Freshome.com - Interior Design & Architecture Inspiration Newsletter

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How to Brighten your Basement Renovation Projects Posted: 11 Feb 2011 11:59 PM PST If you have recently finished a basement renovation or you are thinking about one, have you thought about how you will brighten it up once it's finished? Many basements have few windows or natural light sources and can leave it feeling 'cave like'. Sure, the renovation will make it feel better, but without bringing in natural light, light color palettes or creative artificial light sources, you won't want to spend too much time in your basement! Here are tips to brighten you basement renovation project. Try to bring in natural light:  Depending on what type of basement you have, will warrant if natural light is even an option. "Walk out' basements are one's in which are built inside of a hill on one side, and there is access to walk out onto land from the basement. For these type basements, incorporating windows in your renovation is a must. For basements that are completely underground on all sides, consider having window wells built at the ground level that will access the high end of the interior wall. This will help bring in light, even if very minimal. For areas that don’t have direct light access, use lighting fixtures that bring in focused light as well as ambient light throughout the basement. Use colors to brighten: Basement renovations have the tendency to look dark and drab when only using grays and beiges. Try and give your basement walls an added punch of color to brighten up the space, and "trick" the mind into feeling like you are above ground in a well lit space. Opt for warmer hues of yellows, golds, oranges and warm tones of browns and muted rust tones. Consider using these colors in furnishings, area rugs, flooring and wall decor as well. The warmer it feels in your basement, the more likely your family is to enjoy it on a routine basis. Don't forget the ceiling: In many basement renovation projects, the ceiling can be extremely low or non attractive because of the floor to ceiling height. Consider painting the ceiling with a lighter color than the adjacent walls to give the illusion of height. For basements that have less constrictive height restrictions, consider adding a coffered ceiling, or even soffits to add visual interest to the ceiling. Add lighting to these areas to emphasize the ceiling and make the space more welcoming and inviting. Get creative with lighting: For areas in your basement that need creative lighting, consider using recessed can lighting, indirect lighting fixtures behind soffits, or directional lighting on artwork and architectural niches. For many people the ability to transform their basement into a space that feels bright or even mysterious is the goal behind basement renovations. Home owners want to be able to entertain, have a media room, a recreational area, or even a home gym. Regardless of your basements intended purpose, get creative with the lighting. Many residential lighting specialists can layout a unique plan for your home project. Your basement renovation project should be an exciting process, and you and your family should be able to reap the rewards when finished. When considering lighting, remember there are an infinite amount of solutions, first determine what your challenges are. Whenever possible, let in natural light and bring in inspiring warm tones and creative artificial lighting. Once you are finished, the basement may turn into the most popular space of the entire house! Freshome readers how do you address lighting in your basement? Is your basement dark or bright and airy feeling? We'd love to hear your comments. Ready for more amazing design ideas? Check below ! Gemma Ahern Apartment Renovation – Cost Effective Designing Swedish Inspiration: Turning a Small Apartment into a Gemstone How to Budget for a Home Renovation Excellent Use of Space and Natural Light : Modern Oriel Window How to Transform your Basement into an Extra Room Creative Renovation: Modern with a Side of Ranch by Hufft Projects Click here to connect with Freshome on or on

Reader’s Apartment with a “Cozy Boutique Feel” in Singapore Posted: 11 Feb 2011 10:55 AM PST We received another apartment from one of our readers which we would like to share. This home and its interior ideas belongs to Hong Li, a graphic designer from Singapore. Here is the description we received: this crib is “a small, limited space two bedroom duplex apartment of 861sqft. 430sqft upstairs where I have 2 bedrooms and 430sqft downstairs where i have living room, store room and kitchen. In order to have a bigger living room, kitchen cabinet separating the living room and kitchen was demolished to create an open concept kitchen like we see in the photos. A drop leaf dining table is mounted on the side of the oven and induction cooker cabinet. Space under the staircase was converted into study area. A semi circle desk was created for this purpose, including drawers and movable cabinet for printer & fax machine storage. Lots of black is used for my apartment, hoping to give it a cozy boutique hotel feel. A living room wall is decorated with picture frames (gold, black and white color). They are hanged by nails and the layout of picture frames is changeable. I love chandeliers, and they were extensively used in this small house, even wall stickers for bedroom’s doors are chandeliers too. Ceiling roses ~ which was normally used in palaces, is also being adopted in my house design. I sew all the drapes and curtains in the house.” Even though these are not professional photos, we appreciate our reader’s ability to capture significant details. Check out the state of the crib before Hong Li redecorated in the last four photos. Freshome readers, what do you have to say about this duplex? House before decoration photos below: Ready for more amazing design ideas? Check below ! Newlywed Apartment Bursting with Colors in Singapore Swedish Inspiration – Chic Apartment With Scandinavian Feel Small Apartment Ideas by Tori Golub Small and Cozy Reader’s Apartment in Cluj-Napoca, Romania Tell Me About Yourself, Dear Freshome Reader 55 Blair Road- Interior Design At Its Best Click here to connect with Freshome on or on

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