Last Updated on September 3, 2024
Discover tips and tricks from this gorgeous navy basement renovation to inspire your basement makeover.
Our basement was fully finished when we bought our house, but the look and feel was definitely not my style. The carpet was outdated, and the basement had dull brown built-in cabinets on the front and back walls. I was super close to ripping the built-ins out (you can read all about that HERE), but I decided to keep them and create the ultimate navy backdrop for our coastal style basement.
BEFORE:
Navy Basement Makeover
Since the basement was finished and laid out nicely, we didn’t need to do any major remodeling. But of course, there were design changes I wanted to make. Once you determine your budget, prioritize the most important things you want to change. It’s amazing how just a few updates can completely transform a space! Below are the main areas I focused on.
1. New Paint
Painting walls can be a relatively easy and inexpensive way to update a space. My husband and I actually enjoy painting, so we almost always tackle this project ourselves. I am obsessed with Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray, and we have it throughout our home. There is a big trend with painting walls white, but I’m just not on board with that (yet). I love the warmth of Agreeable Gray, which is more of a greige. We used Sherwin Williams Cashmere Interior Paint in the main part of the basement and Emerald in the bathroom, which was recommended for high moisture areas.
2. New Carpet
Once carpet gets old, it can really make a home look dated. The carpet in our basement wasn’t in too bad of shape but the basic style wasn’t very elevated. I wanted to use the same wood laminate that was in the rest of our house, and that’s what we planned to do. However, when our contractor pulled up the old carpet, he said our subfloor was very uneven. To even it out enough to install laminate would have cost a lot more than we had budgeted. So, I decided to install carpet.
This is the only room in our house that has carpet. We had a mix of laminate and carpet in our last house that I had picked out. I chose a modern gray carpet for our upstairs and basement that I absolutely loved. Unfortunately, it was discontinued. So, I picked a very similar style for this basement. Our carpet is from Shaw Floors. This color is a light gray with a touch of beige. I love it so much, and the quality is AMAZING!
Pro tip: Invest in a good carpet cleaner. It will be a total game changer in keeping your rugs and carpets looking picture perfect. My sister recommended a Bissell carpet cleaner that I am obsessed with. I use it several times a year to keep our rugs and carpet clean. It has an attachable hose for cleaning stairs, and you can spot clean too!
3. Cabinet Makeover
Faux Plant (similar) | Decorative Glass Bowl | Coastal Rope Decorative Balls | Decorative Sphere
Our built-in cabinets were brown and outdated, but they offered great storage. To infuse coastal style into our basement, I wanted a bold blue color for our cabinets. We painted them Benjamin Moore Hale Navy and added hardware, and it completely transformed the look of our basement. Since we did all the work ourselves, it was super inexpensive. With paint and hardware, the entire project was only a couple hundred bucks but what a HUGE difference it made in this space. You can read all about it in my Navy Blue Cabinet Makeover post.
4. Bathroom Renovation
White Vanity | Faucet | Hand Towel | Hand Soap Bottles | Hand Soap Labels| Mirror | Dome Pendant Lighting | Floor Tile | Blue Candle (similar) | Toilet Paper Stand | Picture Frame (similar) | Picture (Laguna Beach by ME!)
Our bathroom is where we invested the most money and made a lot of updates. I considered just painting the existing vanity, but it still wasn’t the look I was going for. So, I replaced it with a gorgeous white vanity with a white quartz countertop from Wayfair. This vanity is so stunning, I ended up ordering the same one in navy for our half bath and the larger version for our master bathroom.
To say I am obsessed with subway tile is an understatement! I ended up adding it to all of our bathrooms. Not only is it classic coastal but it’s super functional. Tile is easy to clean, and it keeps water from splashing all over your walls.
For the facet, I chose a modern style in polished nickel from Delta. I spent weeks looking for the perfect light fixture and found THE one – a classic coastal in a white/pewter dome style from Shades of Light. The mirror I picked reminds me of a naval ship and I love it so much. I bought it at Home Depot, but they no longer carry it. I found it HERE though!
For the tile, I knew I wanted to do something fun. I have never had a designed tile before but I fell in love with this navy, light blue, and white floral and geometric designed porcelain tile. It added perfect the coastal style to our bathroom. I loved this tile so much that we put it in our laundry room too. Despite what some designers might recommend, not every room has to be 100% unique. If you love something, use it wherever you want!
Decorating a Basement
When it comes to decorating your basement (or any space for that matter!), the most important consideration is how you need the room to function. I will never design a space that’s beautiful but does not function. For me personally, that would be a waste of space.
Decide what you need this space to serve as. Do you need a guest room? Do you need a workout room? Do you need a media room? Or if you’re like me, you might need this space to serve multi functions. We have one guest room upstairs but with all the family that comes to town, we needed an extra room for guests. I also needed a space to workout in. So, I designed our basement as a guest room and workout room.
Navy Basement Mood Board
Always build a mood board to see how all of your decor will look together. I use THIS site. It’s free and so easy to use. Plus, you can share it with friends and family to collaborate on ideas!
Basement Guest Room
Our upstairs guest room is perfect for adults. It has a king size bed and guest bathroom right outside of the room. Since we have a lot of kids that stay at our home with family and friends, I decided to make our basement a guest room for kids (although it would still work for adults too!).
The basement is the perfect place for guests to have their own private space. Our guests also have their own bathroom, which is really nice. We also have a 65” TV hanging on the wall, which is perfect entertainment.
Coastal Daybed
To maximize space, I opted for a white daybed with two twin mattresses. The bottom trundle pulls out and can be wheeled anywhere in the room. When my niece and nephew come to town, the bottom bed is usually clear across the other side of the room!
I bought two 8” memory foam mattresses from Wayfair. These beds are so comfortable. I have slept down here on multiple occasions and always sleep great! Definitely invest in high-quality mattresses and bedding for your guests and for you. Good sleep is never overrated! Protect your mattress with a waterproof mattress pad. You never know what guests are going to spill (or worse).
The lamp on the side table and the frames above the bed are from Target, and the pics are from a trip Kauai, our favorite place on earth! The wicker end table used to be in our living room, but we’re using it as a side table here, and it works perfectly! I’ve had this table for 5 years (Wayfair) and unfortunately, it’s out of stock.
Coastal Bedding
For the bedding, I wanted something blue and striped (obviously!), and I found this super cute reversible twin comforter. Because it’s lightweight, I have plush blankets in the cabinets that guests can grab if they get chilly.
We have Boll & Branch sheets on all of our other beds, but for this daybed, I went with Amazon Basics deep pocket microfiber sheets. They are SO comfortable. My sister ended up ordering them for her girls after they spent a weekend with us.
The throw pillows are Hearth & Hand from Target and of course, they are sold out! When you see throw pillows you love, BUY THEM! Cute pillows don’t stick around for long unfortunately.
Basement Workout Room
I work out in the basement 5 days/week with a mix of mat Pilates and rowing. Even though we are using our basement as a guest room, my rowing machine fits perfectly in the back. I set it up there to be out of the way but still give me a good view of the TV. I watch most of my TV shows while I’m working out!
I store my Pilates mat and blocks in the built-in cabinets, and there is plenty of space in front of the bed for me to get my work out on. If you are using your basement multi-functionally, be sure to designate space for everything so it doesn’t get too cluttered.
Navy Basement Decor
Since our basement is pretty small and there’s already built-in cabinets, a bed, and a rowing machine in it, I kept furniture and decor really minimal. I have a console table under the TV that I bought at Joss & Main years ago. It was light brown, but I painted it white to coordinate better with our daybed.
To create a focal point when you enter the space, I hung a large indigo floral print that I had in our last house. The wicker storage bench underneath adds the perfect coastal touch. It also creates extra seating for guests.
On the open wall above our front counter and cabinets, I hung floating shelves that I absolutely love. They are solid wood and were so easy to install. I hung them myself in about 5 minutes. All of the frames and decor are from Target.
We are so happy with how this basement came together. It’s the perfect space for us and for guests. I hope this provided you with some good inspo for your basement renovation!
This post is about a navy basement renovation.
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