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This Mequon basement was a fun project where we turned a dark and dingy basement into the most popular area of the family’s home.
Before remodeling, the basement was used for storage and laundry. The homeowners wanted to extend the living space of their home into their unfinished basement. They were looking for a space that was comfortable for relaxing, with an upscale design.
Kowalske Kitchen & Bath was hired as the basement finishing contractor. We designed and constructed a living room, bar area and rebuilt the staircase. Now, the family has a relaxing space for watching movies, and a swanky bar area for watching sports games.
The highlight of the bar area is the cream city brick wall and color-changing LED under-shelf lighting.
Reclaimed Barnwood
The design creatively uses reclaimed barnwood throughout the space. The natural wood elements warm up the space, making it feel cozy and comfy.
We sourced all the barnwood from the same torn down barn and custom milled the wood. We used barnwood on the ceiling beams, the staircase, the face of the bar, the TV wall in the seating area, open shelving and a sliding barn door.
Basement Stairs
The stairway was completely rebuilt, constructed with salvaged wood to match the style of the other stairs in the home.
On the Blog
Read more about this project on our blog: Barnwood Basement Remodel
Similar Basement Projects
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Project Details
Project Year: 2018
Location: Mequon, WI
Updates Included: Basement
Features: Hickory Cabinets, Quartz Countertops, Cream City Brick Accent Wall, Floating Shelves, Wine Shelf, Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring, LED Color-Changing Strip Lighting, Staircase, Sliding Barndoor & Barnwood Accents
Estimated Cost: $76,000 – $86,000
Remodeler of the Year Award

This basement renovation was awarded a ‘Remodeler of the Year Award’ from the Milwaukee National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) in 2018.