SENECALIBRARY – AssociationI create a home that is a safe and nurturing place for me, where I am free to gather myself.

Below A Inviting Basement With Industrial Edge

January 16, 2019Eclectic Homes Standard

When a young family needed more room in their 1920s bungalow, they believed about renovating the cellar, but the ceilings, leaky stone base, dangling wires and also hodgepodge of structural sticks emptied their own hopes. Then architect Ryan Duebber came up with a strategy. He helped turn their once-cramped area to an open living room and bar, and incorporated secondary areas including a laundry room, storage closet and dream steam shower room.

Rather than combating the challenging elements, Duebber used them as elements of industrial design for a modern area that satisfied the customers’ tastes. The result is a sleek and open area that mixes old and new elements and highlights the areas where they fulfill.

Ryan Duebber Architect, LLC

“My customers wanted something trendy and not typical of suburban basement renovations,” Duebber states. This worked to their advantage, as drywall ceilings and walls could have closed in the area and made it seem smaller. Additionally, drywalling in front of base walls could have trapped moisture.

Black painted rafters, ductwork and beams produce the illusion of higher ceilings. “Painting the ceiling dark leaves a huge difference mentally,” he states. “A coat of paint goes a very long way.”

Ryan Duebber Architect, LLC

The space introduced a great deal of challenges. The ceilings were low (6 feet 7 inches to 7 feet 4 inches), and 90 years’ worth of electric wires hung between the rafters. Structural columns littered the space, and a big plumbing pile at eye level stood in the way of using the space for over storage. Duebber managed to move the troublesome columns and plumbing while maintaining their significant functions intact.

Before Photo

Ryan Duebber Architect, LLC

The initial basement and its own storage purpose hadn’t changed much since it was built in 1923.

“A stone foundation leaks like a sieve,” Duebber states. “We sandblasted it and power washed it so the sealing item could get into each pore of the walls.”

Ryan Duebber Architect, LLC

After having the wall closed, Duebber had it painted white. The painted concrete flooring can stand up to moisture, but Duebber left drains for all those just-in-case minutes.

He widened the staircase and cut some of the framing overhead so no one would need to duck while going down. The treads and risers are covered in an industrial rubber product by Roppe.

The moldings are sharp and modern, navigating the spaces between the walls and the painted concrete flooring as well as the dark ceiling. This makes crisp edges that stand out within the plan. “I paid special attention to areas where distinct elements butt up against each other; it is a opportunity to mark it and play off it,” he states.

Laundry room closets: Ikea

Ryan Duebber Architect, LLC

Duebber gave the small windows a larger presence by adding wood aprons underneath them. “Adding this wood heated up the walls, balanced out the materials and gave my customers extra spots to exhibit items,” he explains.

A typical can light went in following the ceiling paint project. Then a bit of painted 3/4-inch plywood was cut to fit between the joists to make a square with a hole cut out for could light housing. The can light has a wall-wash trim ring to reflect light onto adjacent concrete walls.

Ryan Duebber Architect, LLC

A corrugated galvanized metal wall separates the living area from the utility space, hiding the furnace and gas meter. “The alloy brings from the industrial modern feel and reflects the pragmatic construction behind it,” Duebber states. “I curved this wall to eliminate sharp corners, so the spaces flow together better.”

Relocated structural columns today make more sense within the area and also help with flow. These two mark the region between the family room and the bar area. The one on the right is that the principal plumbing pile, which had been a significant hinderance before it was transferred.

Ryan Duebber Architect, LLC

Drywall walls and pocket doors separate a storage closet, laundry room and full bath.

Custom short upper cabinets with glass doors keep the illusion of height and tie in with the ceiling.

Ryan Duebber Architect, LLC

Duebber left area between the walls and countertops to continue highlighting edges and transitions. Lighting highlights the feel on the stone walls.

Countertops: Corian

Ryan Duebber Architect, LLC

This simple and utilitarian electrical outlet above the bar adds yet another industrial detail.

Ryan Duebber Architect, LLC

“My client had great taste and helped with a lot of those selections,” Duebber states. She was taking an art course during the renovations and enjoyed her teacher, Merle Rosen, to help make this bar top, which can be mixed media over plywood, sealed with clear coat. “I kept the bar open underneath and used a steel pillar to encourage it, which ties it with all the other columns,” he states. Track lights increase the industrial appearance.

The ceiling and bar are cut around the pillar — yet another example of the way Duebber draws attention to areas where design elements meet.

Ryan Duebber Architect, LLC

The steam shower is easily the most luxurious element of the plan. “The customers were quite active and desired a steam shower down here to use after runs and bicycle rides,” Duebber states.

Ryan Duebber Architect, LLC

By extending the glass tile around the 8, the bathroom is tied together.

Sink and taps: Kohler; Countertop: Corian

Ryan Duebber Architect, LLC

Here is the overall plan of the cellar. Duebber situated the main area in the center, and pushed the secondary elements such as the bathroom, laundry room and mechanical rooms toward the corners. This maximized the open atmosphere from the main living room and bar space, giving the customers a completely new flooring where they could gather, relax and entertain.

More: An Contractor’s Tips for How to Finish a Basement

See related

Recent Posts

  • Could You Repair a Cracked Pool Vacuum Cleaners With Epoxy?
  • The Way to Paint a Cedar Sauna
  • Can You Dry Towels With Bed Sheets?
  • What Sensors Kill Centipede Grass?
  • Are Strawberry Trees Messy?

Archives

  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • July 2016

Categories

  • Bathroom
  • Bathroom Guides
  • Bedrooms
  • Budgeting Your Project
  • Coastal Style
  • Color
  • Concrete
  • Decorating Guides
  • Dining Room
  • Doors
  • Eclectic
  • Eclectic Homes
  • Electrical
  • Fireplaces
  • Floors
  • Flowers and Plants
  • Furnishings
  • Furniture
  • Garden
  • Gardening and Landscaping
  • Global Style
  • Halloween
  • Handyman
  • Home
  • Home Cleaning
  • Home Offices
  • Home Painting
  • Hvac
  • Kitchen
  • Kitchen Guides
  • Life
  • Lighting
  • More Room Guides
  • Organizing
  • Patios
  • Remodeling
  • Renting and Tenant Rights
  • Roofs
  • Saving Water
  • Small Bathroom
  • Stone
  • Tile
  • Traditional Architecture
  • Trim
  • Tropical Style
  • Uncategorized
  • Wall Treatments
  • Water Damage
  • Windows
  • Wine Cellars
  • Yellow

Copyright SENECALIBRARY - Association 2025 | Theme by Theme in Progress | Proudly powered by WordPress