From Cellar to Stellar Lower Level

My daughter and her husband recently completed a gut renovation of a cellar,

transforming it into a stellar lower level.

What formerly was a dark, scary hole

is now a pleasant, sunlit space.

Before you only descended into the dungeon, when you had to do laundry.

Now, no one dreads getting to the washer and dryer.

Before the basement stairwell was enclosed and claustrophobic.

Now it is light, bright, and inviting.

                           

Formerly the stairs were enclosed on both sides.

In this picture, one side of the stairway was already removed.

Now, three quarters of the way down the stairs, the side walls disappear and balustrades reveal a large room on one side and a wide hallway on the other.

In the basement's prior life, it had barely a seven foot ceiling height.

Now, our over-six-foot-tall son-in-law doesn't feel like he should duck when he is in the space.

(To achieve a code-approved ceiling height, the couple had to have the cement floor jack-hammered and the earth beneath dug out a foot. This was possible, because the house was built in the 1930s when footers went down further than they do today.  Of course, digging out a basement is an expensive endeavor, but it was totally worth the time, effort, and cost, because the space is now useable and legal!)

Before the renovation, the southwest corner of the basement was a tiny room  used for storage.

Now it is a spacious guest room.

Whereas the bathroom was on the western wall, 

now it has moved to eastern side of the basement.  

Sacrificing the window in the bathroom now allows sunlight to stream into the main room. 

Six panes rather than four in the backdoor also bring in more light.                           

Needless to say, the homeowners are quite pleased with their renovation. They credit Finecraft Contractors, Inc. with the quality workmanship (http://finecraftcontractors.tumblr.com or www.finecraftcontractors.com). Their crews were pleasant and professional. The project was completed on schedule and to my son-in-law's and daughter's complete satisfaction. No wonder this company has been named Best of Houzz for the past three years in a row!

I hope you have been impressed with this extreme makeover. Anna deserves all the credit for the interior design. My next post will detail her design choices and their sources.

 (I would like to credit Susie Soleimani Photography with the well-lighted photos. The other photos are my own.)