9 Tips to Make Your Basement Look Bigger and Brighter

If your home has a basement, you probably know how amazing it is to have this additional space. However, you might feel as though your basement is uninviting or cramped since basements can have low ceilings and little natural light. In case you’re planning to renovate your basement, you will likely want the space to feel more welcoming and open than it currently is. But how can you possibly make your basement look bigger without physically changing the structure?

Here are nine tips to make your basement look bigger and brighter.

Heavily decorated and painted walls might look unique. Nevertheless, certain patterns can make the basement look small.

When working on your design and décor, consider patterns that are more vertical in nature rather than horizontal. This will bring the eye upward and provide a feeling of a higher ceiling and more expansive space.

Plain white or light neutrals can brighten up a room significantly and create a more welcoming space. You can also pick the same paint color for the walls as your home’s primary floor color. However, ask the renovating team to lighten the paint 25% or 50%. This is going to give you similar undertones, and in a darker basement, it’s going to help the space feel more cohesive with the upstairs.

For ceilings, opt for a white ceiling with a flat sheen – the last thing you want to do is draw attention to the low ceiling. Of all the available colors, white draws the least attention, and a flat sheen prevents light from bouncing off and capturing your attention.

When it comes to basement flooring, a lighter shade is generally preferable for enlarging a room. Glossy floors, such as polished concrete, are another excellent way to reflect light. If you go with wood, choose a pale shade for an airy and spacious atmosphere. Follow the same principles for trims along with any other wooden elements accompanying your décor.

In addition, ensure flooring matches in every room. This leads to the feeling of a bigger space, whereas having multiple flooring colors and styles of LVP or carpet makes the space feel smaller.

A clean space free of excess furniture, storage, and clutter will appear much bigger than a disorganized basement. You might want to pack your built-ins with decorative items and books. Nevertheless, make sure to leave some empty space on the shelves. A lot of clutter on display makes it look as if your home doesn’t have any storage space.

Displays and storage pieces might help to organize things if you have several collections or pictures hanging around that need a place to go.

Ceiling lights are important. However, they are not sufficient to properly light all the corners of your basement and create a well-lit and welcoming atmosphere.

Use various light sources – the more there are, the better. For instance, you can add ceiling light fixtures, recessed lighting, table or floor lamps, etc. Lamps add a nice decorative touch and even brighten up a room. Rather than choosing bulky lighting fixtures, go with simple, sleek ones that don’t take up too much space.

Mirrors reflect light and even offer an illusion of brightness and airiness in a room, making it appear more spacious.

When it comes to furniture in a small room, less is always more. Rather than buying large and bulky pieces, keep your space nice and clean. For instance, you can incorporate low-profile furniture such as low, comfy sofas and avoid high wing back chairs.

Besides the furniture pieces, you also need to pay attention to the fabric. Heavy fabrics have a dominating presence and can make your room feel too decorated. On the other hand, lighter fabrics draw less attention to themselves. This can help your basement seem bigger and more open.

Introduce decorative pieces and items that complement your basement’s height, such as built-ins, tall curtains for a basement, or an accent wall. This is going to pull the eye upwards to a central point which directs attention away from the ceiling and produces a feeling that it is higher than what it actually is. Don’t forget to leave some space between tall furniture pieces as well. This is going to add some space between the ceiling and the walls, so your room doesn’t feel confining.

You can introduce a bit of fresh air in your basement by adding a variety of indoor plants. Besides, plants tend to add light and life to a space. Ideally, you should choose species that require minimal light for lasting results. Be careful not to clutter the room with too many plants or larger species.

If you want to make your basement look bigger and brighter, contact the experts at Stephenson Construction. Our team can help you install more windows or larger doors, use the optimal lighting fixtures, and take other measures that can make your space feel bigger, brighter, and more welcoming.

Stephenson Construction is here to help you develop the space you need. Whether you’re finishing your basement to create additional living space, or a home theater to watch movies with your friends, we will make sure to protect your investment by choosing materials that are going to last a lifetime.

Finishing a basement isn’t an easy task and requires a lot of research, planning, and guidance from experts. If you’re interested in remodeling or finishing your basement, our team of professionals is here to help you. We offer our services in North Metro Atlanta including Alpharetta, Milton, Roswell, Suwanee, and surrounding areas.