What happens when an underutilized basement becomes one of the most intentional spaces in the home?
In this episode, we’re out in Upperco walking through a basement transformation that goes far beyond finishing square footage. Starting with a blank canvas, concrete floors and foundation walls, this project is all about thoughtful design, smart functionality, and craftsmanship in the details.
From custom white oak coffered ceilings to built-ins, a hidden door, and a fully integrated Murphy bed, every element was designed to maximize how the space is used while creating a warm, elevated feel. It’s a great example of how the right plan, and the right team, can completely redefine what a lower level can be.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT:
“Hey guys, out here this morning at our Upperco job. We’ve got a basement project going on and I’m looking forward to walking you through it. Follow me.
So, the homeowner on this one came to us with an unfinished basement area that was pretty expansive. They were really interested in being able to utilize the square footage, so we came up with a couple solutions—entertaining areas and some extra sleeping space. Let’s go take a look.
Alright, so I’m here with Chris. He’s the site super on this job, responsible for managing and producing everything you see around us. Now Chris, when you came in here, this was kind of an empty space—we had a cement floor and the brick walls were existing, but we were responsible for tying it all together. I see a lot of unique features here. Tell me a little bit more about the coffered ceilings—what’s going on up there?
Yeah, the coffered ceilings are white oak that we had specially made and pre-milled for this project. The color is rosewood. It took a lot of time, effort, and planning, but our design team and project managers are really good at coordinating everything and dialing in the layout.
Cool, I love that—oak looks great. How about this back wall here? What’s going on there? That looks pretty cool.
Yeah, there was nothing here before—just the foundation wall. So we framed it out to add custom built-ins and a Murphy bed, all painted by our team. We also have pinned shelves that can be adjusted, closet rods, and the custom Murphy bed was delivered all the way from Canada.
And I see in some of the alcoves we have white oak—what’s going on in those areas?
Oh yeah, this used to be a pass-through. We framed it out and added custom uplighting shelves made out of the same white oak as the ceiling coffers. It turned out really nice.
And I see what I think is a hidden door on the other side—am I correct?
Oh yeah. That took a lot of time, effort, and precise measuring. Mounting the bracket onto brick was quite the process, but we got it done and it looks great.
Very cool. And how about the floor here? Right now it’s bare concrete—what are we doing there?
So, I don’t know if you noticed, but there are white lines everywhere. That was our design team and project manager mapping out the layout extensively and getting homeowner approval. The concrete is going to be polished and stained to really tie everything together.
Awesome—looking forward to seeing that. You look like you’re about done here.
Just about—we’re wrapping up some final details and we’ll be good to go.
Very cool. Looking forward to coming back in a couple weeks and seeing the finished product. Thanks, Chris.
Not a problem.”