Want more space in your home?  Look below.

Matt and Mary Stroble with their dog, Lexi, in their newly renovated basement. (Robert Cohen/P-D)

By:  Melanie Ave
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Saturday, November 15, 2008

      Mary Stroble didn’t really like venturing into her home’s old basement.  Walking down a stairway at the rear of the Sunset Hills home, between the main floor’s kitchen and family room, she would run right into a wall when she got to the lower level.
      If she turned right, she would find a door.  If she turned left, she found a second door.  It was like the stairway to nowhere.  The two doors led to dark spaces.  The generic off-white walls offered zero personality and warmth.

Carpeted stairs with decorative handrails lead to the newly renovated basement.

      “Before,” said her husband, Matt, “it was your typical down and dirty basement.”
      Today the three-bedroom, 2,300-square-foot home Mary and Matt share with their 16-year-old daughter, Kristin, boasts a refinished basement that feels like a comfy yet sophisticated family entertainment zone.  The former down and dirty basement is now one of the home’s main attractions when guests arrive.
      Before they overhauled their basement, the Stroble’s thought about selling their home and buying a bigger one.  But after looking around, the couple decided their home was fine – if they just finished 1,200 square feet of space in their basement.
      They are not alone.
      With the struggling housing market, more homeowners are trying to maximize the space they have in their homes instead of buying new ones.  Experts say renovating existing space in a basement can be a cost-effective way to increase your home’s living space.
      A typical basement redo can cost anywhere between $25 and $75 a square foot, and possibly less if you act as your own project manager.

A stone bar serves as the focal point of the newly renovated basement of Matt and Mary Stroble. The stone used on the bar is also used on a fireplace and stone columns that cover structural steel beams.

      “I think any basement can be redone,” said Tom Placke, vice president of sales and construction for Stumpf Homes, which handled the Stroble’s basement project.  “Basically everything you need is already there.”
      Experts say it’s best to have a plan before you begin.  An architect or construction contractor can help get you started and let you know if your plans will work with the home’s design.  One key factor for any basement redo is waterproofing.  Make sure the floors and walls have been properly waterproofed and any cracks have been repaired.  If necessary, install a sump pump in the beginning stages of the project.
      Matt and Mary said they wanted a dual function for the basement of their home, originally built in 1996.  They wanted a comfortable hangout for their two daughters (Kelsey is a freshman at the University of Dayton) and their friends, with the goal of keeping them near and dear.  And they also wanted the basement to work for their grown-up entertaining needs as well.

A stone bar is the basement's focal point. The same stone was also incorporated into the fireplace as well as stone columns that cover structural steel beams.

How they did it

      The new basement, they say, serves the whole family.
      Matt and Mary renovated in two phases.  The first phase, completed about six years ago, opened up the rooms by removing walls – and the two interior doors – and adding light by knocking down a wall that blocked light from several windows.  They also added a bathroom with a vanity, toilet and shower.
      The most recent phase, completed in the last year, made the basement a true living space that flows nicely with the rest of the house.
      One open room off the stairwell is dedicated to working out.  One wall features floor-to-ceiling mirrors with a dance bar, for the couple’s two daughters.  The room is also home to a treadmill, Bowflex machine and foosball table. 

Built-in bookcases store audio and video components as well as space for DVDs and VHS tapes.

      Two TVs, one hanging from the ceiling, and another at ground level allow Mary to multitask her entertainment/news needs during morning workouts.
      The basement’s main room, opposite the workout room, is decorated in a warm, Tuscan style courtesy of CBI Designs of St. Louis.  The space serves as a family, living and entertaining area, complete with a gas fireplace, flat screen TV with surround sound and a nearby pub table.  Ceiling fans whir from the 9-foot ceilings.
      Can lights were laid out during the design stage.  Experts say recessed lighting is often the best choice for a basement because head room is often an issue (though it wasn’t for the Stroble’s who had a 9-foot pour in their basement).
      Ceramic tile and carpeting make up the flooring.
      The room’s premiere attraction is an L-shaped bar with overhead arches and recessed lighting.  Its base is covered in gray, rough stones; its counter, warm tile with etched stone around the edges.  Its sink and refrigerator are surrounded by cherry wood cabinets.  A bathroom with a shower off the bar completes the space.

The living room has plenty of space for a fireplace, HDTV, couches and chairs.

The result

      Matt notes that the basement isn’t particularly large.  “But this size works well for the size family we have,” said Matt, a retail marketing manager for Anheuser-Busch.  “When people come over and get settled, this is where they come.  You have everything you need in one little area.”
      At times, the family has had as many as 50 people in their basement.
      For Mary, a clinical process leader for BJC HealthCare, the basement redo exceeded all expectations.  She said it feels like an extension of their home.
      Matt and Mary say they can see themselves in their home for years to come.  They’re glad they didn’t sell and move.  Plus, they said, the cost of the project seemed right.  They spent about $77 a square foot for the work Matt described as “turn key.”
      “It’s a true room addition with all the benefits of Stumpf quality used everyday in the building of custom homes.”

PHOTOS BY ROBERT COHEN — PD