Basement Bedroom Ideas
Use these basement bedroom ideas to add warmth and function to your guest room. Includes guest room bed ideas, a wall treatment, and more.
Easy Basement Bedroom Inspiration
Welcome to our continuing Evolution series…today we are featuring guest bedrooms. Get ready for plenty of amazing befores + afters! When we moved into the Sugar Maple house, the basement space was finished with a bedroom, full bathroom, living space, and wet bar area. The living space was the entire length of the basement, so after a few months, the remodeling began when we added a wall to make a second bedroom. The room I’m featuring today is the bedroom that was already there.
The images above and below are of the view from the doorway before any updates, other than painting, were added. The first thing you saw when entering the room was a huge blank wall. The day we moved in, the bed was placed to the right of the doorway, and there it stayed for months! I knew the bed had to be reoriented, but I also knew something had to be done about that massive wall.
Basement bedroom paint colors
- Walls are Sherwin Williams Modern Gray in a satin finish. (Not really gray…more of a greige.)
- Trim and beadboard are Sherwin Williams Snowbound in semi-gloss.
No new furniture was purchased. Everything in the new basement bedroom was from the house on Sutton Place. This made it considerably easier to decide where to put most of my budget. I was able to concentrate on an accent wall and new bedding.
Things to consider when designing a basement bedroom:
Place the bed so it’s the focal point.
The general rule of thumb for bed placement in a bedroom is that it should be the first thing you see when entering the room. Granted, many times this is impossible. If you have that option, it’s always the safest choice. When we moved the bed to the large focal wall, the whole feeling of the room changed. That big, blank wall sort of shrunk, and the room immediately made sense. I knew immediately how to hang the artwork, and how to place the bedside tables.
Paint and/or install an accent wall.
Now that the bed was the focal point, I wanted a wall treatment that functioned as a backdrop for the bed, but I also wanted to break up the big expanse of the wall. I considered shiplap, but in the end, I chose basic beadboard with a generous header. It is a budget-friendly choice, and if you have access to free DIY skills, it can be done for hardly any money. As always, I paid for labor, but it was totally worth it.
Other wall treatment ideas are a faux brick wall, horizontal or vertical shiplap, board and batten, wallpaper and/or a chair rail, and picture frame molding. It’s also a good and economic idea to simply paint the focal wall an accent color.
Choose a decor color scheme of neutral colors that includes cream, white, and beige.
Basements are dark. Unless you have a walk-out basement with regular windows and doors, there is very little natural light. In order to make the room feel soft and bright, I chose a neutral color scheme. It’s restful and cozy at the same time, and I varied the tones and textures for added interest.
the sugar maple house
The Evolution Series
Another plus of a neutral color palette is that darker, richer colors stand out. For example, if there were darker colors throughout this room, the furniture would blend right in. Because of the neutral, lighter background, the furniture stands out.
Bedroom Style Tip
Even if you love color, a neutral color scheme
is still a good choice. Simply add pops of vibrant tones
with bedding, accessories or flowers.
Add coziness with bedside tables, lamps, durable and washable bedding, artwork, and storage space.
Above all else, guest rooms should be comfortable. That means making sure your guests have everything they need.
- Large bedside tables.
- Lamps for reading.
- Crisp sheets and pillowcases.
- A washable cotton or linen quilt. I had my heart set on a 100% linen quilt, but my budget didn’t quite stretch. I looked and looked, and finally found the perfect compromise. The quilt I chose is linen on one side, and cotton on the other. It’s also considerably less money that an all linen option. It washes up beautifully and is generously sized.
- Basements have a tendency to be cooler than the rest of the house, so make sure to provide one or two warm comforters.
- Accent pillows on a bed are so pretty…but it’s essential that you provide someplace to put them when it’s time for your guests to go to sleep. The closet in our basement bedroom is big, and the pillows stack nicely on a shelf.
- Artwork on the walls adds warmth to any space, and it makes a guest room feel cohesive and personal.
- A charging station or charging cords are a nice touch.
- And of course, fresh flowers are always perfect!
Other considerations.
- Before you begin, ask yourself this: “is there enough usable space?” If you are able to respond with a “yes,” without going over budget, then get started!
- Is privacy an issue? If you need to put up walls in order to designate a separate room, with a door, just make sure your budget will stretch.
- Is there an accessible bathroom?
- Make sure there is good ventilation and no dampness.
- High ceilings vs. low ceilings: both will work, but high ceilings make a basement seem less like a basement. (I hope that makes sense.) Our basement ceilings are 8 feet tall, and upon entering the space, it feels open and airy.
Downsizing + Moving Tips
Basement Bedroom Shop + Source
Click the links below to be taken directly to the product listing. Every effort has been made to provide sources for the items found in this post. Where actual items were no longer available, I’ve provided similar options. If an item is out of stock but may be restocked, I left it on the list.
linen and cotton quilt | pillow shams | knot pillow covers | ivory sheet set | dust ruffle | bedside table 1 | bedside table 2 | lumbar pillow 1 | lumbar pillow 2 | lumbar pillow 3 | distressed lamp | small wicker tray | wicker tissue box cover | artwork belonged to my grandmother
At the end of the day, the most important aspect of a guest bedroom is that it’s a comfortable place to share with your guests. Size doesn’t really matter, nor does presenting all new furniture + accessories. Use what you have, add a few new things, and design it to reflect your own personal style. I guarantee your guests will love it!
Now it’s time to take a look at what my friends are sharing!
Designthusiasm | How Our Guest Room Decor Has Evolved
StoneGable | The Evolution Of A Guest Room
Until next time…
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