Eastmoreland Basement office
The clients of this 1925 Tudor-style cottage in the Eastmoreland neighborhood had undertaken several major remodeling projects over the years to modernize the main part of the home, but the basement remained mostly unfinished and full of potential.
Primarily used as storage with a small laundry space, the subterranean, mostly unfinished basement, which was connected to the home via an old stairwell off the recently remodeled kitchen, offered a great opportunity to gain additional footprint in the home. While the clients were looking to add a dedicated office, an overflow guest bathroom, a more refined laundry space and expanded storage, they also wanted a layout that would offer longer term versatility so that it could easily be used as an artist studio, fitness studio, guest room, playroom or home theatre down the road.
The Office: We wanted to keep the desk area open and clean, so we used inexpensive steel braced industrial brackets to mount the deep custom-built desk top. She added a second egress window to match the existing one, which added amazing light to the subterranean room. Wall length custom cabinetry was added both for office storage, as well as overflow of seasonal clothing. The clients also wanted the room to serve a dual purpose as a workout room. A custom mural wallpaper was designed from one of the client’s favorite photos of the St. John’s bridge, adding an architectural and art deco element to give it design continuity with the main part of the home. The floors throughout the basement were done in polished concrete and stained in a similar tone to the upstairs hardwood flooring.
The Laundry Room: Why shouldn’t laundry be elegant? For this modern laundry space, we installed a washer and a ventless drier under the fitted countertop, bringing in new cabinetry for extra storage that was painted the same charcoal color as the kitchen cabinetry. Additional pantry storage was built just under the basement stairs, accessible via a vibrant yellow sliding door. The old basement stairs were replaced with new risers and treads that were stained ebony, and a custom, modern handrail was installed to make the transition from the main part of the home to the basement feel as though you were simply entering another part of the house.
Guest Bath: We used hairpin legs for the sink vanity and a wall mounted toilet, raising them up off the floor to give the bathroom an airy, spacious feel. For a vintage industrial vibe, Pratt + Larson tile was used on three of the four walls in the new bathroom, with industrial-style plumbing from Kohler and vintage lighting and hardware from Schoolhouse Electric accenting the room.
Construction Partner: Coda Construction