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Essential Cake Decorating Guide

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For most homeowners, the basement is a damp, cold room nobody really uses. But others see it as potential space: a chance to extend your living area and make your home more inviting. More and more people are discovering the value of basements and making the most of them. Guest rooms, pantries, fancy home theaters—the possibilities are practically endless when it comes to utilizing your basement.

Of course, that's just the start; actually using your basement is another matter. One can easily spend thousands of dollars just to make the space usable. But there are also faster, less expensive ways. If you're ready to transform your basement, here's a quick guide to help you get started.

Your purpose

First, what do you want to use your basement for? If it's just for practical storage, you may want to skip the curtains and fancy area rugs. Go for cheaper, more utilitarian options such as concrete flooring and simple window treatments. If you're building a home theater, be ready to spend a bit more. Depending on your preference, you may need to repaint your walls or replace your flooring altogether. Before spending on anything, determine your basement's main purpose and how much you're willing to spend for it.

Your fixtures

Next, you'll need to decide on furniture. Basements tend to be dark and cool, so warm and cozy furniture may be a good choice. This works especially if you're building a new room or basement lounge. For storage units such as shelves, go for earth and wood tones—the warm tones will compensate for the hard, straight edges. You can also lay some plush wool area rugs around the furniture to soften their look.

Your flooring

When it comes to basement flooring, comfort should be your main consideration. Most basement floors are left unfinished, which results in a rather cold atmosphere. Make up for it by choosing “soft” flooring materials such as wood and cork. If changing your flooring is not an option, invest in comfortable rugs instead. Contemporary area rugs come in bold designs and make a nice focal point for your room. If you want something simpler, try using strong, solid colors. Red area rugs, blue area rugs, and black area rugs are some of the most popular choices.

Your colors

Colors affect the overall mood of your basement, so keep a theme in mind when choosing a color scheme. It's usually best to choose a muted shade as your dominant color, and accent it with stronger, brighter hues. Remember, it's not just the walls: you can also add splashes of color with curtains, area rugs, and other room fabrics. Colorful oriental area rugs are great for livening up the room—just throw one at the center and you've got an instant focal point.

Your lighting

Lighting tends to be limited in basements, so you'll have to rely on artificial light. If you have at least a small window, maximize natural light by choosing bright surfaces like white walls and yellow area rugs. Use mirrors where appropriate to reflect the light and spread it around the room. For small basements, recessed lighting usually works best—it gives a classy, subdued light that doesn't overwhelm your décor.

Essential Cake Decorating Guide

The Stiffel lamp is among the most common and recognizable lamps you'll ever see. Looking around your home right now, chances are you have at least one, probably more. Their functionality is matched only by their versatility, as Stiffel lamps can be used in almost any setting and design pallet. Whether the style is contemporary, classic, eclectic or specifically themed, there is a good chance that a Stiffel lamp can fit in with the design.

The key to choosing the right Stiffel lamp and placing it in just the right location is to first pinpoint exactly what you are planning to use it for. Is this going to be accent lighting that helps the larger light fixtures by brightening a dark corner, or will this lamp be the primary light source in the room? There is also task-oriented light fixtures that are specifically placed to illuminate a particular piece of artwork or a chair that you frequently sit in to read. There are different Stiffel lamps for all of these uses and more.

For accent lighting, a smaller Stiffel lamp is usually best. You don't want it to overpower the room and become the main attraction. If the back of your sofa is exposed, try putting a small table behind it and a Stiffel lamp for accent light. It can also be useful for reading on the sofa. Any lighting that you are planning to read by should be positioned behind and above the reader for the greatest amount of light to reach the right place. Instead of a small Stiffel lamp on a table behind the sofa, you can use a tall floor lamp just as easily.

Stiffel lamps are not just for decorating the home. They can be used to add more light to your office and make it a little more comfortable. Most offices have white halogen lighting. Not that there is anything wrong with halogen, but it may be a nice break for your eyes to bring in lighting that is not so white. For a professional atmosphere, you can use a Stiffel lamp with a clean, simple appearance without compromising the comfortable, at-home feeling you brought it in for in the first place.

Depending on the size of your office, how big your desk is and what type of furniture is already there, you can use a table or a floor lamp. Floor lamps are usually best unless you have a very large desk that can accommodate the size and shape of a Stiffel lamp, which can crowd a desk if the shade is too big. A floor lamp next to your desk or in the corner is a nice touch. As far as color, again this will depend on what is already there. However, generally grey metal and white shades go nicely with most offices. If yours is more old-fashioned with a lot of cherry wood and leather, then a Stiffel lamp with a wood, copper or gold colored base can work great too.

With all of the styles, sizes and different types of Stiffel lamps, they will fit in almost anywhere you put them. They're great on end tables on either side of the couch or bed. Floor Stiffel lamps can be used behind your favorite reading chair, in a dark corner or right next to the front door where it can be switched on as soon as you walk in. For anyone with an apartment, often they do not come furnished with light fixtures and you must supply your own. A few strategically placed Stiffel lamps will make you forget you don't have built-in lighting. These are just a few of the ways that you can brighten up a room and add a touch of style with minimal expense and very little effort.

mark(at)modernlampsguide.com

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About Author

Both Sarah Crosset & Mark Clifton are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Sarah Crosset has sinced written about articles on various topics from Home Management, Kitchen Home Improvement and Computers and The Internet. Sarah Crosset has worked in the interior decorating field for many years and loves to share her home decorating experiences and ideas with home owners everywhere. Her number one tip is to. Sarah Crosset's top article generates over 27100 views. to your Favourites.

Mark Clifton has sinced written about articles on various topics from Family Concerns, Interior Design and Home Management. Jazz up in your home by visiting. Mark Clifton's top article generates over 22200 views. to your Favourites.

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