This is a Basement? A Modern Neutral Living Room Makeover
Yup, you can have a Basement that is just as nice as upstairs! Today I’m sharing a Modern Neutral Living Room & Playroom that doesn’t look like it belongs underground…
Welcome to Postbox Designs! I’m Kristin-mama to 3 and I’ve been working as an Interior Design for 13 years now (whoa, I feel kinda old). But around four years ago I made a change, and started working exclusively doing Online Interior Design! Why? Because these days most of us are leading crazy busy lives and WHEN exactly do you have time to meet up with an Interior Designer all over town? Instead, I get to pop into amazing people’s homes all over the country and custom design their room for them…on THEIR schedule and budget. Once we have the perfect room, I mail their Room-Inside-a-Box right to them. Inside it is full of drawings, shopping lists, and their material samples, so they can order their room in an hour. Over a cup of coffee in their PJs.
Can You Create a Modern Neutral Living Room…in your Basement?
I was especially happy when this sweet client reached out to me because this is the THIRD room I have designed for her via Online Interior Design. Last year I helped her design her Kitchen & Living Room…so when she reached out needing help with her Basement Living Room & Playroom, I couldn’t wait to work with her again. You can check out the upstairs Living Room I designed for her right here:
The FIRST Modern Neutral Living Room…the Upstairs
My client wanted a Modern Neutral Living Room that was as beautiful as her upstairs Living Room but with a more casual, comfortable feel for their seating area. This is also the space where their kids play, so we also turned half of their finished Basement into a Playroom for their little ones.
So how do you create a Basement Living Room that is as beautiful as the upstairs of your house? Read on!
Part I: The Basement Modern Neutral Living Room Design
The first part of her custom design was for their Living Room area for hosting large groups and movie nights:
Modern Neutral Living Room Pillows
My client already had this modern sectional sofa with ottoman (#4)…but that was about all she wanted to keep. So we piled on a combination of modern, neutral throw pillows (#14-18), which were all from Etsy. When you are adding throw pillows to a sofa, I love using a mix of patterns, here is the formula I like to use:
Solid Color + Large Pattern + Small Pattern
I also like to mix and match different size pillows. My favorite sizes? Mix 18″x18″ pillows with 22″x22″ and at least one lumbar pillow. I say this ALL THE TIME, but I love using pillow covers. Invest one time in good quality pillow inserts (I love the ones from Pottery Barn), and then purchase the pillow covers. You can easily take them off to wash them, or swap them out when you want a new look.
Modern Neutral Living Room Furniture & Accessories
A big piece my client needed was a new TV unit, and this warm wood West Elm unit (#7) did the trick. We also added a pair of modern-meets-traditional Pottery Barn leather chairs (#6). Because she wanted a Modern Neutral Living Room design, we added plenty of interest with patterns and textures…while keeping the colors neutral.
So now we have all of our main pieces of furniture…but how do we finish the space to give it a warm, polished look? We added in casual Target cotton curtains (#5) with modern black rods, also from Target (#11) , a modern Boho area rug (#13) and brought the outdoors in with the fiddle fig (#12) from World Market.
As part of their Basement Living Room, my clients had a large fireplace, so we wanted to give it a simple makeover as well. We brought some life to it with this inexpensive Etsy digital download modern print (#2), two modern vases (#3 & #8), adding a simple, modern sprig of greenery to the vases.
Part II: Modern Neutral Playroom Design
The Playroom and Living Room areas of this basement were completely open to each other (you can check out the Floor Plan below to see the layout). So we wanted the spaces to flow into each other and feel really cohesive. But since this is a PLAYroom…I wanted it to be fun!
We used this Mood Board from Studio McGee (#19) as an inspiration for creating a modern Playroom with a subtle Adventure theme.
Kid Artwork Ideas for a Playroom Design
I actually started the Playroom design with a series of inexpensive digital downloads from Etsy. This moon print (#20), compass garland (#21) and modern US Map (#25) all hinted at an Adventure theme. And since these prints cost just a few dollars each, the parents can easily switch themes in a few years for a whole new look!
Making it Practical: A Playroom Activity Table
One of the Mom’s requests was adding a craft & activity table! This modern table (#23) is actually a Target dining room table, and I paired it up with these modern industrial dining room chairs (#26) also from Target. Even though their children are still small, I went with “grown up sized” furniture for a few reasons:
-Kids quickly outgrow “kid furniture” and I want to find pieces to stand the test of time
-The full sized table can also double up as a snack table or even game table for the grown-ups
-These dining room chairs also provide extra seating for large groups of people
Playroom Reading Nook
But I think my favorite part of this modern neutral Playroom makeover was the “reading nook” we created. I started with a neutral teepee (#31) and filled it up with warm and cozy items that will make kids want to spend time inside! This faux fur rug (#27) and oversized pillows (#28) and (#29) still keep a grown-up look, but….I don’t know any kid who wouldn’t want to snuggle into that fur pillow!
Part III: Basement Hallway Area
We even did an update on the hallway at the bottom of the basement stairs. Instead of walking down a dark, boring hallway, we wanted this to be a sneak peek into this newly updated Modern Neutral Living Room.
Along the hallway wall, I added this modern console table (#36) from AllModern, and added these two oversized baskets (#38) underneath for some extra storage. Over the console table, I suggested adding this pair of modern watercolor prints (#37)-which is another digital download from Etsy. And finally, two of these modern white lamps from Target (#39) can go on top of the console table for extra light and decor. I also suggested painting the wall at the bottom of the stairs in a bold navy color (#41) while keeping the rest of the walls a pale gray.
Part IV: A Modern Neutral Home Bar in the Basement
And as the last part of this Basement Living Room makeover, we did an update on their existing home bar area.
I used this Kitchen inspirational image (#1) from my client’s Pinterest board to update their Home Bar into a modern version. They can keep their existing cabinet boxes, and use new doors in their weather driftwood look. New quartz countertops (#2) and new cabinet hardware (#7) is a simple update. Then we chose a few modern neutral decor ideas for their open shelves. Two new vases (#5 and #6) and this modern “HOME” print (#4) from Etsy give a few items without cluttering the shelves.
How to Create the Perfect Basement Layout
The tricky thing about a lot of basements are: these are large open spaces without a lot of direction of how to fill them! This basement, like many, also had some support columns that we had to work around. Even though I always create a Floor Plan layout for my clients, I don’t always share them on the blog. But I wanted to include the layout of this Basement makeover because it might give YOU some ideas of how to better lay out your Basement to maximize every square inch.
Creating a Modern Neutral Living Room Design in your Basement
So there you go! A Basement Living Room & Playroom Makeover that is just as beautiful as their upstairs. But don’t be fooled…these rooms may look pretty, but I also chose durable, easy-to-clean items, as well as budget-friendly finds for their Playroom design.
If You Need Help with your Playroom Design or Kid Space
I have some exciting news coming up! Even though I custom design every single room of people’s homes, want to know my most popular request?
KID ROOMS.
And since I am sharing a recent Playroom Makeover, I also wanted to announce the upcoming launch of Postbox Designs KIDS! Don’t worry, you can already work with me on any of your Kid Spaces, you can check out all of my Room Packages and Prices...but be on the lookout for more details soon!
Get 5 Free Kid Room Designs
And to celebrate the upcoming launch of Postbox Designs KIDS, I’m introducing:
The Week ‘O Free Kid Designs
For one week only, I’m giving you 5 FREE Kid Room Designs or Round-Ups, along with the Shopping Lists, tips, and insider tricks. I’m tackling Kid Bedrooms, Nurseries, and Playroom Designs, along with the best kid toy storage, artwork ideas, and more. It all starts on Monday, June 3rd! It will be the start of summer, so you can get a fresh start on your Kid Spaces and snag a bunch of ideas in the process.
But you won’t be able to snag these designs on my blog or anywhere else. Y
ou can find out more about this week of Free Kid Designs and sign up to join the fun right here:
Sign Up for the Week ‘O Free Kid Designs
As always, if you have questions about anything you saw on today’s post, or want to chat about us working together on your project, you can always reach out to me at kristin@postboxdesigns.com
Cheers,
Kristin
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