After completing many projects to fit their growing family into this 1962 rambler, one of the last things on the list was to finish their basement. Coming in from any of the 3 entrances, this family of 5 needed designated spaces for a Family Room, Mechanicals, Storage, Guest Bathroom, Laundry, Pantry & Mudroom to help keep them organized.
The existing laundry room (with a toilet & sink) held the washer & dryer that had been installed backwards so the owners had to fight both doors when changing laundry, & fight the entry door to the room too! This unsightly space was visible from not only the front door 1stfloor foyer when you looked down the stairs, but also immediately in from the attached garage entry, & from the full view glass door at the ground level guest driveway entrance.
Therefore, we closed this door location off & moved it out of sight into the family room, off the back door, directly across from the guest bedroom. We moved the washer & dryer into its own large room under the stair/front entry & dedicated the entire former laundry/toilet room to a new full bathroom. The bathroom contains CasaGrandePadanaItalian tile on the floor & base, with Streamstone& Pattern Tile at the top & down the sides of the soaking tub/shower acrylic surround. The Modish pattern tile is also the backsplash on the contemporary MadeliVicenza 48” ash grey vanity with white X-stone countertop & sink.
We replaced the carpet on the stairs up (Silver Metal) & cut back the existing family room carpet to create symmetry around the fireplace. We were then able to create a path throughout the basement so there were no worries about dirty shoes from any entry! New luxury Cascade Horizon vinyl tile with grout & grey base was installed from the rear yard family room exterior door, by the bathroom & stairs up, throughout the new mudroom entry hallway, into the laundry, & additional storage areas.
All original stained ranch style baseboard, casing & chair rail were painted white. Any old flush hollow core doors with brass hardware were swapped & any new doors supplied were new 2-panel raised solid core with SchlageFlair brushed nickel hardware.
The exterior door with key lock in the family room was replaced with a new Fiberglass full view glass door with integral blinds & Larson screen-away storm door.
As part of the reconfiguration, the water heater, furnace/humidifier & A/C were exchanged & the home separated into zones. These mechanicals were enclosed in their own unfinished room which also had space for more storage inside!
The hallway off the entry doors & garage is now compartmentalized & minimal because the former unfinished side of the basement became both finished & unfinished organized storage.
The finished Laundry room has a window & allows for the washer & dryer to be properly vented & plumbed so that the doors actually opened the right way & the owners gained a new laundry tub with pull out spray faucet.
The finished side acts as not only overflow for the mudroom (sports equipment/seasonal clothing) but also kitchen pantry storage (bulk shopping items) next to their extra freezer & refrigerator.
Because these are directly off the laundry & attached garage entries, it makes putting groceries away, or the ability to throw dirty uniforms directly into the laundry a breeze!
This basement has become a neat & tidy, inspirational & welcoming extra level for this family & their guests!
