A living room has many functions to fulfill in your home. Its the place where we engage our guests. Its where we play games and socialize. Its the room where we unwind and spend quality time with our beloved ones. Some living rooms are used for eating, homework or watching television.

However, like many homeowners commit mistakes while selling a house, they make mistakes when it comes to revamping a living room. Some opt for unnecessary massive changes. Some are not aware of the expenses. Some choose the wrong contractors.

That being said, if you manage the renovation smoothly, it can be a great investment you make in your home. So before opting for a remodeling, go through this list of top living room renovation mistakes you should avoid.

When you opt for professional help, one of the first things you need to do is get estimates from a handful ofremodeling contractors. Once you get the quote, it can be tempting to choose the lowest one to save some money. But that low cost is less likely to give you quality work. A contractor may be cutting corners or utilizing low-quality materials.

Always look for the common numbers on all estimates. If theres a number that keeps occurring, this likely the real cost. If you feel caught between the two same options, choose the one whom you feel most comfortable with.

Many of us might think to do it on their own to save money, thanks to the renovation shows on TV and DIY blogs on the Internet. But renovation is a complicated task, requiring skills and experience. You might end up with a stained floor if you paint the walls inappropriately. You might damage the walls in order to install some shelves over there. The guesswork can put you in trouble and mess. Therefore, it is better if you leave remodeling jobs to professionals.

What to do with this old furniture? This thing bothers us when it comes to deciding upon the living room furniture. Its okay if you can afford new furniture. Otherwise, you can revamp your living room furniture rather than tossing them into the trash. You can give them a whole new look with some nice upholstery. Moreover, paint can give them a fresh lease of life.

Lets admit it. Sometimes we take a backseat and let others decide for our home renovation. A designer might not agree with your way of remodeling. Then there is a store employee who comes up with their own idea. Or your friend criticizes your choice of colors. Although some of these ideas might be right, dont let them steer you towards something thats not what your heart is set on.

Also, you shouldnt let the frustration caused by the project delays to accept undesired changes.

You can source design ideas from the issues of Interior Design, Dwell and Architectural Digest. However, a magazine-idea cant replace professional help. Interior design for your living room goes beyond what rug would look great with what sofa. Its all about building a functional and attractive space that can fit your lifestyle.

What is the optimal design solution if your living room is always packed with people? Is it possible to achieve a chick living room with limited resources? How to create a spacious room with low ceilings?

A professional designer also helps you fixing or downplaying the unattractive elements of your room and accentuating its attractive features.

A renovation might be looking simple and under your budget on the paper. However, you should be ready for unexpected costs. Maybe the contractor digs through the walls just to find damaged electrical wires. Or there might be termite damage behind the TV cabinet. What about those structural water damages that are hidden until you tear into your walls and floor?

The older the property, the complicated the job and the more walls or ceiling youll be digging through, the greater the risk of ending up with hidden problems that can ambush your renovation budget.

Therefore, set aside at 10-15% more than the estimate you have got from your contractor. If you cant afford to put some money into a reserve, see if you can get the work done with less expensive materials.

Make sure to have a thorough, written plan from your contractor before you start work. The plan should include everything, from project summary, architects plan, designers plan, deadline and details like tile and paint. This plan will keep you on the top as well as help you avoid unexpected service charges later.

So these are some living room remodeling mistakes you should avoid. What do you think? Drop your opinion to the comment box given below.

Author Bio: Jennifer is an editor and author at nyrentownsell A leading real estate company in New York.

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7 Mistakes To Avoid While Renovating Your Living Room - RecentlyHeard.com

Jan. 1, 1920

Christmas business best in years. Assistant Postmaster Howard Hamlin says that the Christmas business handled at the Osakis post office was over 100 percent greater than last year and probably the heaviest the local office has ever handled. Osakis merchants without exception report a most satisfactory business. The general stores and drug stores also reported a heavy Christmas trade and a good business in all lines.

Fred Meyer slow to recover. Drayman, Fred Meyer, who has been laid up for the past five months suffering with a broken leg which has failed to knit properly, is still confined to his home and is facing the probability of being laid up the balance of the winter. The local Red Cross branch called Monday evening the sum of $50 per month for a period of four months be awarded to Fred and his deserving family.

AD: New Years greetings from the Gingery. At the trails end of the old year we send warmest greetings. May you and those whose happiness depends upon you, enjoy abundant blessings and may your best desires meet with a response that will give you new purpose and courage. The Gingery.

50 Years Ago

Jan. 1, 1970

John R. Hanson receives special Sousa award. A long-time Osakis civic and school booster was honored last Saturday evening when John R. Hanson was presented with a special John Philip Sousa award. The presentation was made by band director Don Enger during the annual Pop Concert on behalf of all bandsmen of the school.

Todd 4-H to have Telelecture series. 4-H Adult and Junior leaders in Todd County will participate in A Telelecture Series entitled 4-H Leadership Development during January. Telelecture is a new medium that operates with a telephone connection with the University and is amplified to a public address system in the Court Annex basement. The speakers at the University will be heard live by the attendees, and slides will be coordinated with the speakers presentations.

Happy New Year! The staff of the Osakis Review joins in wishing all a most prosperous and Happy New Year. May you find everything you desire in the year ahead.

25 Years Ago

Jan. 3, 1995

C.J. Mohror retires as Osakis mayor. The Osakis community said, Thanks and a job well done, Friday afternoon to retiring Mayor, C. J. Mohror, at an open house at City Hall. Mohror announced his intent to retire from public service after serving the community for 30 years, seven as mayor, 23 on the Osakis City Council.

VFW has new manager. Deb Hinrichs, who has been employed at the Osakis VFW Club for the past four years, has been named the new manager, effective Jan. 1. She replaces Mark Ferris, who managed the club for nine years.

Breakfast benefit planned for Chris Tweet Hunt. A benefit pancake breakfast and bake sale will be held for Chris Tweet Hunt on Sunday, Jan. 8 at the Ed Pollard Community Center. Mrs. Hunt was paralyzed in a car accident on Nov. 11 and remains in St. Cloud Hospital. She expects to be moved to the Sister Kenny Hospital in the Twin Cities in early January and hopes to come home in March.

10 Years Ago

Jan. 5, 2010

Osakis VFW starts remodeling project. A crew of Osakis VFW club members gathered Sunday evening to help employees remove the old bar from the building. The club will remain open during the remodeling project that includes a new bar and flooring. All bingo and card games are on during the construction as well.

Police website asks for help with crime tips. The Osakis Police Department (OPD) is online and it wants you to get involved. The website offers information on its officers, community programs and ordinances. The site also has links to services online forms for burning permits and vacation house checks and other web sites.

Veterans Scenic Drive approved by board. Attorney Randy Brown, along with Kathy and Fred Edenloff, were present at the Todd County Commissioners meeting to discuss designating the scenic loop in Todd County as the Veterans Scenic Drive. They are requesting that the board formally adopt the name Veterans Scenic Drive as the name of the loop.

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Remember When, 1995: Mohror retires as mayor - The Osakis Review

Campbellsville (Kentucky): In the late 1990s, the town of Campbellsville in central Kentucky suffered a powerful jolt when its Fruit of the Loom textile plant closed. Thousands of jobs making underwear went to Central America, taking the communitys pride with them.

Unemployment hit 28% before an unlikely saviour arrived as the century was ending: a madly ambitious start-up that let people buy books, movies and music through their computers.

Amazon leased a Fruit of the Loom warehouse about a mile from the factory and converted it to a fulfilment centre to speed its packages to Indianapolis and Nashville, Tennessee, and Columbus, Ohio. Its workers, many of them Fruit veterans, earned less than what the textile work had paid, but the digital excitement was overwhelming.

Twenty years later, Amazon is one of the worlds most highly valued companies and one of the most influential. Jeff Bezos, Amazons founder, has accumulated a vast fortune. In Seattle, Amazon built a $4 billion urban campus, redefining a swath of the city.

The outcome has been different in Campbellsville, the only sizable community in Taylor County. The county population has stalled at 25,000. Median household income has barely kept pace with inflation. Nearly 1 in 5 people in the county lives in poverty, more than in 2000.

The divergent fates offer a window into what towns can give to tech behemoths over decades and what exactly they get in return. Campbellsvilles warehouse was among the first of what are now an estimated 477 Amazon fulfilment centres, delivery stations and other outposts around the country. That makes Campbellsville, with 11,415 inhabitants, a case study for what may happen elsewhere as Amazon continues expanding.

Amazon has had a really good business here for 20 years, Mayor Brenda Allen said. They havent been disappointed at all. And were glad theyre here.

But, she added, I really would feel better if they would contribute to our needs.

In central Kentucky, Amazon has reaped benefits, including a type of tax break that critics label Paying Taxes to the Boss. In the arrangement, 5% of Amazon workers pay checks, ordinarily destined for the county and the state, go to Amazon itself. The company netted millions of dollars from this incentive over a decade.

Although that tax break has run out, Campbellsville itself still gets no tax money from Amazon. The warehouse is just outside the town limits. The city school system, which is its own taxing authority, does get revenue from Amazon. Both the city and county school systems recently raised their tax rates because of revenue shortfalls. (The city increase had to be rescinded for procedural reasons.)

No one wants Amazon to leave, though. It is Campbellsvilles largest private employer. Its online mall has given the towns shoppers access to a paradise of goods.

Less visibly, Amazon shapes the local economy, including which businesses survive and which will not be coming to town at all. It supplies small-screen entertainment every night, influences how the schools and the library use technology, and even determined the taxes everyone pays.

We were a company town with Fruit of the Loom, and were becoming a company town again, said Betty J Gorin, a local historian.

Amazon said it was not solely responsible for Campbellsvilles vitality. It pointed out other big local employers, including a hospital and a Baptist university. Amazon is not the only barometer, it said.

The company said it had spent $53 million remodelling its warehouse to benefit employees. The facility now includes a classroom for training workshops and, it said, on-site college classes. Amazon declined a request for a tour.

Some cities and towns are now weighing the costs of Amazon versus the benefits. The nationwide total of all state and local subsidies for the company over 20 years is $2.8 billion, according to Good Jobs First, which tracks tax breaks for corporations.

Activists protested New Yorks plan to give Amazon billions of dollars in tax breaks, causing the company to abandon its plans this year to move into Queens. (Amazon began opening new offices in Manhattan this month without any incentives.) Maryland residents rejected a proposed warehouse last summer, citing concerns about noise pollution, traffic and safety.

In Campbellsville, the relationship between Amazon and the residents is facing some questions as it enters middle age.

The needle has not moved in the last two decades on the quality of life in Kentucky, especially in places like Campbellsville. What does that tell you? said Jason Bailey of the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy, a research and advocacy group.

He called the state a fiscal mess because of tax giveaways to Amazon and other companies. Kentucky has had 20 rounds of budget cuts since 2008, he said.

Old Economy Meets New

In 1948, a Kentucky underwear company set up an outpost in the basement of the old Campbellsville armoury with five employees. This eventually became the largest single mens underwear plant in the world, with 4,200 workers producing 3.6 million garments a week.

The money was good, especially for women and African Americans, who had few other opportunities. Fruit, as it was eventually called, built the first public tennis courts and paid the city $250,000 in 1965 to expand the wastewater disposal plant. Factory executives spurred the creation of a country club and the public swimming pool.

The easy times ended with the North American Free Trade Agreement, which took effect in 1994. Amazons arrival five years later offered a second chance. Campbellsville was more than 40 miles from the nearest interstate, but it had a 570,000-square-foot modern warehouse and thousands of eager workers who knew how to hustle.

To woo Amazon, the local fiscal court passed the payroll tax measure, which opened up the state coffers. Amazons workers, like other employees in the county, would pay a 1% payroll tax and a 4% state income tax. But that money went directly to Amazon as a reward for bringing in jobs.

This type of tax break was first developed in Kentucky and is now widespread. Amazons incentives totalled $19 million over 10 years, including exemption from the states corporate income tax. The company said it had ultimately received less than half that amount, though it declined to explain the discrepancy.

The enthusiasm with which yesterdays workers embraced tomorrows economy was a big story that drew national attention. Making underwear was not sexy. Selling things online was.

Arlene Dishman began working at Fruit in 1970. She said she had earned as much as $15 an hour the equivalent of about $100 now sewing necklines on V-neck T-shirts. You cant hardly turn that money down, she said.

Her starting rate at Amazon was just $7.50 an hour, but she relished creating a digital outpost in Campbellsville. We felt responsible for a lot of the success of Amazon, she said. We were just so proud.

She became a trainer, worked with Bezos himself when he came to town, and was promoted to management. These were years of turmoil at Amazon as the dot-com bubble burst in the early 2000s. Pressure ramped up.

I worked on the third floor, Dishman said. No air-conditioning. I would have people on the line pass out constantly.

As a manager, she said, she was too understanding, which was her undoing.

I had worked with these people for so many years at Fruit that when a situation came up that management was not liking, I had a tendency to take the workers side, she said. She left after three years.

David Joe Perkins, who worked for Fruit for 24 years and then for Amazon, said he also took pride in being part of the e-commerce start-up.

We treated it like our company, he said. I have personally worked with Jeff Bezos. I actually liked the guy.

What Perkins did not like were Amazons managers.

My manager called me into the office one day and said, Dave, your performance is not what it needs to be. I said, How can I improve? He said, You dont fire enough people.

Several months later, Perkins was let go with little explanation.

Both Perkins, 64, and Dishman, 71, have Amazon Prime accounts. Dishmans daughter works for Amazon as a data analyst. Dishman even thought about returning to the warehouse during last years holidays to earn a little Christmas money. She did not follow through.

All the Numbers

Just about everyone in Campbellsville remains grateful to Amazon for coming and hiring people. Those workers take their pay-checks and spend at least some of the money around town.

There are not as many workers as people think, though.

When Amazon arrived, it said it would employ 1,000 people full time within two years. Thats still the official total from the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development, a state agency, and in Gorin and Jeremy Johnsons two-volume history of the town, published this year. Team Taylor County, which solicits new industries for the community, puts the number of workers at 1,350.

Amazon said in October that the total was 655 full-time workers.

Im shocked, Gorin said.

Kelly Cheeseman, an Amazon spokeswoman, said the head count started to shift at the warehouse around 2016 to 2017. She said automation the deepest fear of every community with an Amazon warehouse had nothing to do with it.

We regularly balance capacity across the network, Cheeseman said. In November, Amazon said full-time workers had risen to 700.

Amazon said the money it paid in wages was an investment in Campbellsville and that it had contributed $15 million in taxes to Taylor County over the last 20 years. It declined to break down the numbers further.

Records and interviews indicate that Amazon paid about $350,000 in taxes this year to the city school system. The company paid the county $410,000 in property taxes.

Good Jobs First, the group that analyzes tax benefits for corporations, thinks that is not enough.

What has Amazon really done for the community? asked Greg LeRoy, the centers executive director. Its not like its a tech lab, diffusing intellectual property or spinning off other businesses. Its a warehouse.

Allen, the mayor, wants more money to pay the towns bills.

The people in Seattle are getting rich, she said. They dont care what happens to the people in Campbellsville, not really.

In the Community

In the 1970s and 1980s, life in Campbellsville revolved around Fruit. Townspeople learned not to be near downtown when the plant let out at 4 p.m., and traffic briefly became overwhelming. When Fruit shut down for the first two weeks in July every year, the town was so dead that other industries in the area scheduled their vacations for the same time. Fruit officials were active in the chamber of commerce, civic clubs and associations.

Amazon is not like that.

Amazon is everywhere and nowhere, Gorin said. This town runs on Amazon, but their employees are not in positions of political power.

Amazon is linked into the community in other ways that often end up benefiting Amazon. In 2016, the company donated 25 Kindle Fire tablets to Campbellsville kindergarten and first grade classrooms. It also donated $2,500 in content. The town schools are increasingly buying supplies from Amazon for a total of about $50,000 in the last fiscal year, records show.

We want to do business with those in our community, those paying local taxes, said Chris Kidwell, finance director for Campbellsville Independent Schools. Its kind of a good-neighbour policy.

The county school system, with 2,800 students, is dealing with state budget cuts. One way it has made up some of the shortfalls is by selling corporate sponsorships. Taylor Regional Hospital bought the naming rights to the health services room; Campbellsville University did the same for an education center. Amazon is not a corporate sponsor.

Were proud to have them in our community, and we would be proud to have them as a corporate sponsor, said Laura Benningfield, the assistant superintendent.

Last spring, the local library was to receive a $10,000 gift from Amazon for science and technology education. Amazon planned to supply whatever the library wanted by ordering the material through its own site. As this article was being reported and Amazon was emphasizing what it had done for the town, the company just sent the library the cash.

Were on the receiving end of a blessing, said Tammy Snyder, the town librarian. The library, like other public institutions in Kentucky, is dealing with the states largely unfunded pension system. Proposed changes that involve the library paying significantly more will bankrupt us, she said.

Justin Harden, 35, said he had no illusions about Amazon. He and his wife, Kendal, recently opened Harden Coffee, a popular meeting spot, on Main Street.

If they can figure out a way to cut me out and take my business, theyll totally do it, he said. They would destroy me, absolutely. But I am a 100% supporter of Amazon. I have five kids. We get stuff from Amazon almost every day.

He paused, acknowledging his own contradictions. Thats why theyre winning, he said.

Rubble Nation

A pile of rubble on Campbellsvilles southern approach marks the ruins of the Fruit plant.

The property is owned by Danny and Sandy Pyles, commercial contractors who run an excavating company in nearby Columbia. They bought the textile factory with other investors a decade ago with the goal of building a retail complex called Campbellsville Marketplace.

The graffiti-covered shell was torn down, and a Louisville developer, Hogan Real Estate, cobbled together a deal. Kroger, the countrys largest supermarket chain, would close its two Campbellsville stores. It would then become the Marketplace anchor tenant with a 123,000-square-foot superstore.

Work was supposed to start within weeks. Then, on June 16, 2017, Amazon announced that it was buying the upscale grocery chain Whole Foods. Kroger shares slumped. Its deal in Campbellsville was put on hold and then abandoned. Hogan chased other possible anchors Menards, Meijer, Home Depot but none were interested. (Kroger declined to comment.)

We used to talk about the Walmart Effect when you saw vacant storefronts in these small towns, said Justin Phelps of Hogan Real Estate. Now its the Amazon Effect.

Pyles Excavating is a good Amazon customer. The company needed a muffler recently for a track hoe. It would have cost $1,200 from a dealer. On Amazon, it was half that.

The internet has brought the world to our fingertips, Danny Pyles said.

The Pyleses recently bought out the other investors in the Fruit site. Their investment is now more than $2 million.

It really is a great piece of property, but right now its a reminder of the day Campbellsville literally shut down, said Sandy Pyles, the daughter of a Fruit worker and relative of many others. Its a sadness.

They would like a Whole Foods there but know the town is too small to support it. Danny Pyles has another idea: an Amazon Go store. These are experimental outlets with no cashiers.

That would put local competitors who still needed humans at a disadvantage while adding hardly any jobs. But it would be an investment by one of the worlds richest companies in one of the towns where it began.

Amazon is the future, he said. Wed like to be part of that.

David Streitfeld c.2019 The New York Times Company

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Prime Anchor: An Amazon Warehouse Town Dreams of a Better Life - News18

By Nicola Caul Shelley, Synergy Design & Construction

Theres nothing like the holidays and a house full of guests to make you re-evaluate the space in your home.

And nothing brings more festive cheer than one of your teenagers having to give up their room and double up with their younger sibling so Grandma and Grandpa have a place to sleep. If you are dreaming of a separate guest bedroom, bathroom or just a place for the family to hang out during the holidays, then read on.

One of the most frequently neglected spaces in a home is the basement. The beauty of a basement (especially one that has a guest bedroom) is that it provides separation of space (and therefore privacy) for your family and your guests. But, all too often, basements feel dark, unwelcoming and become a dumping ground for everything you no longer need but just cant bear to get rid of just yet (yes, Im talking about that drum kit you bought 10 years ago to relive your college heydays thats now just catching dust)

Nows the time to do something about it. With the New Year fast approaching, get your Marie Kondo on and start the clear out. Tackle it a little at a time: all too often it becomes too overwhelming to think about doing it all at once, so set small goals and start with one drawer, one cabinet, one closet and KEEP GOING! Schedule a pick up through Green Drop and theyll come straight to your front door to pick everything up. No excuse now!

Basements also dont have to be dark or feel cold. You dont have to undertake a large scale basement remodel if you have the right footprint already in place. Lighten up the color scheme and switch out the flooring so it becomes a more welcoming space. Dark wood will make a basement feel even darker, so think about white or neutral cabinets and paint colors to keep it feeling less, well, like a basement! Adding recessed light is another way to get a lot of bang for your buck and completely change the feeling of your basement.

If you have an unfinished basement, its a waste of square footage if all you are using it for is storage. Basements easily add value to your home when remodeled. Unfinished basements are like a blank canvas with lots of potential and, with the right creativity and vision, they can be turned into beautiful but functional spaces.

It might be hard to envision how an empty space can become a multi-room, multi-use level of your home, and thats where the professionals come in. Any reputable design-build firm in the area like Synergy should be able to provide you with design options for your basement remodel and what will work in your space.

This months featured project is a basement remodel right here in Reston. We transformed the unfinished and under-used basement of this lovely home to provide the family of five with family-friendly spaces to enjoy time together as well as creating a private guest bedroom and bathroom when out-of-town visitors come to stay. The finishing touch? A built-in office with room for two when working from home or for the kids to use as homework/crafting space.

Looking for more inspiration? See some of our other Before & After transformations or give us a call. Were always happy to chat about your remodeling needs.

Happy Holidays from the Synergy Team!

Originally posted here:
Reno of the Month: A Beautiful Basement IS Within Reach! - Reston Now

Split level homes, with their three staggered floors, began appearing in American suburbs in the 1950s and reached peak popularity in the late 60s before slowly falling out of favor. While layouts variedoccasionally even a fourth floor was addedthe most common design featured the kitchen, living room, and dining room on the main level. From there, a half stairway led to an upper level with bedrooms while a second half-stairway went to the basement level recreation room and a door that opened into the garage.

For the last few decades, split level homes were seen as drab and dated, but perhaps recent attention to the most famous split level of allthe exterior of The Brady Bunch housewill trigger a resurgence. (As fans well know, having seen the family assembled on the full set of interior stairs, the iconic home completely modernized by HGTV in A Very Brady Renovation was not a split level on the inside!) If youre thinking of buying a split level home or already reside in one, keep reading to find out the best and the worst this architectural design has to offer.

RELATED: These 9 Forgotten Home Trends are Suddenly Cool Again

After WWII, when the Baby Boom got into full swing, growing families started looking for houses with a minimum of three bedrooms. But lot sizes in many communities were still rather small, averaging around 50 to 75 feet wide and 100 to 150 feet deep. By staggering the floors, split level homes offered additional living space (vertically) without taking up more yard space. The garage was often located at grade (yard level) with the bedroom area located over the garage. This way, a house could have at least three bedrooms and still maintain ample backyard space for recreation. Two-story homes had always offered this benefit, but in the 60s, the split level design was fresh, and homebuyers were eager for a modern look.

While the design of split level homes can vary (some split in the front, others split in the back), a good number will feature a set of exterior stairs leading to the front door instead of a level sidewalk. The number of steps ranges from two to eight or more, each additional step meaning more of a challenge to remove snow and ice in winter. Exterior steps can also hamper visitors, especially elderly ones, and just carrying groceries into the house can become a physical workout. In some communities, owners of homes with exterior steps install a street-level mailbox so on-foot postal carriers neednt climb stairs to deliver the mail.

On rugged, hilly terrain, staggering the floors is often the best option for building a house. This allows the contractor to adjust the foundation to suit the lot rather than having to excavate through bedrock to construct an entire basement on a single level. Split level construction is still commonly seen today where its necessary to build a home on the side of a hill. In this case, the floor plan is often designed by an architect to fit the individual lot topography. The end effect can lend the appearance of the house being built into the hill.

No need to attend step aerobics class when you live in a split level! With the kitchen, dining room, and living room on the main level, family members must go up and down the stairs every time they want to use a different part of the house. This staggered floor plan usually isnt optimal for the elderly, so split level homes (like standard to two-story homes) are more apt to appeal to younger families who dont mind traversing all three levels repeatedly when cleaning, carrying laundry baskets (usually to appliances on the lowest level), and simply looking for other family members elsewhere on the premises.

Working at home can be a challenge if your office is on the main floor where most of the activity takes place. Even if you close the door, youre likely to be distracted by voices or footsteps in the hallway. This is one area where split levels shine because you can set up a home office in either a vacant upper-floor bedroom or on the lower level (if the rec room isnt a constant source of racket); either way, youll have a buffer from the noise that commonly occurs on the main living level.

Few remodeling options are open to owners of split level homes because the layout isnt conducive to making changes. In a single floor ranch house, for instance, its fairly simple to switch the location of the bedrooms and the kitchen from one side to the other, but in a split level, each level was constructed with a pre-determined purposerecreation on the lower level, eating and entertaining on the main level, and sleeping on the upper levelleaving very little leeway for change.

For night shift workers who need to sleep during the day, or for parents of infants who are easily awakened by a noise, the split level can be beneficial. A sleeping family member is less likely to be awakened by the sounds of meal preparation in the kitchen or play activities in the basement recreation room.

Because split levels are still seen as unfashionable, theres a lower demand for them, and they usually sell for less than ranch-style homes of the same age and square footage. If you can get beyond the downsides explained above, you can often get a fully functional house at a discount price. This makes the split level a good starter home, but be aware that when youre ready to sell and move up, the same rule will likely apply, and the house will bring a lower price than others of a similar size and vintage.

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Split Level Homes and Their Pros and Cons - BobVila.com

The YMCA of the Pikes Peak Region announced an ambitious plan Wednesday to redevelop nearly an entire city block in downtown Colorado Springs, a project that officials of the nonprofit and community leaders predict will become a catalyst for additional development in downtown's core.

Under the plan, the YMCA's 47-year-old downtown facility at Nevada Avenue and Bijou Street would be torn down and replaced with a state-of-the-art recreation and wellness center on the northwest corner of the same block; the center would be topped by a multistory apartment building.

Future phases of the block's makeover call for two commercial buildings of at least 82,000 square feet and 37,000 square feet, whose uses might include stores, restaurants, offices, medical facilities and even a grocery store.

The project's total cost could approach $150 million.

"This may not have quite the magnitude of an Olympic Museum," YMCA board chairman Brian Risleysaid of that venue, which opens next year in southwest downtown. "But I think the YMCA by itself is an incredible anchor... and I think a new state-of-the-art YMCA with a housing component will continue to be a very momentous anchor for this part of downtown."

The redevelopment plan still preliminary and with unanswered questions, such as the apartment building's height was outlined during a news conference Wednesday by YMCA officials, city leaders and executives of White Lotus Group, an Omaha, Neb., developer that will partner with the YMCA on the project.

It follows the YMCA's announcement in early 2016 that it would seek to remodel and redevelop the downtown facility, on the southwest portion on a block bounded by Nevada and Platte avenues and Bijou and Weber streets. The YMCA owns or co-owns most of the block.

But after they studied converting their aging facility, which opened in 1972, YMCA officials decided a remodeling would be too costly, said Risley, president of a Springs architectural firm.

"The reality is, when you've got a building that's almost 50 years old, the amount of money that it would take to bring this up to current standards just, unfortunately, just doesnt seem to be making economic sense," Risley said in an interview before Wednesday's news conference.

Instead, YMCA officials have opted for a plan they say will create a venue that can adapt to a growing city with a focus on healthy living while continuing programs that assist schools, seniors and other community members. Combined with retail, medical and other uses, the block could become a "health campus," Boyd Williams, the YMCA's president and CEO, said in an interview.

"We dont want to just have a bunch of stand-alone, separate entities here," he said. "We think that there's a tie, whether it's health care, whether it's a healthy grocery store. Housing fits very well with the YMCA."

The project's initial phase calls for the demolition of a boarded-up former Texaco service station, which sits on the block's northwest corner and served as a backdrop to Wednesday's news conference.

In its place: a 75,000-square-foot YMCA building of two to three stories, which could grow to four stories if the YMCA moves its corporate offices there from its home at 316 N. Tejon St., Risley said.

On top of the new YMCA would be an apartment building with 100 to 200 units. A rendering Wednesday showed a building of at least eight stories, but YMCA and White Lotus officials said the buildings height hasnt been determined.

White Lotus has done several mixed-use, multifamily, hotel and other projects around the country involving renovations and new construction, said CEO Arun Agarwal.

He chairs Omaha's YMCA board and learned via his YMCA staff of plans for a new facility in downtown Colorado Springs, which led to the company being tabbed as a developer by the local YMCA, Williams and Risley said.

As planned, the YMCA would donate the northwest portion of the block to White Lotus. In turn, the YMCA would become a long-term tenant in the new facility, which White Lotus would finance along with the apartment component.

The new YMCA would be smaller than the more than 100,000-square-foot existing facility, which has underutilized space, Risley and Williams said.

Members' needs also have changed, they said. Thirty years ago, for example, many people played racquetball at the downtown YMCA; today, not so much.

A centerpiece of today's YMCAs is a healthy living center, where cardio workouts and strength training are staples.

The healthy living center at the YMCA's new First & Main facility on the Springs' east side is 12,000 to 13,000 square feet, Risley said. At the downtown YMCA, it's about 4,000 square feet and "buried" in the building's basement without a majestic view of the Front Range that other facilities enjoy, he said.

"Currently in this building, we have a very limited number of spaces where we can offer group exercise and personal training and high performance training and those kinds of things," he said. "In a new facility, all of those would be highlighted."

The apartment portion of the new building, meanwhile, would include what Risley and Williams called "workforce housing" for Colorado Springs employees lower-rent units for restaurant workers, teachers, firefighters, police officers and others earning more middle-income wages.

Williams said the city has a shortage of such apartments, especially in downtown. It's tough for young people and families to live downtown "in an affordable manner," he said. Downtown apartments that have opened the last few years command rents from roughly $1,500 a month to more than $2,000, their websites show.

White Lotus' Agarwal said the project will be designed to serve a mix of employee income levels, though some units would fetch market-rate rents.

It hasnt been determined how many apartments would be set aside as so-called workforce housing or what rents would be.

"What we are aiming to do is to earmark specific sets of units for different tiers of income levels to make sure that our teachers, our nurses, our service industries can afford the units and live in the same community in which they work," Agarwal said.

The YMCA and White Lotus plan to seek city regulatory approvals over the next year for the first phase, Williams said. Groundbreaking could come in the fourth quarter of 2020, with an opening of the new YMCA and apartments in mid-2022.

Once the new YMCA is open, the old one would be torn down. White Lotus then would develop its 82,000-square-foot mixed-use building possibly topped with a restaurant on the old YMCA site. The 37,000-square-foot building would go up on the block's northeast corner, just east of Borriello Brothers pizza.

The YMCA doesn't own the Borriello Brothers site, but has been in "healthy conversations" for nearly two years with the owners and those talks continue, Williams said. Borriello Brothers' owners couldn't be reached for comment Wednesday.

The YMCA co-owns a parking garage on the block with First Presbyterian Church. The structure was designed so that it could be increased by two levels, although Williams said its future hasn't been determined.

Another major question will be the height of the apartment tower.

Ryan Tefertiller, urban planning manager for the citys Planning and Development Department, said the maximum height in that part of downtown is six stories.

But the citys form-based zoning code that regulates downtowncould allow up to 10 stories for structures that add housing, use sustainable building practices or have structured parking, among other components, Tefertiller said.

YMCA and White Lotus officials say they're mindful of designing a building that takes into account neighboring land uses, includingAcacia Park and First Presbyterian.

"We certainly don't want to design this kind of looming tower that's going to hang over Acacia Park," Risley said. "So, we don't know right now how many stories in total we're talking, but thats to be determined."

A rendering shows a new YMCA building in downtown Colorado Springs, topped by a multistory apartment building. The YMCA of the Pikes Peak Region on Wednesday announced plans to redevelop much of the property it owns on a downtown block bounded by Nevada and Platte avenues and Bijou and Weber streets.

Boyd Williams, president and CEO of the YMCA of the Pikes Peak Region, speaks during a press conference in which a new plans were unveiled for the YMCA in downtown Colorado Springs on Wednesday, December 11, 2019. The press conference was held in front of an old boarded up gas station next to the current YMCA. The old eyesore will be torn down for the new building, which will include affordable apartments. (Photo by Jerilee Bennett, The Gazette)

The exercise equipment workout room at the downtown YMCA is in a dark basement room with equipment crowded into the small space. Deanna Sanders works out on the tightly packed equipment on Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2019. (Photo by Jerilee Bennett, The Gazette)

One of the renderings that shows the affordable apartments and outdoor pool that will be built where the current downtown YMCA is located. (Photo by Jerilee Bennett, The Gazette)

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Downtown Colorado Springs YMCA to be razed in favor of new facility topped by apartment tower - Colorado Springs Gazette

After years of litigation, the Idaho Transportation Department is moving forward with plans to expand U.S. Highway 95 to two lanes in each direction from Thorncreek Road to Moscow. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled in favor of ITD and the Federal Highway Administration during the latest appeal of the highways expansion.

2014 Five years ago today

As the temperatures drop, crimes of opportunity diminish, but the stress of the winter may cause spikes in other crimes and situations. Police in both Latah and Whitman counties report there is typically a rise in anxiety and alcohol-related incidents during the long winter months. Lt. Brannon Jordan, public information officer for the Latah County Sheriffs Office, said the winter is just a stressful time of year for many people. Down stone-colored steps in a well-lit Pullman basement, the scientists in their matching shirts are hard at work. The six are surrounded by diagrams, toolboxes, presentation boards and models in numerous stages of completion. This is the completely un-dreary laboratory of EAWACK, a local Lego-Robotics team that recently learned it would be competing at the state level. An exciting prospect for many scientists, but for these six team members, even more so, since they are between the ages of 10 and 12 and in their first few months of competition.

Karen and Ken White have lived in Moscow for more than 25 years but say they still occasionally discover something new about their town. The couple were among hundreds of residents who attended Buy Local Moscows third annual Winterfest event Wednesday evening at the 1912 Center. The Whites are familiar with most of what Moscow has to offer, but said the event was a good way to discover something new.

Its been about three months since Debby LeBlanc corraled a fresh group of trigonometry-born and chemistry-bred high schoolers and began turning them into marketable commodities. Not for college recruiters, though, but for job recruiters, and for life. So when LeBlanc took those eight students from her Troy High School Business Technology class to Walmart, it was to hone the skills she had imparted up to this point in the semester. Asbestos removal has put a glitch in Latah Countys goal of having the courthouse remodeling completed by Christmas. In what used to be the location of the vehicle and drivers licensing office before it moved to the Eastside Marketplace, replacement of the carpet in the empty office distrubed some of the underlying tiles, presenting an asbestos hazard.

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Back Issues: From the pages of the Moscow-Pullman Daily News - Moscow-Pullman Daily News

Today is #GivingTuesday, the day when nonprofits around the world encourage their supporters to donate via the power of social media.

Weve collected the responses from organizations that sent us information about their efforts, and combed through the Twitter #GivingTuesday hashtag to identify local nonprofits, big and small, that were actively doing outreach via that social media platform.

So, of course, this listing will, by its very nature, be woefully incomplete. We encourage you to explore the hashtag on your favorite social media platform to see other organizations participating in #GivingTuesday. But more, we encourage you to give generously to our local nonprofits that work so hard to make life in Philadelphia better in every way.

And, while Generocity is not a nonprofit, if you believe there is value in our journalism and events centered on social impact, wed love to see some contributions to our journalism fund. Were lucky to have a small but spirited corps of volunteers nearly as diverse as our city and a contribution to the journalism fund enables us to continue to deploy them to do even more wide-ranging and in-depth work of interest to the nonprofit, mission-driven and social impact folks who are our community.

Without further delay, then, here are the 60 nonprofits that made our round-up this year:

Data Lab staff, 2018.

All online donations to ALSF on Giving Tuesday will be matched by Power Home Remodeling for twice the impact! Donations to ALSF support much needed childhood cancer research.

Share the magic of The Snow Queen with more kids in our community!

Now through Giving Tuesday, all new or increased gifts will be matched to share the magic of live theatre. For only $14 you can send two students to The Snow Queen thanks to a generous matching gift challenge by the Hamilton Family Charitable Trust. Share the magic of live theatre with more kids than ever before with a donation.

As a part of #GivingTuesday, Bethesda Project is raising money to support our guests and residents experiencing homelessness in Philadelphia and to find and care for the abandoned poor and to be family with those who have none.

Your contribution will make an impact, whether you donate $5 or $500. Every little bit helps. Thank you for your support. Ive included information about Bethesda Project below.

At 8:00 am EST (5:00 am PST) on December 3, 2019, Facebook will match donations (up to 100K! per org) and $7 million dollars total. Their match will go live, matching dollar for dollar on a first-come, first-served basis until $7M in eligible donations are matched. If you make your donation on that day, early in the day (starting at 8am), your donation will DOUBLE thanks to Facebook!

Our vision is for young adults to be financially empowered, active in society, socially engaged and emotionally healthy as they pursue their highest potential.

CSFP provides children from underserved Philadelphia families with access to quality, safe K-8th grade tuition-based schools to increase their long-term economic and social success by awarding scholarships through a random lottery. With the help of volunteers, Young Friends, and CSFP Parent Ambassadors, our goal this year is to raise $3,800 on Giving Tuesday enough for two scholarships for next school year. We are fortunate to have a donor willing to match these funds for one more scholarship, so if we reach our goal, CSFP can surprise three additional families with scholarships at Lottery Day on Thursday, December 5.

We are raising funds for cinSPEAK to launch a weekly film and community-rooted conversation series in West Philadelphia in Spring 2020. I hope that you will take a moment to learn more about our past/present/future work and what your contribution, whether $5 or $500, directly impacts this vital mission.

cinSPEAK is a Philadelphia-based organization that engages diverse audiences through our independent, repertory and foreign film programming, creating space and centering the stories of individuals and communities that are often underrepresented in mainstream cinema. cinSPEAK promotes community togetherness and global understanding by engaging film enthusiasts while cultivating the next generation of discerning moviegoers, encouraging people to demand social justice both on-screen and throughout society.

After six + years as a mobile cinema, in Spring 2020, we will begin the first phase of our long-term goal of operating a year-round independent microcinema, through the launch of a weekly film series in the soon-to-be-renovated black box arts space in the basement of the historic Calvary Center for Culture and Community, located at 48th Street on the bustling commercial corridor of Baltimore Avenue in West Philadelphia. We will use any/all funds raised to cover our rental fees and film licensing fees associated with this new and exciting initiative. Throughout 2020, we will be working to raise enough money to honor the labor of our currently all-volunteer team, as well as, individual and institutional program collaborators and future projects.

We are actively seeking to engage individuals, businesses and institutional partners that would like to participate deeper in our vision through financial and labor contributions.

City Year Philadelphia partners with schools in communities challenged by persistent inequities in our education system to create learning environments where students can build on their strengths and fully engage in learning. At City Year Philly, were striving to raise $6,000 to support our work in schools. As alumni, board members, and supporters donate, five fearless staffers have volunteered to get pied in the face (live on social media!) when we reach different giving levels along the way! Donate today to #pieforprogress and follow us on Instagram to catch all the pie action.

This wall of 139 skulls is among the Mtter Museums collection of 20,000 medical anomalies and curiosities, historic medical instruments and anatomical pathologies. (Photo by Bob Krist for GPTMC)

70 years ago, iron lungs lined hospital wards at the height of polio outbreaks and provided temporary and permanent breathing support for people suffering paralysis of the diaphragm and intercostal muscles.

This Giving Tesday the Mtter Museum needs your help to get one of our largest objects in our collection restored and back on display for visitors to see! Gifts will be doubled thanks to a generous match from our generous Board of Trustees!

This #GivingTuesday, were rising to the challenge of matching a generous $120,000 donation by the end of 2019. Last month, Eastern State broke ground on phase one of construction on our planned visitor center. Were upgrading our infrastructure (plumbing, electricity, and storm water management) to set the stage for future construction in the years to come. We also hope to build a new tour launch point. But to get there, we need to raise an additional $120,000 by December 31. If we succeed, come spring 2020, well have a new sheltered area for visitors at the start of the tour route, with seating, a water bottle refilling station, and protection from inclement weather.

A new home. (Photo via facebook.com/habitatphiladelphia)

With your financial support, families can build strength, stability and independence with Habitat for Humanity by building a safe and secure place to call home.

Families who partner with Habitat build their own homes alongside volunteers, pay an affordable mortgage and are grateful for your help.

All donations over $50 to Juntos on Giving Tuesday (Dec. 3) will receive a gift from us. Consider it our way of saying Thank You for supporting Juntos fight against unjust immigration laws and deportations as well as our long-standing leadership development work that allows our community, those most impacted, to be in the lead of the fight for our liberation.

New Leash on Life USA is a Pennsylvania 501(c) (3) non-profit, prison-dog training program, dedicated to improving the life of inmates and saving the lives of dogs.

New Leash On Life USA is one of the countrys most unique prison-dog training programs. We save the lives of at-risk shelter dogs by training prison inmates to care for, and socialize them to enhance their adoptability. Inmates attend workshops on life skills and job readiness, and many receive opportunities for paid internships in the animal care field when they are paroled.

Previously unadoptable shelter dogs, many at the brink of death, now find loving forever homes. Additionally, inmates who have been in and out of prison most of their adulthood now have a skill they can use to gain productive employment.

Improving the life of inmates and saving the lives of dogs. New Leash on Life USA believes everyone deserves a second chance.

Make a difference in the lives of 4,300 homeless and low-income children, women and families from throughout Greater Philadelphia by donating to PathWays PA!

Your donation this Giving Tuesday will help provide shelter services for homeless mothers, children, and teen girls; help families get back on their feet through education and job placement assistance; and help children stay out of the foster care system during the holidays and throughout the year.

The holidays are often a time of celebration with families. But, for homeless families, the holidays can be a stark reminder of the challenges they face as they try to make the holidays special for their children. With your help, PathWays PA can give the families in our care a warm and welcoming holiday season, a safe place to call home and hope for the future.

The Philadelphia Bar Foundation is the only foundation in our city that is dedicated to strengthening the delivery of civil legal aid. We sustain and support our legal services community by providing unrestricted grants and other support to nearly 40 legal aid nonprofits in Philadelphia. Our nonprofit partners represent the full range of vital services for people in need, and the unrestricted grants are critical in their ability to sustain their operations and daily work. You can find more information about the Bar Foundation here.

PCA will join other nonprofits this year with its annual GivingTuesday campaign. Donors can contribute to PCAs Philadelphia Fund for Seniors, which helps PCA continue the tradition of serving older adults in their homes and communities. Donors also have the option to contribute to the Emergency Fund for Older Philadelphians ahead of its busiest season winter. The Fund helps to alleviate extreme hardship felt by seniors who may struggle to pay rent, utilities, buy food or life-saving medication. Last year, assistance with heating oil made up the majority of the requests, accounting for 55% of the nearly $190,000 total funds distributed.

Our recent independent financial review confirmed that over 86% of our funding is spent on client and program service, and we have long had a Gold Seal rating from GuideStar. We count on your support to continue the work that we do.

This year, between now and December 31, 2019, JPMorgan Chase & Co. will match all gifts to PYN up to $15,000. On Giving Tuesday were setting up a phone back in the afternoon with our board members to call people who have donated and just personally thank them for their support.

Philadelphia Youth Network (PYN) is a solutions-builder forging together significant players to alleviate a root cause of poverty by preparing 12-24-year-olds to become productive working adults. Our work is grounded in the understanding that young people need access to both education and employment, proven factors in being prepared for a career. With a track record of increasing impact, PYN funds and brokers action with the right partners to collectively address barriers. PYN constructs systems to create change, while innovating to meet evolving needs. Together with our partners, PYN dramatically changes the trajectory of individuals lives by giving voice to underserved youth, and ultimately creating a pipeline for an educated, engaged workforce.

This #GivingTuesday, help ensure kids get the childhood they deserve. Playworks is building a culture of play that enables kids to find their voice, make friends, feel included, and learn to lead. Join our #GivingTuesday challenge, lend your support and double your investment. We have a group of supporters who will match every donation up to $7,500!

For 50 years, we have used the law to make sure that people facing discrimination and poverty can obtain the fundamental resources they need to build their lives, resources like a quality public education. We are currently preparing for a trial set for next year in a lawsuit challenging Pennsylvanias school funding system, which skews the resources schools receive based on local wealth. In support of this lawsuit, the first $25,000 raised on GivingTuesday will be matched dollar-for-dollar by an anonymous donor.

Rebel Ventures is a youth-run nonprofit that creates healthy deliciousness with and for kids in Philadelphia. Our core objectives are to increase access to healthy and nutritious food for children in inner-city communities and to engage high school students in meaningful job experiences, using entrepreneurship as a strategy for positive youth development. We are the creators of Rebel Crumbles, a whole grain and fruit-filled breakfast product served to all schools in the School District of Philadelphia, which was created and developed by high school students.

Currently, we are actively raising funds for the start-up of Philadelphias first youth powered and fresh food-filled corner store. The corner store will have a variety of healthy foods created by high school students. We are working to raise $25,000 by December 31st to apply toward the stores expenses. We have launched a Gofundme campaign, dedicated ourselves to contacting partners, friends, and family, and our entire crew has committed to donating one hours wage to this project. [Your donation on #GivingTuesday] will help us achieve our goal of $25,000 for the market.

This school year, Spark is engaging 400 Philadelphia middle-school students in career exploration and self-discovery opportunities. Each fall, students visit a variety of professional spaces and participate in workshops alongside company volunteers. In the spring, each student is matched with a mentor and over the course of 13 weeks they create a Career Interest Project together. This program model works: 86% of Spark students grew in social emotional skills and 91% of Spark students agree that they learned about jobs & careers they didnt know about before Spark. So far, Spark has reached over 1,000 students with this impactful programming.

SVdPs mission is to help neighbors in need, regardless of religious affiliation and without any proselytizing with whatever they may need including housing, home visitation, food, clothing, transportation or emotional support.

The Spruce Foundation is an all-volunteer, next-gen led organization redefining philanthropy through community giving and grant-making in support of Philadelphias youth. Spruce promotes giving and engagement among millennial Philadelphians, and leverage the collective power of these young philanthropists to award grants to local nonprofits in four program areas: Education, Arts, Health & Wellness, and LGBTQ Youth. Keeping their focus locally on Philadelphia ensures that they are consistent with their main goal: supporting programs that empower, educate, and enrich the citys best resource its kids.

Support Center for Child Advocates (aka Child Advocates) is the nations oldest and largest nonprofit agency providing legal and social services advocacy for children who have experienced abuse or neglect. On #GivingTuesday, Child Advocates staff, board members, donors and friends will gather to kick off toy drive season of giving. Guests are encouraged to bring a toy and join us for refreshments throughout the day. Child Advocates has set a lofty goal for #GivingTuesday hoping to raise $20,000 for Philadelphia children who have been abused or neglected.

The mission of Women Against Abuse is to provide quality, compassionate, and nonjudgmental services in a manner that fosters self-respect and independence in persons experiencing intimate partner violence and to lead the struggle to end domestic violence through advocacy and community education.

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Today is #GivingTuesday! Here are 60 local nonprofit campaigns for you to support - Generocity

In modern homes, game room are starting to become an essential part of the house. The modern basement game room shown in the image above with mood lighting make this area look just like a high end nightclub. Gorgeous cone pendant lights over the pool table are ideal for a focused lighting which are perfect for the game. A stylish hideout for the man of the house and his friends.

By definition, the Basement is the lowest habitable level of a building or a residential house which is usually below ground level. Thanks to interior designers, these basements are now being transformed and remodeled from a dark, damp and dreary place of the house into a functional living spaces which can be enjoyed by the whole family.

The size of the basement doesnt matter whether it is a full basement, half, walkout or cellar type. Basement remodeling could enhance the value of the home since it expands the square footage of the house, thus creating an additional, usable space and efficient storage when renovated. A finished basement can also be a good investment.

It is very important to first think about how you want your basement to function.

Open Floor Plan allows you to incorporate several smaller working areas and different zones for various activities in one well-designed space.

Stairwell it is best to open the stairwell and install a banister for a more open feel. Another idea is to incorporate storage space with the stairs.

Flooring it is very important to select suitable flooring which will be durable and appropriate for all types of weather and withstand fluctuations in moisture levels.

Lighting create well-lighted basement using track lighting, recessed lighting as well as incorporating other types of lighting fixtures for more dramatic effect. Allowing natural light into the basement is a big challenge; and the best solution is installing window wells. Make sure you install window wells where you could make them as wide and deep as possible to bring much needed sunlight into the basement.

Colors when renovating or remodeling basements, note that colors do play an important role in each design concept you want to achieve. Choosing the right colors will make your basement stand out and create a cozy ambiance.

Sound Proofing noise from the basement can travel up to the main house, it is advisable to choose an engineered drywall to dampen the noise coming from the basement.

Find inspiration for your basement makeover with our featured design and decorating ideas. Below are concepts and popular choices for different functions and activities for a basement renovation.

Basement spaces have abundant remodeling ideas and design possibilities that would cater any purposes and activities. Our gallery of cool basement design ideas will surely impress and excite you to create your own basement living space where everyone will love to hang out.

Whether your basement is for a game room, man cave, yoga retreat, or movie room, this room has the potential to be the best room in the house. What color you chose depends on a few things, the most important being what is the tone that you want to set for the room? Followed closely by how the room will be used and who will be using it most. The color is really going to set the stage for this space so you want to make sure you have the right color before you commit it to your walls.

Before you even consider color, you want to have lighting in the space figured out. If you dont have any natural light, how are you going to brighten up the space? Will you use pot lights or track lighting, will you supplement with floor and table lamps? Your paint will look worlds different if you change your lighting after you paint, so try to sort out your lighting needs first.

If you are going for a movie screening room, then go with a dark neutral, or simply go dark. You want the walls to recede and you dont want a lot of glare from your projection equipment or tv. Make sure to use a flat paint and paint the ceiling in a dark neutral to prevent light from bouncing around and creating glares. For a classic, old world move theater feeling, go with a rich burgundy or deep navy.

If you want a more contemporary feel, a gunmetal grey or lighter silvery grey would be perfect. Bold, dark colors arent the only choice though, if you arent a fan of saturated color, simply chose a dark neutral in tones of grey or brown.

For a playroom, keep it cheerful and bright. A lovely lemon-curd yellow is a great choice provided you have ample lighting. Any yellow tone will look muddy in a dimply lit room, so keep that in mind when selecting paint colors. If you want to be really adventurous, purple is perfect for a basement playroom. Purple inspires creativity and energy and is great for the playroom that will double as a creative space.

If serenity is what you are after, think watery blues with undertones of green. Blue can read differently in different light levels, what looks relaxing on the sample strip can look downright neon covering an entire wall, choosing a blue with green undertones will help prevent that electric blue look. These beautiful, watery colors will make your basement guest room feel light and airy. It will also provide a relaxing, outdoors vibe to a yoga or meditation retreat.

Finally, go bold. If you are going to be using your basement as a sports hangout on game day, why not paint at least one wall your favorite teams color? Yes, it is outrageous, but your basement is your playground, dont be afraid to be bold and go a little crazy.

There are no hard and fast rules about wall color in a basement, but there are ways to make your color look its best in a space that often has no natural light. Ensure that your lighting is in place and adequate before deciding on a color, determine what the space will be used for, and consider the tone that you want to set for the space. Your basement is one of the few truly personal spaces in a home, make it yours!

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47 Cool Finished Basement Ideas (Design Pictures ...

Gretta Wong

Cyrus Construction finished our basement in a most professional and timely manner. My wife and I are totally satisfied with the design, multiple revisions due to the many challenges for an unfinished basement, and the execution by the various teams. Thus, we highly recommend Cyrus for your basement finishing or remodeling. I would begin with the initial design. Since I was away, my wife and the manager, Russell Blake, initially surveyed and came up with a very complete plan. We underwent multiple revisions to perfect the design due to the relocation of the bathroom rough-in. The team did an outstanding job! Consequently, the bath was nicely relocated with the basement having an overall open and spacious floor plan. Further, the bathroom, unlike the rest of the bathrooms, was finished with tiles and glass shower. It has become the best modern and my favorite bathroom of the house! The construction processes were well organized, with team members rotating depending on the stage of the project. They were most courteous and on-time. At the end of each working day, the team members left the house in good order. The manager in charge was very responsive and responsible. The passage ways down to the basement was well protected. After 5 short weeks, we are totally delighted with highly quality the finished basement in every way workmanship, paint, carpeting, lighting, and again, the modern bathroom. Again, Russell Blake did an outstanding job! We would probably have Cyrus for our future bathroom and kitchen updates. We highly recommend Cyrus Construction. From two totally satisfied customers!

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Basement Remodeling | Geeneral Remodeling Class A Builder