Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Aug 04, 2025

Stylish Basement Ideas: 14 design ideas for a basement extension

Stylish Basement Ideas: 14 design ideas for a basement extension

Explore these 14 stylish basement ideas for all the inspiration you need for a basement extension
Looking for some basement ideas for a basement extension?


A basement redesign not only adds to your living space (and therefore also adds to the value of your home), but we think it's a pretty good opportunity to realise that dream space you've always wanted but have never been able to quite justify – a cinema room, 'man cave', home gym, laundry room or maybe a stylish home bar complete with dance floor?

If you've got a big enough space, you could even install a modern kitchen
downstairs – like the home owners achieved in one of the examples below. Short on space? A cool wine room with direct access from the kitchen should do it.

And to avoid the space being too dark and dull, create a big enough light well (hello courtyard garden) and install floor-to-ceiling Crittall doors to flood the downstairs with natural light and turn it into a second ground floor.

Explore these 14 stylish basement ideas for all the inspiration you need...

1. Mixed Materials


The architecture in this basement is predominantly crisp and precise, but it’s softened with rugged elements such as the cast-iron columns – painstakingly stripped of 20 layers of paint – exposed brick walls, original joists and the birch ply floor.



2. Sunken lounge area


Basement access is often from the front, so you usually have stairs under stairs. In order to help make the basement feel part of the house, these stairs are in the middle of the ground floor and sit on dainty legs with glass balustrades. This was crucial in order to bring in lots of light. Here the sunken area has become a cinema corner, complete with ceiling projector. As the basement is a big 60 sq m room, this is a great way to make an informal division of the space. The sunken area can be transformed into a dance floor and there’s even a bar.



3. Basement kitchen


This lower ground floor is a surprisingly light space, with iconic design shapes set against pale timber cladding and flush cabinetry, black-framed glazing and seamless terrazzo flooring. A pivoting door leads out into the garden and helps provide end-to-end natural light, while designer lights add illumination. Toys, games and the stuff of family life are stored in the run of handleless cabinets.



4. Basement bar


With a proper bar in the basement, there’s plenty to keep friends entertained over the weekend without ever getting bored. The bar was given its own name and bespoke light-up bar sign, inspired by the owner's grandmother's two favourite things; Scotch whiskey and her late husband Ted.



5. Quick access


This downstairs kitchen is made to feel light and airy through a large sky light, letting in light from the garden above. Despite the serious materials and design, there’s a whimsy to this space, thanks to the three-metre firefighter’s pole descending into the kitchen offering a shortcut way down.



6. Wine cellar


Underground wine cellars by Spiral Cellars give you instant access to your wine collection via a top door and a – you guessed it – spiral staircase. Made from concrete and with an external diameter of 2.3 metres, they’re capable of holding up to 1900 bottles of wine. They can be installed under any ground floor room – great for kitchens but striking in a hallway too. Installation is short with little to no mess, you won’t need planning permission to have one installed, and the built-in ventilation system continuously replaces warm air with cool air. We’re sold.



7. Basement den


These basement stairs are so much more than a route up and down when a graffiti artist’s stencil portraits of the kids perpetually climb the stairs. This basement has a concealed bar for the adults and a cinema set-up for the children and their friends. A huge sliding door can be pulled across to divide the space, making it even more flexible.



8. Downstairs snug


This relaxed zone on the lower-ground floor plays around with colour, art and texture. Above the plush low-slung seating hangs a bespoke neon sign. The space opens on to a walled outside area (like a light well – with stairs leading up into the garden) which means gatherings can spread onto the terrace and garden in the summer.



9. Light well garden


This basement has been given a spacious light well that's been transformed into a courtyard garden – complete with a table and chair set, and a spiral staircase leading up into the main garden.



10. Basement storage


This basement is used for bike storage and other storage, while the clever birch ply stairway conceals a laundry area.



11. Add some humour


When you build something from scratch, the danger is that it can feel a little too clinical. To give this basement character, the owners added touches of humour. Generous light wells, a blaze of neon and a cool bar area all do that job nicely.



12. Playroom


The basement is the heart of family life. The kitchen was originally a storey below ground level, but it was raised during the renovation to create a flowing connection with the garden beyond. In the relaxed play area on the basement floor, contemporary modular shelving lines one wall.



13. Basement living room


This downstairs living room is an informal room, perfect for lounging, playing card games, watching films or listening to music.



14. Basement media room


This house now has a massive basement, which is often used as a movie-come-music room, where the kids entertain their friends.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
Tesla Seeks Shareholder Approval for $29 Billion Compensation Package for Elon Musk
Nvidia is cutting prices on its RTX 50-series graphics cards after sales slowed and inventories piled up
Ghislaine Maxwell Transferred to Minimum-Security Prison Amid Ongoing DOJ Discussions
U.S. Tariffs Surge to Highest Levels in Nearly a Century Under Second Trump Term
Matt Taibbi Slams Media for Role in Russiagate Narrative
Pilots Call for Mental Health Support Without Stigma
All Five Trapped Miners Found Dead After El Teniente Mine Collapse
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
UK's Online Safety Law: A Front for Censorship
Nationwide Protests Erupt in Brazil Demanding Presidential Resignation
Parents Abandon Child at Barcelona Airport Over Passport Issue
Mystery Surrounds Death of Brazilian Woman with iPhones Glued to Her Body
Bus Driver Discovers Toddler Hidden in Suitcase in New Zealand
Switzerland Celebrates 734 Years of Independence Amid Global Changes
U.S. Opens Official Investigation into Former Trump Prosecutor Jack Smith
Leaked audio of Canada's new PM Mark Carney admitting the truth about the Net Zero agenda: "We're gonna make a lot of money off of this."
China Enforces Comprehensive Ban on Cryptocurrency Activities
Absolutely 100% Realistic EVO Series Doll by EXDOLL (Chinese Company) used mainly for carnal purposes
World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab: "In this new world, we must accept... total transparency. You have to get used to it. You have to behave accordingly. But if you have nothing to hide, you shouldn't be afraid."
Meet Mufti Hamid Patel, head of Office for Standards in Education in Pakistan
George Soros tells the World Economic Forum: "President Trump is a con man and the ultimate narcissist, who wants the world to revolve around him."
Hamas are STARVING the hostages.
Decline in Tourism in Majorca Amidst Ongoing Anti-Tourism Protests
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
Poland Begins Excavation at Dziemiany After New Clue to World War II‑Era Nazi Treasure
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Threatens Canada with Tariffs Over Palestinian State Recognition
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Trump Sues Murdoch in “Heavyweight Bout”: Lawsuit Over Alleged Epstein Letter Sets Stage for Courtroom Showdown
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
J.K. Rowling Limits Public Engagements Citing Safety Fears
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
×