Choose the Best Paint to Turn Your Basement Into Everyone’s Favorite Room

Assess Your Space

Before you start looking at paint swatches, it is important to really take stock of what’s going on in your basement. What shape are the walls in? How badly is the floor in need of repair? What else is there to do besides paint? How much light is coming in through the tiny windows? After you’ve given the basement a good once-over, you can begin deciding which direction to take it in. Families with children often turn their basements into expansive playrooms, while empty-nesters and households with teenagers have different needs. Discussing options with your family will make those decorating choices easier to manage, once you know what the space will be used for.

Choose the Right Paint

When it comes to choosing the right paint for your basement, there are other things to consider besides tone and finish. Even the driest basements can be prone to dampness, which can cause mold and mildew. It’s important to ensure that the correct priming and waterproofing products are used so that mold and mildew do not develop; the paint won’t peel or chip; and the finish stays looking good for years to come. If you will be painting the floor as well as the walls, you’ll want to make sure that surface is prepared and sealed correctly as well.

When it comes to color, your choices are limited only by your imagination. Choose colors based on the activities that will be taking place there. For example, a basement with a lot of natural light will look even brighter with soft whites, beiges, or neutral tones like sage green, pale blue or yellow. A large well-lit basement lends itself perfectly to being a home office or gym, or even a retreat space where crafting and other hobbies are done. You can even be a bit whimsical by choosing a brighter tone you love, but does not compliment the decor in the rest of your home.

In some homes, basements make the best family rooms. If this is what you intend to use yours for, you can choose tans, browns, or terracotta tones to warm up the space, making it feel homey and cozy. A rustic paint palette will compliment sectional sofas, recliners, and tech furniture, making your basement the place to be for movie nights, football on Sundays, and gaming after school. Look at some of your favorite decorating magazines, Web sites, and even Pinterest for inspiration.

Enlist the Help of a Professional Painter

Painting your basement is a job best left to the pros. Since a basement paint job requires more meticulous steps to ensure a good result, you’ll want to enlist the help of a professional painter. This is one part of the house where DIY isn’t necessarily the best course of action.

A professional painter has the necessary experience with priming and waterproofing a basement to make sure the job is done right. He or she will recommend the right priming and waterproofing products, as well as the best paint to suit your needs. The correct choices will transform your basement into the space you always imagined it could be.