apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Hello CB,

I live in a Basement-level apartment myself. I definitely find using other forms of lighting like floor lamps and table lamps are better than using the ceiling lights,which tend to make the place look smaller and more claustrophobic. I would opt for floor lamps that wash light up to make the room appear taller. Also, mirrors are very helpful in reflecting light around your apartment and also makes rooms look bigger too.

Good luck with your new space!

I'd say paint the top half of the walls (above the trim) a light color like white or white with a little bit of X (X = some color).

I would work with whites and cream colors, like a white throw rug, white linen throw pillows, curtains, just make the color scheme light. Also I would definitely get some floor lamps and table lamps to put around the room for extra lighting.
A neat thing I saw on tv the other day for a lamp is to get one at a yard sale, then wrap rope or hemp cord around the base all the way up it. It looks very organic and nice, yet very inexpensive.

Scale is very important in a space like this. I agree the mirrors will help, just make sure to place them where you can reflect your natural light sources. And make sure they are large enough to be pieces of interest as well.

As far as paint color, choose a very light shade of whatever accent color you want. You can get a soft white and have the mixer add a touch of color to it. I find in dark spaces you either craftily work with against it or embrace it.

I would paint the fireplace as well, probably the same color as the molding for visual continuity. If you use area rugs go with a larger size in a natural color.

Designpirate, I love the rope look as well. It looks great covering pipes as well.

I lived in a basement apartment for 10 years with natural light much like the place you have. The most important thing is to move light around. I'd suggest painting a lighter or brighter color and do an eggshell finish (it'll reflect rather than soak up light). You also need lots of ambient lighting. Floor lamps that throw light up onto the ceiling are key. You also need to go with the vibe of that part of the apartment. It's a cozy space, so if you try to do anything too severe, it'll be off.

Definitely needs some color and strategic lighting. It looks like unfinished drywall right now.

Good ideas already. I echo the suggestions for mirrors, glossy paint and up-lighters.
I also enjoyed my basement apartments much more when I arranged the rooms according to the natural light sources. The darker areas were reserved for candle-lit dining, the television and a reading chair paired with its own lamp.

I know mirrors and lamps have already been mentioned, getting more specific, I like the look of a lamp directly in front of a mirror.

For example, put a console table along a wall with a casement framed mirror (as I saw on AT the other day) hanging on the wall above the table. Placing a table lamp on the console table right in front of the mirror will increase the light and give depth.

Have fun!

This is probably an idea resulting from too much coffee-intake today, but how about painting a pale color on the walls (I like everybody's idea of a white with a tint to it), then put 3 or so decent-sized plants (snake plant or similar, those things don't need any light) along that long wall and put some subtle uplights behind the plants? Can you change that light fixture out for something that has multiple bulbs that can be pointed in more than one direction than straight down?

My suggestion would be instead of staying with the c 2000 Pottery Barn taupe look, to go for lighter colors on the walls and then bright accent colors throughout.

I would suggest keeping the molding white (please!). We moved into a house with all the molding painted gray and it was simply depressing. A friend of mine moved into a house where all the molding had been painted brown and a couple of years later she was still swearing at the previous owners.

(It took me a few minutes to figure out DF's comment, but that's right: the walls actually do look like unfinished, taped drywall!)

Of course, you could also go for a cozy look:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/happyjanssens/433179699/in/set-72157600025082938/

In terms of livability, I sometimes find that creating a feeling of visual flow through the space using movement, definition and dimension could work as well as trying to be 'light'. In that spirit, what about painting the dark middle rooms dark colors then have lighter wall colors in the rooms at each end? It'll pull the eye through to the light sources at each end of the apt and give a sense of space and coherence. I have a railroad with a creamy yellow kitchen, darker espresso brown bedroom, and a light pink living room beyond , all with gloss warm white trim and its great on the eyes. Don't be afraid to be defined and bold with colors for small rooms, it really makes them sing.

What about a light box hung (or mounted) on one of the walls? It's feels really new and contemporary (maybe not your style) but could almost feel like a "window" on one of the long walls.

Maybe have a photograph backlit by the fluorescent lights--definitely "green" and pays homage to artist Jeff Wall. Or put a bright, interesting (and interchangeable) paper in the front of the lightbox.

I concur to the tinted white.
Cool colors will seem to recede and make the area look larger.

You need some sort of vertical accent pieces. The suggested floor lamps would work; so would the suggested snake plants. Other plants that would be content with flourescent lighting include cast-iron plant (aspidistra), ferns, philodendrons and pothos, some ivies. (the cast-iron plant would also be a suitable vertical accent, and philos/ivies can be trained on a stake to get vertical. Ok, I'm starting to get this kind of shady, forest-floor vibe which you could add to with those grapevine lamps from a previous post.)

You could make a feature of some sort of small sconces going down that long wall. The lightbox is a cool idea.

For your furniture and decor, bring in some light-reflective materials like glass and metal.

If you decide on strong colors, see if you can get/make a sample to see how it looks in your light.

Good luck!

I would paint that middle detail the same color as the wall. I would NOT split the wall into two colors. You have a low ceiling - having something that moves the eye strongly horizontally and which cuts the wall in half does not work - as folks have said, you need to get the eye to move up and across the space, plus add light.

It looks like the wall pops out a few inches towards the front of the photo. If that corresponds to a logical break in the use of the space, I would paint the two portions of the walls different shades of the same color, to differentiate them. I, too, would get away from the taupe. I'm also not sure about the white door moldings, etc. - I'd need to see them up close to determine whether they're interesting enough to highlight and what they do to the visual flow.

One end of your apartment is all doors and moldings and the radiator - I would simplify it visually, direct it. Consider painting the two walls with the doors a different shade - darker - than the walls. That would turn it into an interesting architectural detail. I would still stay with a very light color (or maybe a great, buttery yellow. Yeah, I know - yellow? Not that shade - look at some of the hues with more depth... look at the yellows pottery barn uses - you want to light the place...)

How you make all this work with your fireplace is something I don't know. The colors in it move you towards a pinky color - maybe a very light Italian terra cotta?

The apartment looks very promising - play with it and it will work.