Spicing up the basement

Candice Olson, Scripps Howard News Service

Published April 14, 2007 at midnight

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Eager for more elbow room, Tina, Kulbir and their two children moved from the city to the suburbs. They renovated most of the rooms in their big new house with ease, but they were stumped when they got to their cramped and dated basement. Both self-professed computer geeks, Tina and Kulbir wanted the room to be turned into an efficient home office space.

However, they also wanted it to function on several other levels: as a rehearsal space for budding musician Kulbir and his band mates, as sleeping quarters for overnight guests, and as a TV and lounge area for the whole family.

So I geared up to make this room all things to all people - and add some function and style along the way. Taking a cue from Kulbir's background and the couple's exotic and colorful wedding photos, I decided to design the space with a spicy, Indian-inspired theme.

I started by getting rid of the dated decor, including the acoustical ceiling tiles, the pine wood paneling and the wall-to- wall carpeting. After soundproofing the ceiling (to appease Tina while hubby is "jamming"), I put up drywall on the ceilings and walls.

I then painted part of the room in a peppery, reddish-orange color and papered the other parts in a heavy, textured grass cloth. On the floors, I put down hard- wearing vinyl that looks like hardwood but is more durable.

For the room's color palette, I settled on a warm blend of browns, reds and oranges, choosing fabrics in luxurious silks and rich velvets.

Then I divided the room into zones, with one end of the room a work zone and the other a play zone.

In the work zone, I installed a long, floating mahogany desk with two separate work areas, each with its own white leather, swivel-based chair and computer. I also installed a lot of streamlined cabinetry: closed shelving for office items and open shelving for accessories.

At the opposite end of the room in the play area, I set up a large-screen TV and encased it in a mahogany entertainment unit. I left room for shelving on each side to display artifacts and let the bottom shelf wrap around the window wall to form a bench for extra seating.

Between the work and play areas, I created the lounge zone, with a gorgeous sofa table and a beautiful cream-colored sectional, which has a pullout sleeper sofa. For added flair, I put in a luxuriant coffee table, a funky red chaise, a vivid area rug and an unusual zebra-framed mirror.

After some final accessories - including lots of framed wedding photos of Tina and Kulbir - the basement was complete. By combining modern finishes and fixtures, exotic colors and fabrics, and functional cabinetry and furniture, the room is now ready for work, play, sleep - and endless music rehearsals.

Interior decorator Candice Olson is host of HGTV's "Divine Design." For more ideas, information and showtimes, visit www.HGTV.com or www.divinedesign.tv.

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