Moral Dilema with Design help

[Karpro]

Built a new house last spring with about 2000 square feet of virgin basement space. Wife has given me green light to start thinking about making mancave down there (of course wallet hasn't green lighted project yet). My dilema is the fact that I'm not creative enough to come up with a good layout for the floorplan. I've stood down there thinking and trying to imagine the layout but just can't get it. There are a ton of companies in my area that will do free estimates for finishing the basement which will obviously include them having to design the project. Being in sales myself I hate to let someone spend time here doing the work when I have no intentions of letting them do the work but I would love to tap into a bunch of different peoples ideas on setting this up.

Do I let them come over and waste there time, offer to pay just for design ideas or just try to figure it out myself?

[Quads]

I'd do a little of both.

Questions:
Are you planning on doing the work (or most of) yourself?
What size space are we working with?
What kind of budget are you thinking? (see Q#1)
What do you want to have down there? Wet bar, theater, req area, poker room, etc. etc. etc.?

I think with a little collective effort, perhaps some of the 'free design' ideas from the locals, and you'll be well on your way to knowing what you want, what you don't and the cost / effort involved.

[beachtrader]

Yeah, what do you want to use the space for? Once you have that figured out, the plan will come easy.

[Karpro]

I've got about 2000 square feet to work with. I do plan on doing the majority of the work myself. It has already been roughed in for the full bath. Would like to put in 2 bedrroms for the kids as they get older. need some storage areas, sewing area for the wife and the rest is mine. want the gameroom (pool table, poker table, etc) and workshop area.

As for budget, this will be a pay as I go job with me doing what I can when I can. I am in commisioned sales so the cash flow is very uneven. When there is extra I'll spend it and the months I don't it'll sit.

I'll try to figure a way to get a picture up here of the layout and see if some of you guys can help.

[Bets5150]

Nothing to add...just hating on you...because I live in SoCal, my house is 1200 SQ FT...no basement and I probably paid twice as much as you...I need to move...Ok Time for me to :stfu:

[Karpro]

Nothing to add...just hating on you...because I live in SoCal, my house is 1200 SQ FT...no basement and I probably paid twice as much as you...I need to move...Ok Time for me to :stfu:

if you're in socal you probably paid 3-5 times as much, but its going to snow here next week so you still win.

[Quads]

Where is the bathroom in relation to the stairs?
Where is the HVAC, WH, etc. etc?
Are we working with a square box? etc.

Bust out pbrush and give us something to start with.

[MsprinM]

Im sure between all of us on here we can come up with something.

Also need to know what size pool and poker tables you want.

[Karpro]

whipped something up on excel, not sure how to post it

[Quads]

Probably best to do a screen shot of it, and post it to the forum using photobucket or imageshack or something.

If that doesn't work, email it to me and I'll post it for you.

[Quads]

You can also tinker with a free / open source online (flash based) floor planning tool here:
http://floorplanner.com/tryit/

[Karpro]

here's a quick layout of what I've got. The circles are poles.

http://i416.photobucket.com/albums/pp250/Karpro/floorplan.jpg

[beachtrader]

Would like to put in 2 bedrroms for the kids as they get older.

The first problem I see is that you have only one window/egress area. That means unless you can put another in you should only have one bedroom down there. Fire rules are pretty strict about this sort of stuff.

[Trann]

Gotta ask if the 17' and 19' walls on the top side are displaced like that (appears to be 2' offset) or are they actually in-line with each other? Is the bottom-right space 12'x12'? Is the bottom-middle space offset from the top by 2'?

I'd like to draw up something a bit more accurate.

I originally started university in the faculty of architecture, too, so this stuff really turns my crank...

[wyatt880]

Along what Trann is asking... the poles next to the 19' wall look odd to me - I'm wondering why they didn't just move that wall in the couple of feet to take the load instead.

Must be the Civil Engineer in me talking...

[Karpro]

the offsets are pretty accurate. when we built the house there was an option to push the back wall on the right side out a couple of feet which puts the poles in line with the wall on the other side.

As for the bottom area, the far right area is actually a little more like 10' wide x 12' deep. The measurements on that bottom wall should be more like 19, 12, 7, 10

[Trann]

Can you describe the stairs? Is the door an under-stair storage, meaning it moves down to the left?

[Trann]

I forged on...

I'm way into open concepts. Minimal walls means you can multi-purpose the space and not lock yourself into anything. That said, here's what I have and some notes on it.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y4/PokerTrann/PMC/floorplan.gif

Grey is functional; white is open to various uses.

Zone A: Unsure of code here; does an egress have to be accessable by all in the basement space or just a bedroom? I've slated this as a bedroom.
Zone B/C: combined open entertainment area.
Zone D: Home theatre/movie/console game corner.
Zone E: Utility area, with 3' door for moving large items in/out. Door aligned with that under stairwell. Post placed behind thsi wall.
Zone F: open work space. Storage/shelving, perhaps. Interchangable with G but one con is that clearance must be left to access the door to G.
Zone G: office space or sewing room. Interchangable with F.

[j p frog]

I like the ideas

but....

I am trying to figure out what the "moral dilemma" is?? were you going to give the same space to a homeless family if you didn't remodel? .... inquiring minds want to know. J/K

[Karpro]

Can you describe the stairs? Is the door an under-stair storage, meaning it moves down to the left?

The stairs are fully enclosed on each side as you come down them. There is a small landing at the bottom with a door on the left. In the basement itself there is open space under the staircase.

[Karpro]

I am trying to figure out what the "moral dilemma" is?? were you going to give the same space to a homeless family if you didn't remodel? .... inquiring minds want to know. J/K

I didn't want to call the local remodeling guys, have them out measuring and costing out the job just trying to get my hands on their plans with no intentions of actually spending any money with them. I sell for a living and would hate to do this to someone.

[beachtrader]

Here is a quick plan.

It divides the basement into the finished and unfinished parts. The unfinished parts are the storage area and the shop/sewing area for you. It places a bar in a corner because you can access water/drain if you wish. The plan also hides all the utilities and the bathroom. It allows for one bedroom because unless you put another window you probably can't have another. If you place the tv on the wall with the stairs the main room is a home theater. The side room which isn't closed off can handle the poker/pools tables. Its a simple open area plan which you can easily change depending on the furniture you put in there.


http://beachtrader.net/floorplan.jpg

[Trann]

Here is a quick plan.
Quit stealing my plans! 8)

[Trann]

The stairs are fully enclosed on each side as you come down them. There is a small landing at the bottom with a door on the left. In the basement itself there is open space under the staircase.

Ok, so the main floor is on the left side of that stair and the basement is to the right? UP <-|-|-|-|-|-> Down?

I don't get the door. If it's at the bottom, where does it go without walls around it?
EDIT: Oo, I get it: fully enclosed and you turn to the door to get out of the stairwell and arrive in the basement?

My plan needs reworking: I thought the stairs were the other way 'round...

[beachtrader]

Quit stealing my plans! 8)

Ha, ha. Didn't really see that before. It's the natural layout. The only alternative I debated is partially walling the section to the left of the stair (on my layout, the poker/pool table area). from the stairs to the first pole.

[Trann]

Ok, reworked...

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y4/PokerTrann/PMC/floorplan2.gif

I'd remove the door at the bottom of the stairwell and make a foyer-like area (Zone E) to land in. Large double/french doors into the entertainment area.

If the utilities to the north are exposed, I'd wall them up and use bifold doors or the like for access.

Drop in a wide door at the other end to hide the other utilities and Zone G (storage/shop/sewing area).

Rather than a wall behind the steps, I'd put in a door and make that the office.

[Trann]

Ha, ha. Didn't really see that before. It's the natural layout. The only alternative I debated is partially walling the section to the left of the stair (on my layout, the poker/pool table area). from the stairs to the first pole.

Yeah, if a closed-space is what's wanted for privacy or noise or whatever, I've got similar thoughts of an L-shaped hallway to the bedroom and doors going out left and right...

Aw, heck, PS is open anyway... *scribble scribble scribble*. There.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y4/PokerTrann/PMC/floorplan3.gif

Shift that one wall in the bedroom down a bit to be flush with the exterior and gain some closet space.

[beachtrader]

Yeah, if a closed-space is what's wanted for privacy or noise or whatever, I've got similar thoughts of an L-shaped hallway to the bedroom and doors going out left and right...

Aw, heck, PS is open anyway... *scribble scribble scribble*. There.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y4/PokerTrann/PMC/floorplan3.gif

Shift that one wall in the bedroom down a bit to be flush with the exterior and gain some closet space.

I'd modify the hallway ending to Zone A (the bedroom). Make the hallway even on both sides to the end, have the door right in the middle of the hallway and then make the space to the upper left end of the hallway a closet. Better use of dead space.

[Trann]

I'd modify the hallway ending to Zone A (the bedroom). Make the hallway even on both sides to the end, have the door right in the middle of the hallway and then make the space to the upper left end of the hallway a closet. Better use of dead space.

Yeah, that's right: shift the N/S run a bit to the left, aligned with the bedroom's left wall.

Damn, we're good.

[Quads]

I really like the latest one from Trann, but in Zone A, I'd take that wall out on the RHS nad make it match where the LHS wall is. Basically, pulling it out to the pole and then shooting a 45* angle to the basement / concrete wall.