5 Interior Design Ideas to Max Out Your Basement Space

Here, architects and designers share five other frequently encountered underground mistakes and suggest less frightening alternatives.

1. The space of “all things”

New York designer Elizabeth Gill lives in fear of families asking her to convert their basements into a full-fledged gym, game room, family room, man cave, and mother-in-law’s suite. She said, “Then she looked at me and said ‘Can you make all of this work?'” ”

instead of: define the priorities. “Define the most important use of space and make that the focus,” Ms. Gill said. Any additional living area, she said, can be a bonus in a crowded home, “but you’ll end up using a functional, full space—not one filled with a lot of things that detract from the original design.”

2. The Fateful Ceiling

A common feature of basements, low ceilings, is the hanging of large tiles in a metal grid, leaving room to conceal interior lighting, ducts, and other mechanics. But they fly from room height, which contributes to the creepy, cave-like feeling that threatens to cut off the heads of your taller friends. Other misguided attempts to conceal ductwork are also a flaw of design professionals. Washington, D.C., Tweet Designer Melissa Sanabria are suites whose bottoms are painted to match the ceilings and sides to match the walls, creating a two-tone effect.

instead of: According to New York designer Robin Wilson, 8-inch high-hat bulbs, which need low ceilings, are a thing of the past. Use new shallow overhead LED lights. Conceal ductwork and ducting in a Muscat parapet looks designer and purposeful around the perimeter of the roof, advises Bethesda, Md., designer Tamara Gorodetzky. Where a cover is inevitable, “paint the walls, the ceiling, and every side of the cover the same color until everything is gone,” said Ms. Sanabria.

3. Sliver casting

Leave the dim fluorescent for “The Exorcist.” Basements are dark spaces, said New York designer Rosette Arditi, “and improper lighting creates uneven and shaded areas.”

instead of: Even if you want to go into a moody cave, “you need good lighting that can be fully lit and also dim for a warm ambiance,” said designer Leighton Campbell in Charlotte, North Carolina. Ms. Ardetti advised incorporating a mix of light sources such as floor lamps, table lamps and sconces so that you do not need to rely on a single overhead lamp. Mary Meydan, an architect in Palo Alto, Calif., said ceiling-tracked LED linear lights can help guide the way from one place to another. family room. “This creates continuity and makes the corridor an invitation to the next space.”

4. Neglected corners

Irregular areas of foundations are often covered or turned into vaults. But especially in largely open basements, these quirky and unusual shapes provide special moments for décor,” said William Cullum, chief designer at Jayne Design Studio, in New York City.

instead of: Collum said tearing down walls and reorganizing spaces is expensive, so get creative with what you have and use it as an opportunity to try something you would never risk on the first floor. For an Oyster Bay, New York, basement (shown above), Mr. Colum made a banquette corresponding to a polygonal footprint, created by the breakfast room above, and installed the blinds on an existing steel keel, creating a private reading nook with a cozy room, Tents feel. “It’s a little haven within a vast space,” he said.

5. Wannabe Wood

Dark, 1970s-style panels look hopelessly outdated and usually represent a “complete departure from the rest of the house,” said architect Margie Lavender, principal of Ike Kligerman Barkley in New York City. Ms. Wilson added that old wood planks are not moisture resistant and can be a place where mold can grow.

instead of: Ms. Wilson uses thin brick or drywall cladding with cement instead of paper – usually used in bathroom renovations – to prevent mold growth. Stick to light colors to maximize limited light, advised Ms. Lavender, and consider a high-gloss tile accent wall, in cream or robin’s egg blue, to add texture and reflect light.

Underground notes

Weird basement décor

“I was completely stunned when I walked into the basement that houses a group of antique dolls. Cue the scary horror music.” —Leighton Campbell, designer, Charlotte, North Carolina

“A complete grill with a chimney at one end and a wood-burning fireplace on the other. I can understand a caveman, but having a couple of things generating fire in a basement could mean your house is on fire.” —Robyn Wilson, designer, New York

“I have been asked to help a client display his collection of medieval torture instruments.” —Tracy Morris, designer, McLean, Virginia.

“Every wall was covered with PEZ candy dispensers. The set was great.” —Sterling McDavid, designer, New York, NY

“WC in the basement without any kind of fence.” —Luke Olson, Senior Associate, GTM Architects, Bethesda, Maryland.

“The potential client had a hot tub in the basement. It was weird and immediately felt like a strange castle dungeon with a smell of chlorine and mould.” —Miriam Verga, designer, Mimi & Hill Interiors, Westfield, NJ