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“When I was a kid, I had three toys to play with and I liked it!” “When I was a kid” doesn’t work for your kids today because they’re kids right now and the kids of today have lots of toys. Toys everywhere! In fact, between holidays and birthdays and special surprise gifts, it’s easy to feel as though your home has become an extension of the toy store.
When the toys begin to overflow the kids’ bedrooms, it’s time to start thinking about creating a basement playroom. With the kids and all the toys sequestered in a basement wonderland, the rest of the home will be yours once more.
Choosing Flooring That Makes Sense
Picking flooring for a basement area is a catch-22. On one hand, it can be extremely cold, so you’ll want something that’s warm and comfortable. This is especially true in an area where your kids will likely spend hours cross-legged on the floor, playing with games and Legos.
On the other hand, basements can be damp and prone to flooding. Carpet can create a moisture catastrophe in the event of a bad rainstorm, since no one wants to rip up an entire roomful of wet flooring.
The solution? Square carpet tiles. These give you the ability to pull up individual squares to replace particular sections. Another plus of carpet tiles for a kids’ area is that you can choose them in various colors and fun designs to enhance the decor.
Add Wall Space That Allows Creativity to Flow
A basement playroom should be like your kids’ bedroom on steroids, right? Consider installing fun, over-the-top elements that allow the little artists within to emerge. Paint an entire wall in chalkboard paint and encourage your kids to draw away. (Remember to use soft chalk that wipes off easily, though.) For a less permanent art solution, hang rolls of butcher paper that kids can pull down and go to town on.
Whether you choose paint or paper, both of these are options are easily changeable down the road.
Creating a Basement Playroom That Will Grow with Your Family
As you plan out your basement playroom, keep in mind that your kids won’t be 3 (or 6 or 8…) forever. As much as it may bring tears to your eyes to think of it, one day they’ll be teenagers who are disconnected from the entire world as they play video games or watch their favorite movies.
With this knowledge at hand, don’t make design choices that will have your basement permanently looking like a first-grade classroom. Keep things neutral when it comes to walls and major pieces of furniture. After all, once your teenager heads off to college, this room will transition into your man cave/home gym/hobby room.
Are you stuck on the design when it comes to creating your new basement playroom? Not sure how to assess how much your basement remodel will cost? If so, working with an experienced contractor is extremely beneficial and will help put you on the road to less clutter, peace and quiet, and a great basement space that your family will use for years to come.
