The Nguyen Family
Minneapolis, MN
Basement Conversion
The Nguyen family needed more space: a home office, a guest room and somewhere for the kids to play. They didn't want to build an addition or move.
The answer was right under their feet. We turned an unused storage basement into three new living spaces.
The Challenge
The basement was cold, a little damp and full of boxes. It had bare concrete walls, a few ceiling bulbs and no natural light.
The Approach
A basement is only comfortable if the basics are right, so we worked from the ground up:
Waterproof the walls and floor, then add insulation and new wiring.
Install egress windows to bring in daylight and meet safety rules for the guest room.
Divide the space into a family room, a home office and a guest suite with its own shower room.
Materials and Details
Light-colored walls and flooring, warm recessed lighting and underfloor heating keep the space bright and cozy. A built-in desk with shelves in the office and a reading corner in the family room make every area useful.
It doesn't feel like a basement at all. The office is my favorite room in the house now.
The Outcome
The conversion took seven weeks, and the family lived upstairs as normal the whole time.
What We Did
Full waterproofing and insulation
New wiring, lighting and egress windows
Home office with built-in desk
Guest suite with shower room
Underfloor heating throughout
They added three new rooms to their home without changing its footprint.
