Trend No. 2: Out in the OpenWhat the pros say. While basements divided into enclosed theaters, offices and game rooms used to come up a lot, pros say more homeowners have been opting for all-in-one open-concept spaces recently. This shift has driven a spike in airier general entertainment spaces with room for game tables, movie-watching and kids’ toys. Instead of constructing the elaborate, restaurant-style built-in bar areas that once were all the rage, pros say they’re doing lower-key beverage stations or pub tables that allow for a less closed-off experience. “We aren’t doing as many sit-around, pub-style bars; we’re doing a lot of walk-up bars,” says Jason Schermerhorn of Denver design-build firm Basement Edge. “That way people can use a high-top table or something like that, something less permanent.” Another popular way pros are blending bar and lounge areas: pulling up a high-top table and bar stools behind a couch, a setup that feels less rigid than a built-in bar and achieves the stacked theater-style seating that’s often coveted in separate theater rooms.
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Sebring and other pros say they’re also seeing more modern basement projects that use rustic details, such as the rough wood mantel in this sleek Denver basement.
Trend No. 2: Out in the OpenWhat the pros say. While basements divided into enclosed theaters, offices and game rooms used to come up a lot, pros say more homeowners have been opting for all-in-one open-concept spaces recently. This shift has driven a spike in airier general entertainment spaces with room for game tables, movie-watching and kids’ toys. Instead of constructing the elaborate, restaurant-style built-in bar areas that once were all the rage, pros say they’re doing lower-key beverage stations or pub tables that allow for a less closed-off experience. “We aren’t doing as many sit-around, pub-style bars; we’re doing a lot of walk-up bars,” says Jason Schermerhorn of Denver design-build firm Basement Edge. “That way people can use a high-top table or something like that, something less permanent.” Another popular way pros are blending bar and lounge areas: pulling up a high-top table and bar stools behind a couch, a setup that feels less rigid than a built-in bar and achieves the stacked theater-style seating that’s often coveted in separate theater rooms.
Q