Home Remodel

Basement Remodel Mistakes to Avoid

The failures that show up again and again, and what causes each one. The cheapest square footage in the house, if you solve the ceiling and the light.

BeforeAfter
  1. 1

    Mistake 1

    A dropped ceiling installed for access, costing 8in the room could not spare.

  2. 2

    Mistake 2

    Recessed cans in a grid, lighting the floor and leaving the walls dark.

  3. 3

    Mistake 3

    Carpet directly on slab with no barrier.

  4. 4

    Mistake 4

    The stair left dark and narrow, so the space feels like somewhere you descend into.

Questions

What should I decide first in a basement remodel?
A basement remodel is a fight against two things: low ceilings and no daylight. Everything else is ordinary interior work.
What goes wrong most often?
A dropped ceiling installed for access, costing 8in the room could not spare. Recessed cans in a grid, lighting the floor and leaving the walls dark.
Will it work in a small basement?
Paint the exposed joists and services one flat dark colour and the ceiling reads as depth rather than as a low lid. It is the single highest-return move in a basement under 7ft 6in.
Can I see it on my own basement before starting?
Yes — photograph the space and run it through the Studio. It is generated imagery, so compare the render against your photo rather than treating it as a plan.
More on basement remodel
How to Remodel a BasementThe order the work happens in, and what to settle before anything is ordered.How to Remodel a Small BasementWhat changes when the space will not take the standard answer.How to Lay Out a BasementThe dimensions that decide whether the room works, whatever it ends up looking like.How to Light a BasementThe layer people skip, and the one that makes the rest of the work visible.Basement Before and AfterWhat actually changes visually, and how to see it on your own photo first.