During the past few years, homeowners have been desperate to maximize each and every inch within their homes to accommodate changing needs. This includes:
- Working from home
- Creating a spot for online learning
- Finding more space for entertaining family or friends
- Spending more time in outdoor spaces
Taking advantage of space already available in your home is typically more cost-effective than adding square footage. Renovating your existing basement also often reduces construction time, meaning you can enjoy some new usable space in your home sooner! Basements tend to offer a large swath of usable space and are often a blank slate. Homeowners can be creative in basements; the aesthetic doesn’t always have to match the style of the rest of the house.
At Godfrey Design-Build, we’ve been lucky enough to undertake some fantastic basement remodeling projects in recent years. Here, we spotlight three of our recent projects.
Beverly – A fun and functional family space
This Beverly family of 5 wanted to increase their living space for their three daughters, and friends and family to enjoy. Godfrey Design-Build helped to design a large media space with plenty of room to spread out for movie night, an added powder room, and a fun space to showcase dad’s incredible pinball collection.
The new space is light, bright, spacious, and beautiful. Godfrey Design-Build guided this family from layout options and design all the way through every fit and finish, all while keeping our clients’ style in mind. We were thrilled to create a stunning space that matched our clients’ vision perfectly.
“From the beginning, the entire team was fantastic and clear communicators. We always knew where we were in the project, who was scheduled to arrive, and if there were any issues, delays, or decisions that needed to be made. Every member of the team, including sub-contractors, was always prompt and very responsive to any questions or concerns we had, no matter how small. They made it a priority to help us feel very involved throughout the whole project by listening to our ideas as the project progressed.
In the end, the project was not only completed on budget, but it turned out exactly as we had hoped and envisioned, and we would absolutely love to work with Pat and his team again in the future.”
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Nahant – Increased space, flexibility, and great indoor/outdoor flow, plus a design change on the fly
If you haven’t visited the small north shore town of Nahant, we highly recommend it! This tiny town accessed only via a thin causeway was the site of another one of our favorite basement projects. Living in such close proximity to the beach and Boston, space is at a premium in Nahant. This young couple wanted to optimize the footprint of their 2000 square foot 1950s home by finishing the basement.
Their original proposed layout included:
- An enclosed office
- Mudroom
- Gym area
- Kitchenette
- Full bathroom with laundry
However, early in the process, this couple found out the exciting news that they were expecting their first child. They suddenly realized their gym needed to be swapped out for a family room. Our design team was able to alter their design to accommodate their new needs, while still staying within budget (and while the couple was out of state!).
This family also loves enjoying their amazing outdoor space and pool. Godfrey Design-Build helped by:
- Creating an entrance directly from the pool area to easily access storage space in the custom mudroom for towels and pool supplies
- Including a guest bathroom with a shower (no more wet feet in the main living space!)
- Providing easy access to laundry for wet towels
- Designing a custom kitchenette perfect for entertaining guests poolside
The kitchenette and bathroom also enhanced the separate and enclosed office and family space – easy access to snacks. No need to go upstairs for anything!
“In a world full of disappointing contractors; Godfrey Design stands out like a ray of light amongst the darkness that is home renovation and repair in 2022… They are fair, honest, and punctual. The entire team is first-rate. My finished basement now looks like an extension of my home, not a musty cellar. A big thank you to Pat, Fred, and the rest of the team.”
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Making a quirky space in Medford work better
Medford has been one of Greater Boston’s hottest markets as of late. Even before the completion of the Green Line Extension, its close proximity to Boston and Cambridge made it a commuter’s dream. As you can imagine, this has also put space at a premium, and homeowners are becoming increasingly creative with areas like basements and attics.
It’s no surprise that in a city like Medford, existing basement space is often cramped and quirky. These clients knew their basement had potential, but it was dark and choppy. Godfrey Design-Build helped convert the space into one that is bright and appealing. The homeowner opted for beautiful wood finishes with a modern and updated feel and lots of ceiling lights to keep the space light and bright. They moved the laundry to the basement, freeing up space on the upper floor, and added closets galore for increased storage — often a luxury, particularly in a 1,560 ft2 home built in 1910.
This family now has a fun yet functional basement that has greatly increased both their livable square footage, and the value of their home.
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Do you have a vision for your basement?
At Godfrey Design-Build, we work with North Shore homeowners to add liveable space and value to their homes through basement remodeling projects. Get in touch today to see what we can do for your basement.