How to Brighten a Basement

These days, more and more people are looking to find ways to maximize the amount of accessible living space within their homes. Since bedroom additions can often be complicated and costly, the most popular method of “living space expansion” tends to come in the form of the finished basement. While the idea of spending time or even having one’s bedroom in the household basement might be appealing to some, others might regard such options as an unintentional form of torture. After all, basements, on a whole, tend to be rather dank and dreary, and while it’s nice to be able to create an additional area for indoor living space, some people believe that the sole purpose of one’s basement should be for storage.

As the owner and design director of Signature Interiors, an interior design company that has been serving Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Southern New Hampshire for the past 15 years, Mark Needleman understands the appeal of finishing a basement and using it as an option for extra living space. He also realizes that for many people, the idea of spending hours trapped underground might be somewhat depressing. Needleman therefore offers the following tips on how to brighten up a basement:

Keep your colors light
As a general rule, the darker your color scheme is, the darker and smaller an area is likely to appear on a whole. While large, open areas that get plenty of natural light can often handle the presence of darker walls and furniture pieces, basements should be decorated in as light and neutral a manner as possible. To generate more brightness, choose a floor color in the cream or beige families (if you happen to go with carpet, then be sure to select the type that’s easy to clean). Use this same approach when painting walls, as you’ll want to create the illusion of height in addition to light. Additionally, be sure to keep your basement furniture on the lighter side of the spectrum. If the cream and beige color scheme seems too blah for your tastes, then try using brightly-colored throw blankets and accent pillows to liven up the space without adding too much darkness to the atmosphere.

Don’t hide the windows
While many basements don’t tend to come equipped with windows (or sizeable windows for that matter), some basements offer multiple options for actually seeing the sun. If your goal is to brighten up your basement, then you’ll want to draw as much attention as possible to any source of natural light. To this end, you should avoid covering your basement windows with heavy drapes or curtains. Instead, stick to reflective blinds or lighter curtains that don’t offer any blackout features. Additionally, if you happen to have a walkout basement (the type that leads right out to a backyard), then avoid blocking its glass door at all costs, as it is probably your single best source of light for the entire area.

Choose your lighting wisely
When dealing with a basement, it’s imperative that you use the proper lighting to minimize the dungeon-like feel that many underground spaces seem to exude. Steer clear of florescent lighting, as it tends to give off a rather artificial vibe. Instead, choose soft, white incandescent bulbs for a more natural look. The goal in basement lighting is to implement a setup that best works to mimic the appearance of actual sunlight.

Keep the living area as de-cluttered as possible
The more clutter you have lying around the basement, the more murky and cramped the area is likely to seem. If storage space isn’t an issue, then load up those spare closets rather than keep your belongings scattered about your living area. If you’re looking to create the illusion of a light, airy room, then keep your furniture tops and floor space as free of junk as possible.

While all of these tips might help bring some light and warmth into your underground lair, after all is said and done, your best bet is to take a step back and accept your basement for what it is. Remember, basements, by nature, are dim and dark, and you can only do much to change the atmosphere at hand. In fact, rather than fight the darkness, why not take advantage of it by adding a theater room to your newfound living space? It might not brighten up the area, but it’ll make you awfully popular among the horror movie aficionados in town.