Weekend Decorator: Furnishing that finished basement

5 hours ago

Dear Virginie,
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We just finished digging out and finishing the basement of our home and would like some suggestions on how to furnish it. We have three daughters ages seven, 10 and 14, and may eventually need the basement to work as a guest suite for our aging parents, so we're looking for solutions that will be flexible. Any ideas?
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I love a blank canvas, and this is a great one. It looks like you already have plumbing under the window wall, so that really opens up the possibilities. I'm imagining a room that can work as a crafts and hangout centre for now but can turn into a more sophisticated kitchenette and living area down the road. With plumbing in place, it's easy to turn that long wall under the window into a wet wall. You can run cabinetry along it, and maybe incorporate a storage unit on the left, and either a full fridge or an under-counter fridge on the right-hand side. Then you're left with what looks like about six to eight feet where a sink could be centred under the window. A company like Kitch offers modular solutions that are affordable, or you can buy custom fronts for IKEA boxes to get a unique affordable look. White oak with a thin shaker profile would be bright and elegant here. An island on casters would be perfect so that you can move it around and either use it as a large crafts table or a dining table when placed further into the room. I'm imagining a lot of kids' birthday parties in the short term and a prep island down the road. An open shelving base (like IKEA's Enhet) for the island would offer accessible storage; a simple laminate top would be inexpensive, easy to clean and make the whole island lightweight so you can move it around easily.
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Across the way is an ideal lounge area. I would hang one or two swing chairs in that fun window bay. It's a good idea to secure those to the floor with a rope that has a bit of slack so they don't swing into each other or damage the wall. You could also paint or wallpaper that nook to really make it pop.
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The long wall is perfect for a modular sectional sofa. Cozey is a Canadian company known for bedding, but it has a great seating collection with washable slipcovers. The Ciello sectional has all sorts of different components so you can reconfigure it when you need to. Something super loungey would be great for sleepover parties. I would likely invest in a couple of bean bags to toss around as well. They offer a place to sit, lounge, lie, hurdle over and jump into – a fun choice in a kid-friendly room.
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For flooring, I love your polished concrete and I don't think you should cover too much of it up. But hard surfaces like that can be loud, so carpet tiles are a great solution here. Flor makes endless patterns and colours, and you can get as many as you need to make the perfect flooring shape and size. The best part is you can wash them if they get dirty.