2 Bedroom Apartment Basement

a standard basement

Basements don't have to be drab and dreary. Check out these remodeling ideas and photos of how Annie Selke converted hers into a colorful, teen-friendly bedroom. (Want to see the rest of the house? Read Part 1 in which Annie starts renovating her 1960 ranch home.)

a standard basement

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Before

Standard basement windows make the room look uninviting.

colorful basement bedroom

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After

New windows let in more light and change the whole feeling of the space.

TIP: Lighting can make all the difference in a basement room. Stay away from hanging lights if the ceiling is low. Go with lamps and recessed lights, on dimmers.

a colorful bathroom

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gray tiles in shower

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Sleek Gray Tiles

Bright Sky tiles from Nemo Tile give the bathroom a glow.

slim pull out sliding cabinets

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Smart Bathroom Organization

Space-saving pullouts make the most of a small space.

bright light and colors

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Bold and Bright Color

The seating is as colorful as the artwork. Annie Selke repainted vintage chairs in Benjamin Moore's Eccentric Lime and re-covered a bench in blue "pleather" from Osgood Textile. Walls painted Farrow & Ball's Skylight.

a mural bedroom

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Mural Makeover

Maple cabinetry and platform bed by KraftMaid. Vintage Arne Jacobsen Swan chair.

TIP: A mural offers a modern take on wallpaper. Choose from hundreds of images at Surface View; they'll help you scale the design to make it work for your wall.

yellow paint side table nightstand with white lamp

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Yellow Nightstand

This side table — originally dark wood — was painted High Gloss Benjamin Moore Lemon 2021-30 bright yellow to give it pop.

bright bedroom with colorful furniture

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Lighter and Brighter

New larger windows flood the lower-level room with light.

bright blue bench on white carpet with dog

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Flea Market Find

A simple pleather slipcover and paint update this flea market bench. Pure New Zealand wool wall-to-wall carpeting helps dispel that basement feeling. Selke used a Broome St. carpet in Desert Fawn by Bellbridge.

wall of wooden cabinets in colorful bedroom