Last Updated on January 2, 2024 by Kimberly Crawford
There are many reasons as to why one would want to set up their bedroom in the basement.
Aside from the interesting acoustics and temperature of the basement, it is the ultimate cozy getaway for some reflection, some alone time, and a place for friends to have quality time gossiping through the night and capping the night off with some movies.
To build a cozy basement bedroom, this post will give you some of the best basement bedroom ideas around the net. In here too are some useful FAQs that might come in handy as you embark on your basement bedroom project.
Basement bedroom window: sizes and requirements
All basement bedrooms are required by building codes to have at least one window to serve as fire exit and for insulation purposes.
As such, sizes and requirements for a basement window are as follows: the bottom should be not more than 44inches relative to the floor; the height should be at 24inches and the width of the window opening must be 20inches.Â
Unfinished basement bedroom ideas
1. Exposed beams
The beauty of exposed beams is unmatched because it evokes a rustic aesthetic value. A basement bedroom like this can be enhanced using carpeted vinyl flooring and vinyl walls.
Squeeze in a rustic style bed, boho paintings, complementing couch, and floor lamps, and you are all set. Take this one for example.
2. Leather and wood
Another great combination to work with an unfinished basement is the duo of leather and wood. They match the dampness of the basement and with an unfinished basement, it evokes the old warehouse vibe.
Depending on the lighting, your basement bedroom can look from industrial to formal to rustic.
Small basement bedroom ideas
3. Bunk bed
The go-to choice in remodeling small bedrooms would be through bunk beds. This way, you are maximizing all the space no matter how limited it could be. The bunk bed can be elevated or there could be an additional loft above.
Around the bed would be a lot of storage and the bed itself can have built-in drawers for clothes. Here is what you can do with bunk beds in a small basement.
4. Patterns and stripes
To give your small basement bedroom an illusion of depth and space, play with patterns and stripes whether on your bed sheets, your floor lamps or in your accent furniture and paintings. Combining various patterns in one bedroom gives it a funky vibe too.
Finished basement bedroom ideas
5. Biker’s dream
Nothing is more beautifully outlandish than this modern arrangement for a basement bedroom. It is a biker’s dream with clean lines, neutral walls, and patterned walls.
The double bifold doors are also a good match, adding sophistication and a lot of insulation when they are fully opened. It is a warm finished basement on the works.
6. White bedroom basement
For natural light to seep in, the use of white walls is always a sought-after choice. This arrangement here installed a long egress window which adds to the aesthetics of the room. The in-wall mirror gives an illusion of space and the tan and brown accent pieces complement the clean ensemble very much.
Teenage basement bedroom ideas
7. Bright colored small teen basement bedroom
A basement bedroom is a perfect coming of age space for the explorative teen. If you want to give him/her the chance to improve his/her basement bedroom and add more personality of his/her choosing, go for a simple, bright colored basement bedroom.
With minimal accent pieces and bright neutrals, you are leaving him/her a sort of blank canvass to decorate like this one.
8. Teenage den
Even if you are working on a small basement, you can still transform it into a den that your teen and his/her friends could hang out in.
Put in a bunk bed below the stairs for some privacy and surround it with gathering spaces like bean couches, a plays station setup on the side and a study space on the other. Here is something that you can draw inspiration from.
Basement bedroom without window ideas
9. Draped basement bedroom
Even if you have a windowless basement bedroom, you can still mix and match for a cohesive and attractive design. For instance, you can make up for the lack of windows by designating window-like portions in the bedroom to be draped by valances or floor to ceiling curtains.
Add side lamps for illumination and use complementing colors for sophistication like this one.Â
Related: 44+ Best Tray Ceiling Ideas and Designs
10. Wall view
Most of the time, a basement bedroom without walls depends a lot on lighting as well as wall views.
Install paintings with a view on where the windows should be and add curtain rods for sheer valances or curtains.
This way, when you comb away the valance, there is a view waiting for you to look on.Â
Related: 25 Different Types Of Blinds and Best Materials For Window Blinds (Buying Guide)
Basement bedroom color ideas
11. Color pop
To make the most out of a compact basement bedroom, invest on a lot of popping colors. You can go for the combination of dark brown, white, green, navy blue and yellow. These colors popping in one room brings out a lot of tropical feel and of course make the room more dynamic.
12. Bright and mild
White walls are timeless but adding milder tones to complement makes an all-time cozy space fit for a bedroom. Play with a lot of blues to accentuate one side of the wall. Drape the window with blue drapes or any other bright colored curtain. Add some accents of tan or beige for the flooring and furniture to relieve an earthy tone.
Basement bedroom makeover ideas
13. Change in wall color
Sometimes, a few tweaks in the bedroom could have a lot of impact on how it looks. For instance, changing the wall colors from dark neutral to a brighter color brings in a lot of natural light to the room.
The addition of complement accent pieces such as rugs, bedside table, lamps and hanging decorative pieces can also elevate the aesthetic value of a basement bedroom.
14. Total makeover
If you have the time and resources, a total tear down and makeover is still the best option. From the ceiling, to the wall and especially the flooring, it might be easier for you to refurbish your basement bedroom if you start from scratch.
You can liberally incorporate anything from rugs to small accent pieces with a total makeover like this one.
Basement bedroom and bathroom ideas
15. Open floor plan
An open floor plan is not that popular as a design but those who love contemporary ideas for a bedroom basement could really make the most out of this style.
You can freely infuse the bathroom in one portion of the room. Enclose the shower area with a simple partition and set up the tub and sink in a more visible part of the room like this one.Â
16. Glass enclosure
If you are not a fan of the conventional bedroom and bed setup, you can take the form of an open floor but with the addition of a glass enclosure.
To add privacy, you can use frosted glass all over the glass enclosure. For semi-privacy, use half-frosted or tinted glass. Here is something that you can do.Â
Cheap basement bedroom ideas
17. Renewal basement bedroom
Renewing a basement and turning it into a bedroom is one of the cheapest home improvement techniques that is becoming trendy today. It capitalizes on the rawness of the room, leaving the dents and cracks as is for more personality.
For this one, you just add up a comfy bed, some seats, a dresser and a desk, modern lighting and you already have a cheap basement bedroom.
18. Traditional setup
The cheapest way to set up a basement bedroom is going traditional. Use simple drapes as curtains, go for the tufted sheets, basic vinyl flooring, and a lot of repurposed materials for desks, chairs, and other accent pieces. As the cliché goes, make do of what you have.
Basement bedroom with laundry room ideas
19. Luxury style basement bedroom with laundry area
If you have a big basement space to incorporate a laundry room which connects to the basement bedroom, go all out, and customize the walls with wallpapers of your choosing. Make built-in washing machines beneath hanging cabinets and attach a small desk and chair for a side home office.
20. Laundry storage and small washing machine
If you are alone in your basement apartment or bedroom, perhaps, you can infuse a lot of laundry storage in one portion of the area.
Along the cabinets, incorporate a small washing machine to seamlessly become a part of the entire arrangement. Here is something that you can check for reference.Â
Modern basement bedroom ideas
21. Art punch
Modern styles are distinguishable for their ornate accent pieces and punchy artwork hanging around the place. White is the color of modern design so stick to it when it comes to your basement bedroom walls.
Paint the wall by the bed headboard with a brighter or bolder color and hang abstract paintings and modern design accent pieces by the side table.
22. Glass door dividers
To add elegance to your basement bedroom, incorporate touches of glass in the space. One thing to do is to set up glass door dividers in the basement bedroom.
It is a good source of natural light and one way to insulate the bedroom. For privacy, you can always drape it with curtains. Wood trims are the best frames for glass doors for elegance.
Wainscoting ideas in basement bedroom
23. White panels
To give a bright accent to gray or dark colored walls, white wainscoting using the traditional panel style is a good choice. It is also perfect for compact basement bedrooms because it adds depth and illusion of space This is an example of a small basement bedroom with white wainscoting.
24. Sealed wood wainscoting
To veer away from the traditional white panel wainscoting, you can opt for a more rustic one like sealed wood wainscoting.
It gives a raw, industrial look to a basement bedroom with white walls. Add more whites into the bed and linens. Overall, this is a fine arrangement to a spacious basement bedroom.
See more wainscoting ideas
Big basement bedroom ideas
25. Upscale urban basement bedroom
If you want to get the vibe of a New York basement apartment, follow an upscale urban arrangement for your basement bedroom.
Make the king size bed your focal point and surround it with bedside tables and leather Chesterfield.Â
Accompany this with a lounge chair on the side and floor lamps around. The combination of recessed and ambient lighting and punchy artwork are also fine touches to the arrangement.
26. Multiple bunk beds
If you have a lot of space to use up, go for multiple bunk beds to accommodate your kids and their friends during sleepovers or for relatives who are coming over for vacations.
This way, you can have one fully assembled guest room that can accommodate more people.
This saves you time in arranging stuff and in cleaning separate guest rooms especially during occasions.
Basement bedroom ideas for boys
27. Sophisticated game room
Boys always dig arcades and computer games. To incorporate these stuff and other boy accent pieces is to focus on the accent pieces. Build a floor to ceiling cabinet with shelves for collectibles and books.
At the center, put an entertainment box (televisions and play station). Top it all off with ambient lighting and bright lighting.
28. Nautical flair
Another favorite design for boys’ bedrooms would be a nautical style. Go for patterned bed sheets of blue and white or red, blue, and white colors.
The color scheme should also go with the wainscoting or across the walls if you feel like it.
For the finishing touches, add an area rug and hang nautical inspired decors by the walls. Recessed lighting will do for illumination.
Basement bedroom ideas for girl
29. Deep colors and white walls
Bedrooms for girls are always typified with bright colors especially pink and yellow. To make a standout basement bedroom for girls, try white walls and dark color accents of red, black, and gray.
Put a dark-colored area rug in the middle and wood desk as well as chair on the side.Â
30. Pink and white
For a more classic touch to the bedroom for girls, go for the traditional pink and white combination. For a change, paint the walls with pink instead of white.
At the same time, instead of a duller color for the ceiling, go for bright white accompanied by recessed lighting.Â
Block wall basement bedroom ideas
31. Brick wall
If you want to have the original block wall, stack bricks to form a block by your headboard wall. It elevates the look of the room into an upscale industrial design. Complement that with ambient lighting using pendant lights and you are good to go.
32. Wood texturing
Another classic block wall installation is using wood as material for texturing. Using scrap but shaped and sealed wood, you can emboss your headboard wall to give the bedroom some texturing. This goes well with modern and neutral color basement bedrooms.
Basement bedroom half wall ledge ideas
33. Multileveled wall
Who says that you cannot extend your half wall ledges? If you want to get the feel of a multileveled wall especially if you have a lot of display items to show, give one side a half wall ledge and the headboard wall with a ¾ wall ledge like this one.
34. Clean style compact basement bedroom with wall ledge
Having half wall ledges add more room and natural shelving for a basement bedroom. Surround yourself with photos and other display pieces by enclosing your bed with a half ledge wall.
Basement bedroom with dividers ideas
35. Curtain divider
The cheapest divider for a basement divider would be curtains. No matter how large your basement bedroom is, curtains never go out of style.
They are the best choices for soft partitioning.
They make the transition to another living space seamless and more accessible.
36. Lattice divider
For a basement bedroom with high decorative value, go for the delicate effect of lattice dividers.
They give a semi-private feel to the basement bedroom and a soft touch to the whole arrangement.
This one below is something for you to consider.
Ideas for basement bedroom with pull out bed
37. Basement man cave
For a basement that serves as a mancave in the morning and a bedroom at night, a pull-out bed should be its focal point.
Position it near the window corner and surround it with cabinets and shelves for it to be a low-key sofa in the day.
This way, it easily transitions into a bedroom when you pull the bed out.
See more man cave ideas
38. Chic design
If you are working on a compact basement, you can utilize the space very well with a chic style pull-out bed. Just put it in a bed corner, facing the desk and chair and illuminated by white walls, recessed ceiling lights and a glass glider for its door. An area rug on the side is a good addition too.
Basement bedroom and playroom ideas
39. Queen bed in the playroom
If you have a large basement, a playroom for the kids is a must. But if you have infants and toddlers who are actively crawling and exploring toys but need adult supervision, you can rest by the queen size bed in the center of the playroom. That way, you can easily watch out for them from all angles.
40. Kiddie colors
If you want a basement bedroom and playroom to imbibe the kiddie atmosphere, paint the walls with bright, pastel colors all over.
Considering bunk beds for the kids is also a good idea. Make it cozy by adding colorful lounge chairs, a blackboard for them to draw on and lots of toys they can play with.Â
Gray and teal basement bedroom ideas
41. Plush ombre beddings
For an elegant take on a gray and teal bedroom, buy a plush gray and teal ombre comforter and pillows. To complement this, pain the wall with ash light gray with white accent lines. Throw in a light gray area rug and a gray and white curtain too.
42. More gray
The color gray is a flexible color. It could work in ceilings, walls, and flooring with various tones. Its beauty pops up more with the right color contrast such as teal. For this, you have to choose teal-colored pillows, lamp shades and area rugs.
See more teal bedroom ideas
Industrial basement bedroom ideas
43. Poured concrete and lighting
Concrete walls and ceilings are major identifiers of an industrial design, but they should not be all that there is. To notch up your industrial basement bedroom, add recessed canned lights by the ceiling and walls and put track lights around a post-less bed like this one.
44. Contemporary loft style
This one is another concrete based design but with an open floor plan. Its focal point is its Japanese style, post-less bed, exposed beams in the ceiling, and contemporary shelving. It is very minimalist, but it radiates a lot of personality.
Basement bedroom with raw ceiling ideas
45. Glass walls, raw ceiling
This urban style basement bedroom left the wood ceiling untouched and invested in transforming the interior with upscale accent pieces and glass walls to make the low ceiling look like it is higher. The use of white makes the arrangement pristine despite the raw ceiling.
46. Raw poured concrete ceiling
For an urban basement loft, use poured concrete for your ceiling and leave it raw. The fine marks and irregularities in the ceiling add an industrial, modern feel to the room. Good lighting and minimalist arrangement complete the look.
See more basement ceiling ideas
Basement bedroom storage ideas
47. Raised bed
If you have a small basement bedroom, consider raising the bed and set-up a full storage space beneath it. The small space in the center can also be maximized for your desk and chair. Add additional shelves inside for your books and other stuff.
48. Full-on storage
If you want an ergonomic way to store everything in your bedroom, turn to a full-on storage in the sides of the bed and a floor-to-ceiling cabinet by the headboard. This way, you can store clothing and fabric in the sides and display items in the cabinet behind the bed.
See more basement storage ideas
Basement bedroom office ideas
49. Partitioned basement bedroom and home office
For some privacy and transition to a home office, add partitions by the basement bedroom. It is up on you to designate the area for each. This is a great way for people to incorporate their home office in their bedrooms without retreating on the bed every now and then.
50. All-in arrangement
If you are not a fan of partitions and if you are the type who can work undistractedly even with the bed just lurking behind you, go for an all-in arrangement where the office desk and chairs are just a few steps away from the bed.
See more basement office ideas
Basement bedroom decor ideas for couples
51. Couples’ initials
What better way to decorate a couple’s bed than to print their initials on a sintra board. Adding lights around the initials or installing LED lighting inside the initials make it more intimate and personal.
52. Faux candles
For a romantic and warm vibe, add some faux candles by the wall ledge behind the headboard. Infuse ambient yellow lights and calming music around and you are all good to go.
Lighting ideas for basement bedroom
53. Bright accent lights
For basement bedrooms with many scenic corners, the use of bright accent lights would be the best fit. It gives sufficient illumination to the room and at the same time, sheds focus on corners where you would spend some time. Adding a firepit for ambient lighting is also a good choice.
54. Hotel room vibe
The soft lighting of hotel rooms is something that you can imitate for your basement bedroom. Aside from recessed lights, side table lamps and dimmers are also good choices in making the room more ambient and warmer like this one.
See more basement lighting ideas
Low ceiling basement bedroom ideas
55. Top paneling
To give more layer and texture to a low ceiling basement bedroom, take the wainscoting technique in the ceiling for some top paneling.
It gives the illusion of height because of the added angle of the ceiling. Using neutral colors, specifically white, for the room also helps in building an illusion of height and space.Â
56. Cramped-up medieval vibe
Low ceilings are perfect in evoking a medieval vibe and if you have one, cramping up the space with two single beds and a simple side table and lamp might be one of the best decisions you will ever make for your basement bedroom like this one.
Boho basement bedroom ideas
57. Seaside arrangement
Take advantage of a coastal barn-type basement and make a dreamy boho basement bedroom out of it.
You will only need a sequined thread curtain, string lights and some boho décor to top it all off.
58. Earthy boho
For an all-in tropical boho flair, arrange the plants around the room, bring out the dream catcher decorations, add rattan furniture, a plain white bed and pillows and blankets with hippie colors and you are all set. Take this one for example.
FAQs
Aside from having an idea or design to work out in achieving your dream basement bedroom, it is also equally important to know some FAQs that might benefit you in making the push for having one. Thus, here are some FAQs about basement bedrooms that should get you in loop.
How to turn a basement into a bedroom
Having an unused basement is a gift if you have plans about turning it into an extended living space like say, a bedroom. In doing so, here are the steps in turning a basement into a bedroom.
- Evaluate existing basement conditions. Check wiring and plumbing if still intact.
- Insulate ceiling, walls, and flooring. You will need this in balancing noise and temperature.
- Install necessary moisture proofing.
- Check ventilation. Add egress to basement windows and install a dehumidifier.
- After this, start upgrading flooring and walls.
- Protect it from flooding by installing a sump pump.
- Upgrade the stairway and start following your design.
- Plan the ceiling design and the lighting type.
- Work on the interior design of the bedroom.
- Add the default bedroom furniture and fixtures.
How much does it cost to make a bedroom in the basement?
Depending on the situation of the old basement, basement bedrooms can cost $80-250 per sq.ft. This estimate makes the basement bedroom one of the costliest basement improvements.
This range greatly varies with factors such as state or location, size of the basement, design of the basement bedroom and other additions that you will incorporate in the bedroom.
What type of window is needed for a basement bedroom?
This one depends on the type of basement that you have. Unfinished basements only need a ventilation window and might not require an egress window as per building code.
But finished basements turned into extended habitable spaces can have patio doors, skylights, and other types of windows for the bedroom. However, each of these windows must come with an egress.Â
Is it illegal to have a bedroom in the basement?
No, as long as you meet all the quality standards of designating the basement as a bedroom. For one, a basement bedroom must have ceilings and dimensions that are adequate for a person to safely evacuate the area should there be emergencies.
Another, the room must have an adequate and steady supply of good ventilation as well as natural light. Most importantly, the minimum standards for windows must be met too.
Is it safe to have a bedroom in the basement?
Yes, if all the minimum standards of a habitable basement are met. This includes having approved fire exits, proper ventilation and acceptable floor and ceiling area for a bedroom basement. Other than this, it is really up to you to make your basement bedroom safe.
Does a basement bedroom have to have a window?
Of course. As a matter of fact, this is the first thing that must have to be present in a basement bedroom before it could be approved by local boards to be turned into a bedroom.
Windows are important requirements for a basement bedroom because they have something to do with ventilation and fire exit.Â
Conclusion
To conclude, basement bedrooms are more than what meets the eye. Sure, the ideas that you can work on to turn your basement into a bedroom are endless. But beyond it, there are also rules and protocols that must be met, certain fixtures that should be present and safety requirements that must be there first before you could apply for one.
With everything that we have covered, you have already gained enough insights from design to the legality of having a basement bedroom. With these, we can say that from here on, you are now ready to embark on a basement bedroom project.