Neal's Home Remodeling and Design Blog

Updated: 7/11/17 | Original Post: 4/16/2013

Gone are the days of paneled walls, suspended ceilings, glaring florescent lights, remnants of linoleum and felted rugs. The basement has become an extension of the home's livable space. Homeowners now get creative with their basement remodeling by adding features that reflect their interests and lifestyles in ways that may be too difficult (or simply "too much") on the main floors of the house. If you’re looking for basement remodeling design ideas to transform your lower level into prime living space with character, here are a few we recommend considering.

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More and more homeowners are choosing to forgo the traditional large tub and small shower combination in their master bathroom for a setup that better matches their fast-paced lifestyle. In many cases, this means giving more attention to the shower design for an experience that is as relaxing as it is efficient. While the idea behind this bathroom modification is to get in and out and on your way quickly, there's also a desire for the shower to be comfortable and adaptable.

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This Hyde Park home was built in the 1920’s, and had not yet undergone a major kitchen revision. Typical with older homes, the walls and floors were not level. In order to create the new kitchen, the entire space was gutted and rebuilt. Shifting the floor plan around in this kitchen remodel was the key to gaining a better traffic flow and more space in general. After that, the kitchen was given a face lift with modern selections. The new contemporary kitchen remodel is now an impressively functional space in addition to being beautifully appointed with a contemporary touch.

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Functional kitchens are based on the relationship of the sink, cooktop and refrigerator- the three components that make the kitchen a useful space. Designers refer to this as the "working triangle". In order to create a working triangle it's important to think about the layout of the entire kitchen, and explore the possible locations for each of the three elements. What we find is that the majority of kitchens with a triangle that works out well for the space end up falling into one of four basic kitchen floor plan designs. Every home is different, so the details and exact arrangement will always be a bit unique, but starting with the basics is a great way to see the potential for your kitchen remodel. Here, we take a look at each. Read More