If you've been searching for basement and conversion ideas to make the most of a currently wasted space, you've come to the right place. Many older houses and country homes were built with cellars and basements. Their dark, cool conditions made them perfect cold stores for wine, fruit and vegetables and coal.
These days of course, we have kitchen appliances to take care of food storage, meaning that these spaces can often go unused – yet they have the potential to become useful and stylish spaces.
We have brought together some of the best examples of cellar and basement conversions to show you just how beautiful a gloomy underground space can be with the right treatment.
1. Create a 'do not disturb' home office
It can be hard to find the space for home office ideas that offer the peace and quiet required to have a productive work day – all too often people have to make do with a corner of the kitchen or end up camping out in a guest bedroom with nowhere for a proper set-up.
A cellar or basement conversion can provide the perfect space to escape the hustle and bustle of daily activities, allowing you to create clear separation between your home and work life.
Within this space, designed by YARD Architects, the use of Crittall doors helps ensure light can flow freely throughout.
Try these glazed internal doors available from Screwfix, to bring light into your basement conversion ideas
2. Turn to your cellar for a practical all-in-one laundry room
Homeowners don't always want laundry or utility rooms in close proximity to other rooms – understandable given that they usually house noisy appliances such as washing machines and tumble dryers. Underground spaces can be the perfect spot to house a practical space such as this.
That said, while there are many benefits to locating a laundry room below ground, you will need to think through how you will ensure adequate basement ventilation to deal with the damp and moisture caused by washing and drying clothes.
"A well-designed cellar or basement conversion is one that performs reliably long after handover. That means combining robust waterproofing with efficient heating and properly engineered ventilation to control humidity and maintain comfort year-round," explains Rhys Willis, director at Whiti Projects LTD . "When these systems are designed together from the outset, basements deliver warm, dry, usable space with low running costs and minimal maintenance."
Rhys Willis is Director of Whiti Projects Ltd, bringing 30 years of hands-on experience in the construction industry, with a strong reputation for quality, leadership, and attention to detail.
3. Bring in light from above with a glazed ceiling kitchen diner
Basements and cellars will often have no windows, so if you plan on using your newly converted space as living space or a kitchen, you are going to need to look into ways of bringing in natural light through some clever glazing ideas.
One of the best ways of drawing light into an underground space without significant excavation around it, is to pull it in from above.
This space, designed by Studio Bark, has been converted into a stunning kitchen diner and, thanks to the high-level glazing, which has been angled inwards to bring in maximum light, is bright and airy.
4. Set up a games room
Converting a basement or cellar into a games room, or teen den, is a brilliant way to contain the noise that is bound to come from the space when in use – plus it is easy to create the right atmosphere below-ground, particularly with the right lighting design.
Concealed LED ceiling lighting adds an atmospheric effect, while as a feature wall idea, this striking conversion has a wine storage wall, designed by Cellar Maison, that becomes the focal point of the space.
5. Turn a conversion into a cosy guest bedroom suite
When properly converted to building regulations standards, a formerly dark, dank basement can become a cosy, bright and welcoming bedroom. Basement or cellar conversion guest bedrooms are particularly popular, giving your visitors a sense of really having their own personal space.
Bear in mind, just as with basement conversion costs, that you will need to factor in extras if you plan on using your cellar as a bedroom – namely, the cost of incorporating a bathroom or, at the very least, a toilet if you don't want guests to be having to traipse up and down the stairs in the night if nature calls.
The glazed staircase in this project by YARD Architects also allows light to flow freely into the subterranean space.
6. Use your courtyard landscaping to reflect light back in
The more natural light you can pull into your basement conversion, the better. If you have decided to excavate the area around the new space, giving access to the outside, your landscaping choices can really help.
Opt for light-coloured hard landscaping, such as limestone pavers for your patio ideas, paint rendered walls a pale shade and avoid too much dense planting directly in front of any windows or doors.
The vibrant green chosen to paint the patio doors here ties in beautifully with the greenery beyond and creates a really strong connection between inside and out.
Consider this pack of 64 light cream paving slabs to help reflect light back into your basement conversion
7. Use plenty of architectural glazing in living rooms to avoid a gloomy feel
It isn't just windows and doors that can help with natural light when it comes to basement and cellar conversions – using architectural glazing elsewhere in your overall design scheme will also really brighten things up, allowing any light that is entering, either from outside or from above, spread to even the gloomiest of corners.
This newly converted below-ground space was designed by RDA Architects. Where once it was completely windowless, it has now been dug out and transformed into a spacious area with bright rooms that open onto a sunken terrace.
Additionally, the glazed stairwell brings light in from the floor above which also uses extensive structural glazing.
8. Use your basement conversion for a luxury pool complex
If you are willing to undertake a little more work and expense in the conversion of your basement you can create a really stunning new space for wellness and exercise.
As part of a two storey extension, the team at coombes:everitt architects created a dramatic subterranean level housing a swimming pool and fitness suite. A major project that required expert skill and some serious structural work.
"The pool area was added in a new excavated section of the two-storey extension," explains John Everitt, director and co-founder of the studio. " But, there was a basement that already existed below the house that was opened up to give access from the front of the property.
“Due to the inclusion of the swimming pool, we went down about 6m below the existing ground floor level. This was so that the new pool area could be properly insulated, tanked and ventilated. This depth also meant the floor level matched the basement that already existed at the front of the property.
“Driven pile foundations [which are prefabricated and hammered into the ground] were installed between 8m and 12m deep," he continues. "This foundation type worked for the site, which had limited access and boundary restraints. The excavation was pretty close to the neighbouring property’s boundary, by about 3m, so we have a Party Wall Notice.
"The biggest challenge was when we had to form the hole in the rear of the existing dwelling at basement level, which had to be propped, as well as the proximity of the extension and excavation to the neighbouring boundary. It was also extremely important to get the relevant ventilation ducts installed for the swimming pool.”
9. Build a fun home bar
Whether you are aiming for highly sophisticated, elevated home bar ideas, or something a little more playful, a cellar conversion can make the ideal location for this kind of space.
Being naturally cool temperature-wise, they are perfect for storing all kinds of beverages, plus they can be lit in some really interesting and mood-enhancing ways with the right approach.
This rather luxurious scheme features moody marble finishes, dramatic bold colour choices and a very eye-catching centrepiece.
Use a run of these stylish storage units with lighting to create your own feature bar wall in your basement conversion
10. Or, use it solely it for wine storage
It may well be that all you want from your cellar is to use it as somewhere to store your wine collection – and, given that this is what cellars were originally designed for, this makes perfect sense.
That said, making a few upgrades is still a good idea. Experts tend to agree that the ideal temperature to store wine is between 10 - 15 °C and you want to avoid exposing it to bright light too.
Note that some shelving or built-in storage ideas will be required – wine likes to be stored horizontally, with some experts now saying that lying it down at a very slight angle, cork end down, is the best method.
11. Convert your basement into a dedicated playroom
Playrooms are a great option for basement conversions as toy storage can be outsourced away from main living areas and as kids grow up they can feel independent with a separate area.
Although windowless, this bright children's play area has been finished with a practical, easy-to-clean flooring and larger toys that would be impractical to keep in a social space upstairs.
Other great ideas for underground playrooms can include built-in storage ideas to pack items away neatly and fold-away spare beds for when friends stay over.
12. Turn your basment conversion into a cinema room
Using a conversion of a subterranean space as an opportunity to create a home cinema such as this one can be hugely beneficial as there is no need to add windows or a source of light – in fact it's better when the basement is completely blacked out.
The space will need fresh wiring, tanking and making the cellar dry during the conversion, acoustic insulation and recessed speakers but can create a show-stopping space that won't disturb anyone.
If you have the head-room, tiered seating will be the perfect finishing touch.
FAQ
What is the difference between a basement and a cellar?
It is useful to note that there are some subtle, yet important, differences between a cellar and a basement.
"The words basement and cellar are often used interchangeably, but there are some traditional differences," says Rhys Willis. Basements tend to be:
- Partially or fully underground, but often designed as living or usable space
- Typically finished or 'finishable'
- May include bedrooms, family rooms, offices, bathrooms, etc.
- Has proper insulation, lighting, and ventilation
- Common in modern homes
Whereas according to Rhys, cellars are typified by the following features:
- Usually mostly or completely underground
- Traditionally used for storage, especially food, wine, or coal
- Often unfinished, with dirt or stone floors
- Cooler and more humid
- May have limited headroom and minimal windows (or none)
Despite their differences, both spaces, with the right basement conversion design and adherence to the building regs, be converted into useful and habitable living space.
"You can convert a cellar the same way as a basement," explains Rhys. "The core idea is the same – turning underground space into habitable space."
That said, converting a cellar can be a little more complicated, for example floor heights might need lowering to provide adequate headroom. Fire escapes will also need to be considered in many cases.
Considering a basement or cellar conversion as part of a much bigger home renovation project, but struggling to find the space to extend outwards? Loft conversion ideas may give you the inspiration to extend upwards at the same time, giving you extra space without losing your garden.
And, don't worry if you don't have the necessary headspace, in the same way you can dig down for basement conversion ideas, you can raise the roof for a loft conversion too.
