A Lake Harriet Basement Renovation

Last But Not Least

After Purcell renovated the top floors of their Lake Harriet home, these Minneapolis residents turned their attention to the basement.

When it comes to remodeling, basements, with their low ceilings, lack of windows and almost non-existent natural light, can be challenging.

But, Purcell Remodeling and Renovation is not one to turn down a challenge. We recently worked with interior designer Leigh Hull of Leigh Hull Designs to turn a dark, dull basement into a warm, welcoming space for guests.

“Basically, it was a time capsule stuck in the 90s,” says Leigh Hull of the original basement. The homeowners frequently host friends from out of town and were hoping to turn the space into guest accommodations that were “light, bright and spa-like,” she says. To that end, “We brought down several details from the floors above to make it feel like a cohesive home.”

Renovating Ugly Stairs With Flair

The new stair treads were reproduced to match the existing stair treads found throughout the rest of the home. The tubular style railings where replaced with wrought iron balluster and a mahogoney handrail that more closely resembled the home’s overall Mediterranean-type architectural style. A brass console table with a mirrored top keeps the space feeling light and open.

Knock, Knock – Creating Beautiful Entryways With Arches

The arched doorways are a theme throughout the home. We continued them into the basement. The beautiful arched custom alder doors were reproduced and hand-scraped and stained to match. The homeowners travel quite a bit and are avid art collectors so we turned an arched window opening at the bottom of the stairs into a little niche for display a piece of art.

Spare Bedroom Renovations That Say, “Be Our Guest!”

Originally an exercise room, the soothing guest bedroom is now both inviting and relaxing. When the homeowners found that their four-poster bed no longer fit in their master bedroom, they moved it downstairs to the guest room.

The ordinary utility closet doors were replaced with much more attractive architectural-stamped metal inserts that allow the room’s mechanicals to vent and match the closet doors on the other side of the room.

Basement Renovations That Create a Lower-level Oasis

A closet was removed to expand the original bathroom, which was small and narrow. Again, we took our cues from the floors above and used the same or similar materials and finishes to make the spaces flow seamlessly together.

The spacious new bathroom features a double sink with a marble countertop and satin-nickel faucet. What looks like several drawers is actually two big drawers, one under each sink. The extra-deep drawers are U-shaped to accommodate the plumbing beneath the sink. Art Deco-style sconces complement the silver leaf mirror that has touches of gold. The Herringbone tile on the floor is made of Carrerra marble and is a smaller version of the tile used in the upstairs entryway and kitchen.

Finding Furniture That Fits

The homeowners already had much of the furniture used in the basement’s family room area, including a contemporary Lignet Roset sofa and a large lamp. Hull helped find a chair and ottoman to complete the cozy space. A pull-out sofa accommodate additional guests.

Basement reno challenge: Received and success achieved (if we do say so ourselves).

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