Perhaps you are looking at all of these trending interior designs like modern, farmhouse, rustic and the numerous combinations and thinking to yourself, “None of this fits me.”
If so, that is okay. At the end of the day, this is your space. You have worked hard to own your own home and put in the work to transform your unfinished basement into a space that is 100% yours with your own style on it. Even if Architectural Digest never graces your front step, there is no reason why you shouldn’t have everything you want in your space. If more modern styles aren’t your thing, perhaps you would be more interested in traditional basement ideas.
The traditional style is based in 18th and 19th century. While many people may think it is boring or stale, many of the more modern designs originated from the traditional interior design. It incorporates more antiques and vintage pieces, dark and warm tones, and consistency. Check out some of the most trendy basement styles here.
In the traditional style basement, you are going to walk in and immediately get that home-y feeling without the pomp and circumstance. Think of it as if you went to your grandparent’s house, and it recently had an upgrade. You still get that vibe of comfort and relaxation but with your perspective and taste. At the end of the day, just like any other interior design, your traditional basement design ideas are based in a concept but with your own flare.
According to traditional basement design, the flooring in this is typically a neutral color. For example, you may be more interested in certain types of tile that are solid colors or even hardwood-looking flooring. Marble isn’t customarily utilized. However, most traditional floors utilize rugs as well to bring the room together.
Our flooring options include vinyl plank, vinyl tile, and carpeting. All of these are great options for the traditional basement floor design. Also, after installation you can experiment with rug layering to get more of the design you are looking for.
Your traditional ceiling will also be in a neutral color. In fact, you will commonly see white ceilings with no exposed beams within this aesthetic. When you look up at the ceiling, the only thing that should stand out is the ceiling fan. Even that will be in a neutral color but may be an area of creativity for the shape.
Our ceiling offerings that work well within this design aesthetic include our drywall ceilings as well as our suspended ceilings. Both offer a clean and unified look that is absolutely perfect for the traditional basement ceiling design.
In case you didn’t notice a pattern, the colors are going to be neutral for the walls as well. Commonly, you will find that all walls are going to be the same color. Common wall colors include taupe, variations of white, other variations of brown and beige, and sometimes black or gray. At the end of the day, you are not looking to make the space seem stark or small. You want the space to appear larger because you are going to express the majority of your style and creativity within the decor.
Fortunately, Basements Plus wall panels already fit in with the traditional aesthetic as well. We do have limited color options, but the traditional basement design works really well with all of our colors.
This is where you get to play with different patterns, textures, shapes, and colors. One commonly seen pattern with traditional design is florals. While this may appear to be dated, there are in fact some patterns that still work without looking as if we are stepping back in time. Also, because the idea of matching has been expanded outside of just matching patterns everywhere, you can have a central pattern and incorporate the colors within the other decor.
For example, you can have a floral design with cherry blossoms. Your color pallete to play with may include some reds, pinks, oranges, yellows, and maybe even some green (for the leaves). The point of the traditional design for your basement is consistency. As long as you aren’t varying too much within the shade ranges of these colors, it should still work.
For your traditional basement bedroom, you are going to want to pick darker, warmer furniture. Perhaps something that looks like oak or pine would be great for your bed. You may want to add a few pieces for your seating area. A Queen Anne chair would be perfect for this space or at least something similar.
Again, you could incorporate patterns within your curtains or even your bedding. You could utilize accent colors within your other decor to pull everything together and make it seem cohesive without complete uniformity. You can also incorporate more textures by adding a crocheted or knitted blanket at the end of your bed or thrown across your seating area.
Unless you are hosting an elderly relative temporarily or on a more permanent basis, you may not be interested in incorporating a lot of knitted or crocheted items within your bathroom. Doilies are not the most updated decor that we utilize anymore. However, one of the more unique items of decor that could work well in this space are the differently shaped dispensers for soap, lotion, etc. Some popular ones include farm animals. How cute is it to pump soap from a ceramic bird?!
Whether you are looking to turn your basement into a den for you, your family, and friends, there are plenty of options with regards to this. You could easily create a game room representing your favorite teams. You can treat your team logo as you would any pattern and utilize the colors within the team as accent colors. Michigan State or University of Michigan? We don’t judge. (We know which team is the best.)
Also, you can incorporate a traditional basement bar with all of the trimmings or at the very minimum a bar cart in your space set yourself up for full relaxation. You are 100% in charge of this space and everything that goes into it. Feel free to have fun!
Modern-traditional design sounds like an oxymoron. At first look, it may seem as if these two aesthetics would be at odds with one another 100% of the time. However, there are places where this overlaps. The Mid-Century design is in fact one spin off that incorporates these two. <can cross link to modern design article>
If you want more of a direct mashup of these two, the thing to remember is this. Modern design is one that reduces clutter and emphasizes clean straight lines. Outside of that, you can play with colors and textures as much as you want. You can have the muted walls which are classic to traditional style. White or off white would be a great option. Then all of your furniture would fit by being a deep, warm brown. Beyond that, your decor would still be minimal but you can play with colors, patterns (very minimal), and textures.
Traditional basement design ideas are definitely a fun way to bring in some vintage or antique ideas and incorporate some modern ideas without appearing dated. It is a great option for if you are hosting an elderly relative or friend or even just because you like the aesthetic. Regardless of what design idea you choose, if you have any questions about your basement, Basements Plus is ready and able to help you make your current unfinished basement into the space of your dreams.
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