Ideas For Refinishing Your Basement For A Homeschool Room
Posted on: 13 April 2016
Homeschooling is an option that is being chosen by more and more families, which means that it makes sense to carve out a space in your home to serve as the main learning area. Otherwise, you may end up with school books and science projects taking over the kitchen table or living room. An unfinished basement provides just the blank canvas you need to create a learning room that is separate from the rest of the home, allowing you to shut the door on half finished projects until the following day. The following are a few ideas to inspire you as you finish out the space.
Idea #1: Choose Durable Flooring
You may be tempted to put carpeting into a basement to help insulate against the cold concrete. The only issue is that art projects and science experiments can damage carpet quite quickly. In most cases, a hard flooring is a better option. You can simply paint or polish the concrete for a simple yet attractive floor. Another option is to install a thin insulated subfloor and then install tile or laminate over the top. This will add a bit of warmth and cushioning, but still allow for easy cleanup. You can then use strategically placed rugs for areas where you want more warmth or cushioning.
Idea #2: Add a Kitchenette
Take some inspiration from the basement bars of a bygone era and create a small wet bar/kitchenette area in one corner of the basement. A small sink and work top can be especially useful for homeschooling. This provides a cleanup area for art projects as well as a location near running water for a myriad of science projects. You may even want to add a small electric burner or microwave for any projects that require heat, along with storage space for some useful electric tools, such as a blender for a paper making project. This will save your home's main kitchen (and appliances) for cooking food, not school work.
Idea #3: Include Plenty of Storage
School books, classroom supplies, educational games, and everything else that goes into a full curriculum and healthy learning environment requires storage space. Integrate storage into permanent fixtures. For example, create a reading nook out of low benches and a half-wall or curtains. The benches can also double as storage for the books used in the nook. For items you want to keep out of reach, add storage cubbies around the upper perimeter of the walls. This will free up floor space. You may even want to install a large walk-in closet in the basement to act as a simple supply closet.
Idea #4: Bring In Some Daylight
One issue with a basement learning area is the lack of natural light. One idea is to add in some full-size egress windows when you finish the space. Not only does this allow more light into the basement, it also provides an exit in the event of a fire. Just make sure there are ladders leading up from the bottom of the window well. You can even go a step further and have a walk-out window installed, which will lead up to ground level via outdoor stairs. This way, the kids can run outside and back in without tracking through the upstairs of the house throughout the day.
For more information, contact Hopley Builders Inc or a similar company.
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