menu
  • Contests
  • My H&H
  • eNewsletter
  • Maison & Demeure
  • Magazine
  • SUBSCRIBE

    Order Today!

    • Subscribe
    • Give a Gift
    • Renew
    • Digital Magazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Back issues
    • Find H&H in stores
    • Current issue
  • Videos

    Order Today!

    • Design News
    • DIY Projects
    • Cooking
    • Home Tours
    • Cottages & Country
    • Condos & Lofts
    • Outdoor
    • Kitchens & Bathrooms
    • Makeovers
  • Rooms

    Order Today!

    • Basements
    • Bathrooms
    • Bedrooms
    • Dining Room
    • Entryways & Mudrooms
    • Hallways & Stairs
    • Kids’ Rooms
    • Kitchens
    • Laundry Rooms
    • Living Rooms
    • Offices & Workspaces
    • Outdoor
  • Decorating & Design

    Order Today!

    • Best Paint Colors
    • Celebrity Style
    • Condos
    • Decorating Advice
    • DIY Projects
    • Home Tours
    • News & Events
    • Organization
    • Products We Love
    • Real Estate
    • Small Spaces
  • Food

    Order Today!

    • Entertaining
    • Recipes
    • What We’re Eating Now
    • Experts
    • Galleries
    • shh
    menu
    • H&H TV + VIDEOS
      • Home Tours
      • Makeovers
      • DIY Projects
      • Design News
      • Cooking
      • Featured Personalities
      • Condos & Lofts
      • Cottages & Country
      • Kitchens & Bathrooms
      • Outdoor
      • All Videos
      Home Tours
      Makeovers
      DIY Projects
      Design News
      Cooking
      Condos & Lofts
      Cottages & Country
      Kitchens & Bathrooms
      Outdoor
      All Videos
    • Rooms
      • Kitchens
      • Bathrooms
      • Living Rooms
      • Kids’ Rooms
      • Dining Room
      • Bedrooms
      • Basements
      • Laundry Rooms
      • Offices & Workspaces
      • Entryways & Mudrooms
      • Hallways & Stairs
      • Outdoor
      Bathrooms
      Living Rooms
      Kids' Rooms
      Dining Room
      Bedrooms
      Basements
      Laundry Rooms
      Offices & Workspaces
      Entryways & Mudrooms
      Hallways & Stairs
      Outdoor
    • Decorating & Design
      • Home Tours
      • Decorating Advice
      • Best Paint Colors
      • Small Spaces
      • Products We Love
      • News & Events
      • DIY Projects
      • Organization
      • Celebrity Style
      • Condos
      • Real Estate
      Home Tours
      Decorating Advice
      Best Paint Colors
      Small Spaces
      Products We Love
      News & Events
      DIY Projects
      Organization
      Celebrity Style
      Condos
      Real Estate
    • Food
      • Recipes
      • Entertaining
      • What We’re Eating Now
      Recipes
      Entertaining
      What We're Eating Now
    • Experts
      Lynda Reeves
      Beth Hitchcock
      Meg Crossley
      Stacey Smithers
      Morgan Michener
      Sally Armstrong
      Joel Bray
      Kai Ethier
      Lauren Petroff
      Jennifer Koper
      Reiko Caron
      Kristen Eppich
    • Galleries
    • shh

    Basements

    July 26 2015

    Photo Gallery: Editors’ Basement Renos

    • Save This
    • Print This
    • Comment

    Stylish makeovers for hardworking spaces.

    1 of 12
    Space Saving Kitchen
    1 of 12
    Neutral Basement Living Room With Blue Accents
    1 of 12
    Renovated Basement Family Room
    1 of 12
    Whitewashed Basement Sitting Area
    1 of 12
    Basement Nook Remodel
    1 of 12
    Streamlined Basement Office
    1 of 12
    Kids' Craft Area
    1 of 12
    Basement Bathroom With Hexagonal Floor Tiles
    1 of 12
    Light And Bright Basement Bath
    1 of 12
    Clever Basement Laundry Cabinetry
    1 of 12
    Bright Basement Laundry Room
    1 of 12
    Basement Laundry With Acid Yellow Door
    1 of 12
    Up Next

    Photo Gallery: 20 Budget Basement Decorating Tips

    View Gallery
    Space Saving Kitchen

    Build on the foundation.

    When updating the basement kitchen, Suzanne Dimma placed upper cabinets directly beneath an immovable bulkhead. Using Ikea components, a frame was built to sit proud of the uppers and wrap around both ends of the counter, creating a design feature. The combination of all-white cabinets, white Staron counters and backsplash and near-invisible hardware enhances the openness of the space, while a black faucet provides contrast.

    Get more basement reno tips on Online TV, plus see more H&H editor basements in our photo gallery.

    Photographer:
    Angus Fergusson
    Source:
    House & Home December 2013 issue
    Products:
    Cabinets, counter, backsplash, appliances (except wine fridge), sink, faucet, Ikea; countertop fabrication, installation, Surfacing Solutions; kettle, cutting boards, Mjölk; bowls, Hollace Cluny; tea towel, ChairTableLamp; brown vase, Cynthia Findlay Antiques; cream vase, West Elm.
    Designer:
    Arriz + Co and Suzanne Dimma
    Neutral Basement Living Room With Blue Accents

    Add architectural detail with panelling.

    To combat boring basement drywall and add depth and character, House & Home editor-in-chief Suzanne Dimma added white-painted wood panelling from Brenlo. A low foundation shelf was cleverly turned into a built-in bench with the addition of seat cushions and throw pillows.

    Get more basement reno tips on Online TV, plus see more H&H editor basements in our photo gallery.

    Photographer:
    Angus Fergusson
    Source:
    House & Home December 2013 issue
    Products:
    Wall boards, Brenlo; seat cushion sewing, Switch Studio; pillow sewing, Tonic Living; navy and cream pillow fabric, Robert Allen; stool, Elte; desk chair, Queen West Antique Centre; pouf, metal box, Decorium; Staron counters, cabinets, Ikea.
    Designer:
    Arriz + Co and Suzanne Dimma
    Renovated Basement Family Room

    A balance of style and function.

    House & Home design editor Sally Armstrong can’t imagine how she ever did without the bright, multifunctional family room that she included in her reno plans. “Now, the kids lounge down here to watch movies and play video games with their friends,” says Sally. She bought the quilted blue and white accent chair when she saw it marked down 50 per cent to $400. “I thought the shape was interesting and knew I’d regret not getting it.”

    Get more styish family room ideas in our photo gallery.

    Photographer:
    Virginia MacDonald
    Source:
    House & Home September 2013 issue.
    Products:
    Mural, Anthropologie; accent chair, rug, Elte; millwork, Modex; doors, windows by Pro Tec, Torp.
    Whitewashed Basement Sitting Area

    Trick the eye with “panelled” doors.

    A handsaw was used to rout grooves into doors for a custom look in H&H editor-in-chief Suzanne Dimma’s basement. Pivot hinges allow the doors to open fully when needed. A floating white oak shelf layered with black and white photos creates a welcoming vignette at the bottom of the stairs.

    Get more basement reno tips on Online TV, plus see more H&H editor basements in our photo gallery.

    Photographer:
    Angus Fergusson
    Source:
    House & Home December 2013 issue
    Products:
    Wall treatment, Brenlo; hardware, Emtek; rug, Y&Co; stool, ChairTableLamp; chairs, Hollace Cluny; coffee table, Shelter; shelf construction, 9 Digits; white oak flooring, Moncer Specialty Flooring.
    Designer:
    Arriz + Co and Suzanne Dimma
    Basement Nook Remodel

    Reinvent function in an unused space.

    House & Home senior editor Meg Crossley had no use for a second kitchen in her basement, so she had the cabinets, plumbing and wiring removed. In its place, she created a calm nook with a vintage gateleg table that can double as a desk. She painted the walls white to make the ceiling seem higher and added framed inexpensive art prints, which she bought on Etsy. The floors are laminate in an elm finish to create cohesion with the upstairs. The key is that wood floors make a basement not look like a basement. And ultimately, that’s what you want.

    Get more basement reno tips on Online TV, plus see more H&H editor basements in our photo gallery.

    Photographer:
    Michael Graydon
    Source:
    House & Home Makeovers 2009 issue
    Products:
    Light Sugar (4150-11), Sico
    Streamlined Basement Office

    A one bedroom basement gets a functional makeover.

    Part of the reason Suzanne Dimma converted her basement rental suite was because she and husband Arriz needed a spacious home office. A solid stretch of durable Staron countertop from Ikea created a seamless work surface. Old-school filing cabinets framed by powder-coated steel supports serve as dividers and help conceal plugs and cords. The slender frames of the Japanese-designed white oak office chairs suit the Scandi-modern design of the space.

    Get more basement reno tips on Online TV, plus see more H&H editor basements in our photo gallery.

    Photographer:
    Angus Fergusson
    Source:
    House & Home December 2013 issue
    Products:
    Wooden chairs, Mjölk; leather desk chair, Queen West Antique Centre; desk lamps, desk organizer, Ikea; cream and black vase, Vintage Fine Objects; white vase (with flowers), Cynthia Findlay Antiques; rug, Elte; filing cabinets, Grand & Toy.
    Designer:
    Arriz + Co and Suzanne Dimma
    Kids' Craft Area

    Put a fun spin on older furniture.

    Sally’s daughters, Annie (left), 10, and Holly, 7 use this room everyday. The table and chairs were Sally’s old dining set; she gave them a playful twist with colour-blocked white and hot pink paint. Artwork is taped to the wall with Japanese washi tape, making rotations easy. An inexpensive Ikea bookshelf and trolley hold craft supplies.

    For more editors’ basement renos, see our photo gallery.

    Photographer:
    Virginia MacDonald
    Source:
    House & Home September 2013 issue.
    Basement Bathroom With Hexagonal Floor Tiles

    Highlight the vanity with pops of black.

    H&H editor-in-chief Suzanne Dimma lined up a white oak vanity and lower shelf perfectly with the basement bulkhead, creating a framed effect. Simple hardware dowels stand in for towel hooks, and textural woven baskets hide the plumbing. To create flow with the rest of the house, Suzanne took a single black sconce from another room and added a black-painted mirror to punctuate the glossy subway-tiled wall.

    Get more basement reno tips on Online TV, plus see more H&H editor basements in our photo gallery.

    Photographer:
    Angus Fergusson
    Source:
    House & Home December 2013 issue
    Products:
    Sink by Duravit, Starck 3 toilet by Duravit, PMF Plumbing Supplies; faucet, Kohler; mirror (custom-painted), Ikea; bath towels, La Merceria; hand towel, white cup, Ginger's; sconce by Bestlite by Gubi, Kiosk.
    Designer:
    Arriz + Co and Suzanne Dimma
    Light And Bright Basement Bath

    Vintage-inspired hexagonal floor tiles add sparkle.

    With no window, Meg Crossley installed panel moulding and an inexpensive washstand from a big-box store, painting both to match. Hits of black anchor the space visually and keep it from feeling too pretty.

    Photographer:
    Michael Graydon
    Source:
    House & Home Makeovers 2009 issue
    Products:
    Washstand, Canadian Tire; sconces, Sescolite; washstand and panelling colour, Blue Ash (4176-21), Sico
    Clever Basement Laundry Cabinetry

    Black hexagonal floor tiles add a graphic punch.

    Suzanne Dimma moved vents when renovating her basement to fit a stacked washer and dryer. This left more room for floor-to-ceiling cabinets that keep laundry essentials and other household items out of sight.

    Photographer:
    Angus Fergusson
    Source:
    House & Home December 2013 issue
    Products:
    Painting, Home Painters Toronto; washer, dryer, Whirlpool; stool, Vintage Fine Objects; laundry basket, West Elm; broom, Mjölk.
    Designer:
    Arriz + Co and Suzanne Dimma
    Bright Basement Laundry Room

    Pretty blue cabinets, dark-wood floors and a school-house light create an air of vintage charm.

    H&H senior editor Meg Crossley turned this unfinished basement laundry room into a laundry oasis. Improper venting meant the washer and dryer had to be moved to the opposite wall, where they’re now hidden by bi-fold doors. Meg also added a convenient sink with a kitchen-worthy faucet, an upper shelf and lower cabinets for extra storage. A contractor cut door fronts out of MDF, and then Meg added Shaker trim for a custom look. To give the basement an airy feeling, the space was painted white. Sico‘s Light Sugar (4150-11), an aged white, makes the ceilings seem higher without feeling sterile or cold. The cabinets were painted robin’s egg blue for a country-inspired look.

    See a tour of Meg’s basement renovation with Lynda Reeves on Online TV. Plus, get more Budget Basement Decorating Tips and see more luxe Laundry Rooms.

    Photographer:
    Michael Graydon
    Source:
    House & Home Makeovers 2009 special issue
    Products:
    Laminate flooring, The Home Depot; counter, Pragel in Walnut, Ikea; paint colour on cabinets, Sico's Georgetown Sandstone (6157-31); wall colour, Sico's Cotton Ball (6186-21).
    Basement Laundry With Acid Yellow Door

    An industrial but chic laundry room update.

    Two design classics — black hexagonal floor tiles and square white subway tiles — give the laundry room timeless charm, but a strategic pop of colour on the powder room door keeps the effect current. A Corian counter surrounds the washer and dryer and provides a place to fold clothes. Open shelves hold supplies within reach.

    For more editors’ basement renos, see our photo gallery.

    Photographer:
    Virginia MacDonald
    Source:
    House & Home September 2013 issue.
    Products:
    Washer, dryer, Tasco; artwork, Virginia Johnson.
    image description
    image description
    image description
    image description
    image description
    image description
    image description
    image description
    image description
    image description
    image description
    image description

    Advertisement


    Photographer:
    Virginia MacDonald
    Source:
    House & Home September 2013 issue.
    Products:
    Mural, Anthropologie; accent chair, rug, Elte; millwork, Modex; doors, windows by Pro Tec, Torp.
    Tags:
    bright Editors' Basement Renos Inspiring Makeovers Meg Crossley Renovations Sally Armstrong Suzanne Dimma trends

    Sign up for House & Home’s Free eNewsletter!

    Related Galleries

    • How To Create The Ultimate Home Theater

      • Basements
      • Decorating & Design
      • Decorating Advice
      • Products We Love
    • Photo Gallery: 20 Budget Basement Decorating Tips

      • Basements
      • Organization
    • From The Archives: Suzanne Dimma’s Basement Reno

      • Basements
      • Decorating & Design
      • Decorating Advice
      • Rooms
    • Rooms
    • Decorating & Design
    • Food
    • Experts
    • H&H TV
    • About Us
    • Contests
    • Maison & Demeure
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • eNewsletter
    • Subscribe
    • Renew
    • Give A Gift
    • Digital Magazine
    • Customer Care
    • Make a Payment
    • Back Issues
    • Advertise With Us
    • Media Kit
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms Of Use
    • Contact Us
    House & Home
     

    Copyright © 2018 House & Home Media. All rights reserved.

    Home » Rooms » Basements » From The Archives: Suzanne Dimma’s Basement Reno