Inexpensive Basement Ideas

Paint the Walls

• A fresh new coat of paint is one of the easiest, quickest and least inexpensive ways to give your basement a new look. If there is a specific design motif that you have wanted in the basement for a while, use a new paint job to get things off the ground. A new paint color will set the tone for the overall basement design. You can paint the entire basement the same color, or paint one wall a different color, which is called a "focus wall." A focus wall brings attention and direction to a specific wall in the space. Although it is a bit more challenging, painting stripes can really bring character to a basement that was once plain and boring. Get friends and family involved to make the paint job more fun.

Redo the Floor

• The floor is such a big part of any room; when you change a floor, it freshens and cleans up a space. Flooring does not need to be overly costly. For a basement with older wood floors, simply refinishing and staining the existing floor will bring new life to it. Carpet replacement is also one of the most affordable flooring options available and will create a clean and welcoming area where family and friends will want to hang out. Go for different shade of carpet than was previously installed to make a noticeable difference in the appearance (as long as it matches the rest of the basement's design).

Install a Bar

• Finding an affordable bar that is worthy of your basement is not as hard as it might appear; with some creative thinking and some craftiness, it certainly can be accomplished. Shop around in flea markets, secondhand stores and websites with secondhand sales such as Craigslist or Ebay. You could also build it yourself, which allows you to design the perfect bar for your basement. Bar accessories like bar stools can also be purchased in secondhand stores or built from scratch. Old bars might look scary at first, but with a good sanding session and a new coat of stain or paint, they can be brought back to life.

Install Shelving and Bookcases

• Shelving can be installed along the walls at very little cost to provide the space with more room to organize books and display accessories. Bookcases can separate the basement into different spaces and provide storage and organizational space.