Our team at Dover was honored with the 2019 NARI Contractor of the Year (CotY) Award: 1st Place, Basement over $50,000, for this European-inspired renovation. For the next 2 weeks, designer and guest blogger Shelley Bujdos will lead you through this award-winning remodeling project. Enjoy!
BLOG #2 of 3 IN A SERIES:
CotY Award Winner: First Place, Basement, over $50,000
Transforming a family basement into a stylish, sophisticated entertainment space
Starting with the demo and construction phase…we began by eliminating the staircase wall and closet beneath the stairs. To establish integrity, structural members were installed to re–support the first floor.
Staircase before:
Staircase during:
A custom wood rail with iron balusters, a distressed wood column and cultured stone enhance the updated stairwell area.We installed custom cabinetry with a Sharp microwave drawer and wine storage below the existing stairs, adding new dimension—and function—to the space.
Staircase after:
It was the homeowners’ trip to Europe that inspired this basement transformation—their vision was to replicate the rich, warm and inviting atmosphere of a European wine cellar. To achieve that design goal, the existing basement kitchen had to go.
Basement kitchen before:
A knee wall was built to provide separation; then old cabinets are removed and floors leveled. With the stone installation underway, the shape and feel of the new space starts to come to life.
Basement kitchen during:
We used porcelain brick flooring, cultured stone walls and dramatic lighting to create a beautiful ambiance in the wine tasting area (which also features a wet bar and SubZero refrigerators). This space was thoughtfully designed to accommodate the custom tasting table with seating for eight by Brian’s Furniture.
Basement kitchen after:
Next week, in the final blog in this series, I’ll provide more details about the fixtures and surfaces and highlight the other features of this spectacular basement entertainment space.
Shelley Bujdos
