A basement can be a great place to entertain, relax, work, or knock out a to-do list. But many basements are often neglected and don’t get the love and care they deserve to become functional places within the home.
One of the easiest ways to perk up your basement is with a coat of fresh paint and a little elbow grease. Use the following tips to help revive and brighten up your basement and make it a place everyone in your home loves to enjoy.
7 Tips to Paint Your Basement
Consider Using Rich Colors
Tip 1: Using rich colors (not light colors) will help open up the room.
Explore using colors that don’t need a whole lot of light to reach their full potential. They don’t have to be bright colors either. A richly saturated dark-blue may bring more life to a room than a poorly saturated yellow.
Use Light Colors in Naturally Lit Areas
Tip 2: Use lighter paint colors for areas that receive plenty of natural light.
Or, use lighter paint colors for areas that receive plenty of artificial light. The main idea here is to keep light colors out of dark places.
Add Additional Lighting
Tip 3: Consider adding extra lighting.
This could be in the form of lamps, hanging fixtures, or recessed lighting. You can even use mirrors to help bounce around light and give your basement the illusion of being a larger space.
Don't Use Too Many Colors
Tip 4: Don't overpopulate a room with too many colors.
Many interior designers recommend applying the 60-30-10 rule. Sixty percent of the room should be the dominant color, 30 percent should be dedicated to a secondary color, and 10 percent should be used for accents.
Focus on Complementary Colors
Tip 5: Use complementary colors.
Complementary colors sit directly across from each other on the color wheel (so if you don’t know anything about paint, they’re easy to find). You can also use analogous colors, which sit right beside each other on the color wheel, if you prefer to create a bold contrast. But, you do need to keep in mind that using analogous colors could add tension to the small and busy space of a basement.
Choose a Glossy Finish
Tip 6: Opt for paint with a glossier finish.
Basements attract water and glossier finishes resist stains well. They also reflect light better than matte finishes do. Just make sure that before you start painting the area is smooth and clean. Imperfections in the surface show up much easier in glossier finished paints.
Paint Concrete Walls
Tip 7: If you have concrete walls, use concrete paint.
You can purchase concrete paint at most any hardware store and it will protect your walls and provide the proper finish.
A lot of basements are just used for storage space and wishful thinking but it doesn’t have to be this way. You can give your basement a complete makeover with a little rearranging and the right painting techniques. Give yourself a place to enjoy, an in-home office, a basement gym, or create a space for the entire family to enjoy. With the right paint scheme, you can turn your basement into a valuable asset to your home.