DIY: How to Make a Basement Office

Check for moisture in the basement. Leaks and moisture lead to mold and health problems. Moisture-proof the basement before beginning to work on building your home office. Small cracks in the floors, walls and ceiling may be patched with moisture-proof grout. Grout is available at hardware stores. Run a dehumidifier in the basement for a few days, and wait to see if the basement stays dry through the next rain. If the basement becomes damp again, you may need to hire a professional to examine and repair the foundation of your home.

Brighten the room with floor lamps so you can see what you are working on. Most basements have very little window space. Map out on a piece of paper where you want to situate your home office desk and bookshelves. Plan to put the desk near appropriate outlets; you will need to plug in your computer, printer and anything else you need.

Paint the walls warm, cheerful colors. Use paint trays and soft rollers to cover the most wall space in a shorter amount of time. Use paintbrushes for edges and corners. Consider using two colors of wall paint and alternate them. This makes the room visually interesting. Start with a high-quality primer that covers stains and is mold-resistant. Let the primer dry overnight, and then paint each wall with a topcoat. Let the paint dry overnight, then paint a second topcoat.

Give the room a softer, warmer feeling with a rug. Fabric tends to make a room feel softer and more comfortable. A wall-to-wall rug will give an attractive, uniform feel to your home office.

Place the furniture you have chosen for your home office. Anchor bookshelves to the wall. Don protective eye wear for this task. Using a stud finder, locate the beams of wood behind the basement wall. Set the bookshelf in place, and use a power drill to attach the bookshelf to the wall. Drive the screws into the hidden beams of wood. Attach the bookshelf in at least two places, near the top and near the bottom. For wide bookshelves, do this every couple of feet.