Exproperti.com – When people think of redoing their homes they often think about renovating kitchens, bathrooms, living spaces and flooring, but few people give much thought to what they might want to do with their rustic basement. Contrary to popular belief, it isn’t necessary to renovate entire walls or ceiling to achieve a rustic basement. In fact, a simple, light, open design can give your rustic basement the rustic look you want in no time at all. Here’s how to transform your rustic basement
Rustic Basement Decorating Ideas
No matter what type of rustic look you’re going for, one essential element is to choose a focal point that will draw the eye right to it. To be clear, when I say focal point, are not referring to grey concrete walls, dark, damp basements, and no lighting whatsoever. Instead, you’re hoping to step out of the black, damp basements of the past with some updated fashion with these rustic basement decorating ideas. A focal point is something that draws your eye right to it, be it a decorative stone bench or a wrought iron stairway to make it stand out in a new light.
Next, you’ll want to add in as many rustic accessories as possible. These accessories don’t have to be super detailed like a functional set of hand tools; rather, they can be items that would add warmth, coziness, and beauty to your room without taking away the rustic look that’s so alluring. For example, leather furniture can add a beautiful touch to any room, but you don’t need to have a whole closet full of leather items. Simply find a few leather pieces, like a bed frame, and a few pieces of art that have a rustic look, such as a picture or a piece of pottery. Use the same decorating idea but with a different focal point, such as a wrought iron candle holder or a set of leather stools.
Tips for Using Basement Wood
Another way to bring life into your rustic theme is to highlight the wood in your basement. Whether it’s shabby pine furniture from thirty years ago or new, gorgeous oak cabinets, your goal is to create a feeling of warmth and airiness while emphasizing the natural beauty of the wood. You can achieve this by painting every wall with an appropriate color, adding upholstered furniture to the walls if needed, and using accent rugs on the floor.
The next thing you want to pay special attention to is the flooring of your home. In a traditional rustic setting, the floors will be made of at least two different types of material: wood and concrete. Wood flooring is great because it easily adds a rustic look to any space with its rich earth tone and wide variety of colors. However, if you really want to go in the direction of a “real” rustic room, consider choosing rawhide flooring instead.
Best Design Country Style Basement
There are two main styles of floors you can choose from, solid or laminate. Laminate floors are extremely durable and relatively inexpensive compared to solid wood floors. While laminate is more affordable than solid wood, it lacks the natural tone of hardwood floors. When choosing a color for your laminate floor, keep in mind that the lighter the color, the less natural tone your basement walls will have. This doesn’t mean that you should avoid using darker colors in your basement as long as the rest of the house is painted in a similar color.
One last thing you can do to add texture to your rustic style basement is to use decorative pieces on top of your walls. If you find aged textiles or rugs in your basement, you can easily cover them up with artwork or other rustic items. You can also use wall hangings or photos to create the same warm, earthy tone. You might also want to consider adding an old rug, an old bed sheet, or a pile of blankets to create a rustic sleeping area. These few simple items will instantly add texture and warmth to your new rustic room.
The key to your rustic decorating is to play with light and shadow to create a feeling of depth. Dark colors will tend to make your walls seem wider, while lighter shades can make your walls seem taller. You can also use rugs on both walls and one floor to give the impression that there is more space in your basement. To really tie the look together, choose rustic bar stools, a rustic fireplace, and a few other touches that help tie the theme together.
