Basement Craft Room Anyone?
 

Right now my craftroom is located upstairs in a spare bedroom. I like it, but think I am kind of outgrowing it with "stuff". My basement is unfinished and I thought it would be nice to create a craft room down there and have more storage options, etc. While my basement isn't wet (doesn't leak) I do think there is some dampness in it. I don't know if it would have a huge impact most of the things...but wonder about the cardstock/paper/fabric. We have a pellet stove which keeps it drier in Fall and Winter. We have a dehumidifier that I could probably run in the room but figured that would increase the energy bill. For those of you with craft rooms in the basement, are you happy with them? Would you do it differently? Are there any things you would suggest? TIA

I've not had a problem in the year that I have been in our basement, HOWEVER, it is a walkout so not your typically damp basement since we do have pretty good airflow and circulation down there. I think it also helps that we spend much of our day down there (my kids playroom is also in the basement) so the air doesn't get stale.

Could you get a dehumidifier that only runs when the humidity reaches a certain level? I know the humidifier that is in our bedroom has a built in guage so it will flip on only when needed. I'm not sure if dehumidifiers work the same way or not.

I have a walkout basement also and my studio is down there. I've had no issues either. I love having the "room." We have a dehumidifier in a certain room in our basement that the door stays closed most of the time and it has a shut off valve and doesn't run when the container is full. So they are out there with the safety features you are looking for.

Good luck!!

When I had my room down in the basement, the only thing I noticed was with my envelopes~ they were sealed shut. I had to buy new ones and store them upstairs... everything else was fine.

I run into the same problem with my envelopes.

But other than that, I love my space in the basement. We run a Dehumidifier down there too.

I live in Atlanta also known as HOTlanta.

I have an unfinished basement that is actually underground. I run a dehumidifier pretty much constantly and have not had any problems. I use the water I collect to water my plants since we are on heavy water restrictions due to the drought- so I think of it almost as a bonus. :cool:

I wouldn't trade my space for anything. Well maybe walls. lol

It's 10'x20' and I love having room to spread out. I also have a LSS worth of stuff. Ok maybe not an LSS- more like an Archiver's worth of stuff :mrgreen:

now don't get me wrong I do wish I had finished walls so I can hang shelves, keep it better insulated and to cut down on some of the dust but overall I am thrilled to have my space. I am sure eventually I will put up some walls and maybe even add an HVAC vent.

But until something changes I am more than happy in my giant studio- rough as it may be!

Oh another thing to consider is lighting!

That is my one big hassle right now is that I only have two garage type fluorescent units and neither is directly over my desk. I also only have one outlet which has led to some interesting running of extension cords from the garage back into my space so I can power my computer, extra lamps etc...

I had a huge studio in my finished walk out basement and moved it upstairs into a smaller space with better organization for the lighting and not being so far from the rest of the house. I loved my big space but I hated being in "the dungeon." I LOVE LOVE LOVE my new space with all my IKEA storage and find I am creating much more now.

How cold does it get in your basement in winter?

I have a walkout basement as well, and I love my stuff downstairs, but in the winter, even with the furnace running, I have a space heater warming that part. Plus, where I have my sewing and crafting area has nice windows and for at night, lots of extra lighting (you can get a 2 bulb shop light for under 10 bucks.) I have three: 1 over craft table, 1 over sewing table and 1 over my cutting table.

My laundry is downstairs as well, and I love to stay down there while it's running so I'm not running up and down the stairs with every load. Also downstairs is my newly arranged family room with TV, sofa, etc. and a telephone extension. I feel like I'm in heaven when I'm downstairs!

To the others with regular windows in their walkout basements: are you extra careful about daylight fading cardstock, etc.? I learned from experience.....

I have a basement craft room. And I love it in the summer, Cause it so Much cooler than upstairs.

In the winter time it's not too bad. But I do have a small fan forced heater. That I use.


Sometime this summer I will be redoing my Craft room.

Putting new paint on the walls and making some new curtains for the little windows,

Then putting in a New floor and rearranging everything in my area. Getting rid of some stuff I don't use. And stuff that is not crafting supplies.


I stole an area that once stored ton's of my dh junk of 20 years.

He told me if I cleaned it I could have that space. It took me two weekends to do so.

Now it's mine. and I've been asking for another wall with a door.


Someday I'll get one....Maybe:rolleyes:

I have a small craftroom off the family room of our house. I find that I actually like working in the kitchen better, especially during the winter. Our family room doesn't get much use in the winter because it is so much cooler down there. I think the best thing to do is find where you are most comfy.

I am in the basement and have no problems with dampness. I am in Illinois which is humid, but I'm also in a finished part.
Only issues I have is I'm usually cold so I have a little space heater down there. Than the other thing would be the spiders. But I got one of those sonic plug in bug keep away things and that seems to have eliminated the spiders.
Something I love is a have a well window, it's a long one, comes to 4 feet above floor. To dress it up and make it look nice to look at I decorated the window with some of those sun catchers. And then the plan is the put up a curtain rod with some drapes (gives the affect that there is something nice out the window), and then I will hang some of those colorful pails you get at target that I store paint brushes decor scissors, etc. Oh and I have a oil candle with lavender burning makes it as cheerful and not dreary as possible with not having a window where I can actually see the sky.

We have a small room in our finished basement which is my craft room. The only problem that I have had is the same one that has already been mentioned. My envelopes stick together. Also, it doesn't have a window and it's usually chilly down there. This is the first house that I have lived in that I can have my own craft room so I'm not complaining!

Mine stays relatively cool in the summer. Its not until it gets over 95 or so outside that it's too hot without a fan running.

In the winter i run a radiator and I have a heated massage chair cushion my DH bought me that makes it nice and toasty during the coldest seasons.

I have installed a ceiling fan with reverse blades for summer and winter could that maybe help and is very reasonable cost wise.Best wishes with your new space and I am sure it will be a nice change for you and lots more space which we all need more of.

I used to have my craftroom in a small upstairs bedroom at our old house but we had to move into a ranch style house due to mobility limitations of a family member. In our new house my scrapbook room is in the unfinished basement. Right now I have 2 cement walls & 2 walls that are just wood studs. I have a door opening but no door. It's kind of ugly but I'm going to make the best of it until the economy turns around & I can afford to start decorating. DH has attached rails to some of the studs & put up shelving. He also attached plywood to some studs & hung up my shoe organizer that holds my punches. Last week he put electrical outlets in every wall (before then there were NONE). I am thinking of getting some cement paint & painting the cement walls a cheery color. I may paint the cement floors also. I have also hung a picture on a stud. Since the room has no windows I'm thinking of eventually putting in a french door to let the light in from the windows on the other side of the basement. For lighting I have an assortment of lamps with reveal bulbs and on my work surface I will put my Ott light. Like I said, it's not pretty but it's my space & I can scrap in it. Eventually I will have a much bigger room than I use to have. I just need to be patient & creative. I can do that!

I love my room upstairs, but it gets so hot up there in the summer time and cold in the winter...weird. I would love to have a room of my own on the same floor so that way I can hear and be with my family instead of being so isolated at times. It does have a balcony that I can sit and relax as well.

I've always liked to be in the basement in our other houses though.

Bonnie

My room is in a finished basement. No problem with dampness but there are a few things I don't like: not enough natural light, cold in winter, can't hear the doorbell, feeling "apart" from the rest of the house. On the other hand, it's nice and cool in the summer and I have lots of space and great built-ins so I really shouldn't complain!

I think it all really depends on your home layout and family style.

Wow...thanks for all of the replies. My basement is a walk out also so it might work out fine. I have a pellet stove down in the basement and keep it about 68 in the winter figuring the heat will rise too. Appreciate the replies and the great ideas!! ;)

FYI
Did you know that you can iron them open again?

I had to do that when I worked on the mailing dept. at a university. They messed up an order and we had to iron open the envelopes and add a piece.

Carol
in IN

I had a sewing/craft room in the basement for years and our basement was very dry and not humid. However, I found the lack of natural light and windows to look out was a definite downer. Colors just don't look the same under artificial light and since I've suffered from depression for over 25 years, the natural light was important to me. But it was definitely a bigger space. I took over the formal dining room about 2 years ago because we never used it and I love it.
Mary
www.primitiveseasons.blogspot.com

if my basement didn't smell funny, i'd have moved ALL of my craft stuff down there. but yeah. it has an odd smell. and i much prefer where i am now.

however, before we moved, our basement was finished. and my bedroom was down there. it was great in the summer, so much cooler than anywhere else in the house.

i'd recommend that you get some good sealed storage stuff. plastic boxes with lids and such, for paper and envelopes and things like that. cause once they get damp, they can warp.

My craft room is in our unfinished basement. I haven't had any trouble, I do have to run the dehumidifer quite a bit because it is humid here in Ohio. Stays cool in the summer and not to bad in the winter as the walls are insulated. I bought plain white material and covered the insulation and I painted the ceiling white. This made it quite a bit brighter. Also on one wall was studs but no drywall. I added white peg board.

I spoke with someone at Lowes about lighting for my basement scrapbook room. You can get daylight bulbs for the overhead florescent fixtures that fit in drop ceilings. That is what I am planning to do when we get around to building my room out. I think the daylight bulbs are suppose to give good color rendering & they might help the depression factor because they are suppose to be close to natural light.

Pam

I love my basement for crafting, but just be careful in case of flooding. Several years ago we had a pipe burst under the kitchen sink upstairs, and of course it flooded the basement. At the time I had albums and other important stuff on the floor, and much of it was damaged. So now I'm really careful not to store items that could be ruined on the floor or close to the floor. I also have large rubber bins to protect certain perishables. Just a few things to keep in mind when organizing!

Love this thread (and the pics!). Right now my craft room is in our spare bedroom upstairs. However, in a bit when we have another baby that room will be turned into a nursery and all my goodies will move on to the basement.
Our basement is underground and unfinished, though the walls are painted white so that brightens everything up. We have a super fancy dehumidifier running down there that is computerized so that helps with the dampness and I’ll probably turn it up a bit when I move down there. We’re also setting up a family room and play area so it will be nice to have a space the whole family can gather in (and I can create, hehe). I love the curtain idea!!
We have a lot of window well windows in the one corner so we actually get a lot of light down there which is nice, too :)

Bump

We just moved - 3 weeks ago - but in our old house I had my studio in the basement. The house was new when we moved in and one of the first things we did was finish the basement. In a new construction home in my area one of the basement windows needs to be bigger so that if there is a fire or anything you can get out. This was the space that I used for my studio. I LOVED it. I never really found it damp but I guess that can change depending on where in the country you live. I did have a family/playroom right off my studio so it was great because I could play at the same time as my kids played and could still keep and eye on them.
There were time when I did feel a little separated from the rest of the house but more times than not it was a good thing and nice to "hide" away from everyone else.
The basement was much colder than the rest of the house and in the summer that was great but in the winter I needed to have a little space heater at my feet to keep them warm.

http:////www.splitcoaststampers.com/...0&ppuser=16297
(there are more pictures in my gallery)

We are currently "under construction" in the new house finishing the basement. This time we are putting down something called Dri Core. It is like a subfloor for concete floors. With only this down you can already tell that it is going to be much warmer than at our old house. This time I won't have a window in my studio but I plan on lots of lighting and a great color on the walls. I am very excited!! I had the option of using a room upstairs but I picked the basement.

Just make the space you have your own and you will always enjoy being there to craft.

Good luck with your new space and make sure that you post pictures when you are finished!!

I've got my stamping space in my walk-out finished basement kitchen area. We have a mother-in-law apartment downstairs and I took over the kitchen for my stamping area. The great thing about it is all the work space from the cabinets and lots of storage. I also live in Raleigh, North Carolina so we know a few things about humditiy here! I've not had any problems at all with dampness affecting my things, but it can be fairly damp down there. The only thing that I don't like is that it is separate from the rest of the house. That will probably change when my in-laws come to live with us for 6 months as they will be "around" in the basement living area quite a bit.

I have had my craft room in our unfinished basement for about 3 years now. We have a dehumidifier running almost constantly. Its connected to a hose that is down one of the drains in the floor. That way the dehumidifier doesn't ever have to be emptied! It's awesome. I do have trouble with lighting. I use the natural light bulbs plus I have two Ott Lamps. I bought the lamps at JoAnn's crafts (Online) when they run 50% off specials.

I do keep my laundry caught up since the piles are always right there when I go downstairs to stamp!:rolleyes:

We are finishing the basement and we'll have my craft room and TV room there with a bar and such. It's so much nicer in the summer and the winter isn't bad either. We have all the wall insulated. I think we'll enjoy it.

Just FYI... if you're in an area with the potential for flooding, even if you have flood insurance, your insurance company will not replace anything but the foundation and wall. They won't even pay for the mudding, carpet, etc. They'll pay for utilities that are usually in the basement like water heater, but nothing else. Bummer, huh? So if it starts leaking, haul valuables upstairs where it'll be covered.

That's what we learned last week when calling for a quote.