julie Briones says
Wow!!! What an amazing job! Light and airy, and NO POLES! Yeah, man! 😉
Rose Lefebvre says
Such a dramatically wonderful change. I am amazed!
Sue says
Jaw-dropping,amazing,beautiful are a few choice words for this pole-no-more basement.
Allison says
Knocked it out of the park guys! Swooning…
Melissa says
That zig-zag, multi-colored pillow…! Where did you find it?
ashley @ the handmade home says
This sounds super lame but I’m honestly not sure – try Wayfair 😊 we just had so much going on at once it’s hard to remember. I hope that helps!
Jenni says
About how large was the square footage of the space you renovated?
ashley @ the handmade home says
Hey! It was around 1300 square feet 🤗
MC says
Love it! It’s beautiful! Can you share about the floors and decisions about that? Ie carpet vs wood vs tiles
Courtney says
Would you be able to share approximately how much a renovation like this cost the homeowners? It’d be nice to have a ballpark for similar scale projects.
ashley @ the handmade home says
Hey Courtney! This is always a tough question to answer because it all depends on where you live and what you are finishing out as well as the finish selection you choose. Basements are generally 50-60% of what it would cost to renovate the main level, but if you’re adding bathrooms or other more no basic rooms the price will go up. Really the best way to find out is to explore your local market and talk with some designers, contractors or real estate agents there. If you’re in the Nashville area, we’d be happy to help, you can fill out the form in the link below to get started. I hope that helps! ;}
https://www.thehandmadehome.net/design-services/
Rose says
Courtney,
If you are paying a contractor a fee, Renovation fees in the nashville area are more like $150 to $200 per sq foot and that does not include the furniture and accessories. My guess is because the renovation included plumbing and electrical and a lot of framing and drywall, this renovation cost at least $125-$175 per sq foot. (if it didn’t, I’d like the name of the contractor 🙂 ) I agree, it would help homeowners to grasp the financial aspect of projects if design blogs published a ballbark budget for the renovation and furnishings.
Rose
Jamin Mills says
Hey Rose,
The reason we don’t publish this is out of respect for the client. We value client privacy and just don’t think it is the business of readers to know how much a client’s renovation costs. We are a full service design firm, beyond the website aspect, so we will always be considerate of that.
Outside of that, we don’t publish it because there are too many varying factors. Take for example a kitchen: you could spend $25k or $75k plus depending on your labor cost, size, location, and finishes – which have an entire set of variables themselves. As far as this one, no, it just isn’t near the numbers you quoted and we handled everything. If you need help, you can simply fill our questionnaire to get the process started. ;} You can find it at the below link. I hope that helps some. Thanks so much!
https://www.thehandmadehome.net/design-services/
Melissa says
Do you happen to know where that black and white bag in one of the last pictures is from?
ashley @ the handmade home says
Hey Melissa! It’s from our shop. You can find it here. I hope that helps. ;}
Rebekah Tice says
Where did you find the sofa for this basement?
ashley @ the handmade home says
Hey Rebekah – I believe West Elm. I hope that helps
S. Inglis says
What are the paint colors here? The white and off-white/taupe color all around and then if you know the color of the floors?