This was an unfinished basement when we started. There was nothing but unfinished brick walls and cement floors. The previous owners used it as storage. I have included the before photo at the end. With help from a clever architect, we took 2/3’s of the basement and made it a short term rental while still preserving about 100 square ft for owners storage. This required us to move the bathroom that was previously a half bath from one side of the basement, about 5 feet to the other side and make it a full bath with a shower.
The key was to keep it very bright as it is a basement with only one window in the bedroom. We added lots of LED can lights on dimmers and used Benjamin Moore’s Paper White to keep it bright and light. We also added lots of bright colors in orange and coordinating colors to make sure the unit was happy and comfortable.
We used a great niche in the adjacent HVAC room to add a space for the microwave and coffee station and add more storage and these great “luxury vinyl” floors that are perfect for basement applications. Gold and light wood accents keep with the theme of keeping it bright.
I made my share of mistakes, like not enough mirrors for makeup and getting ready and putting a rug with white in it in a rental space, but I have corrected those and would love to share that experience and know how with you, as well as my tips for how I became a “Superhost” on AirBNB.
Photos by: Nathan Hirsch Photography
