Adding a Bathroom to the Basement
As part of our basement remodel, we decided to add a full bathroom down there. You can read more about our basement renovation here and here.
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Before we finished the basement, our house had one and a half bathrooms. Being a family of four and especially when having overnight guests, we had always wanted to add another bathroom. We still had a plan to add a master bathroom down the line, but that was for another day.
So when planning the layout of the basement for finishing it, we wondered if we could fit a bathroom down there, too. The basement would be a hang out and home theater, so having a bathroom right there would be convenient. Also, we planned on using the basement as a guest room as well. The couch would be a sleeper, and there would be room on the floor for air mattresses so an entire family could stay over. With that in mind, a full bathroom sounded ideal.
Here are pictures of the basement before the renovation (excuse the mess!). The opposite side of this is the main living space with the windows. Looking on this side, to the left of the stairs would be the laundry room, and to the right would be the bathroom. It would be in front of what would be the “furnace room,” so there would also be a door to it in the bathroom. (Behind the furnace room is the crawl space for storage.)
We weren’t dealing with a lot of space, so we opted for a stand up corner shower and a small vanity. However it feels larger because there is also the side that has the furnace room door.
Adding a Bathroom to the Basement
Some Fun Details
1. Shower Niche
When designing the shower, I really loved the look of a niche, but it is also a great choice in such a small shower!
2. An Extra Sconce
Adding another single sconce on the other side of the bathroom by the furnace door is a cute touch but also adds light in a spot where recessed lights weren’t possible.
3. Lots of Hooks
So that a family could stay overnight, I wanted to make sure there were lots of places to hang towels.
4. Black Hexagon Tiles
In full disclosure, having a black floor in the bathroom isn’t super practical from a cleaning perspective. It does show everything. However, I don’t regret having it here. It doesn’t get quite as much use as the bathroom upstairs does so there’s less mess, and I love the look of it too much to care about cleaning it a little more often!
5. Pocket Door
Because of the small size and for convenience, we went with a pocket door. It’s also nice to leave it open when not in use to give a more open feel and because I love to look at that floor 😉
6. Decorative Items
Finally I added some finishing touches, including a round mirror, little signs, plants and a wire basket for toilet paper storage.
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14 Comments
LeeAnn Varga
Great job Liz! We’ve done a couple basement renovations and they are huge jobs but have enormous pay out (functionally at least!!)
Liz
Thanks, LeeAnn! Super huge job, but so happy with it (and glad it’s done-phew!)
Lori Walsh
Love this ❤️ We totally did a niche in our walk in shower as well. No regrets.
Liz
Thanks, Lori! I love that niche!
Mariana Kapusinski
What a beautiful bathroom! I love the black tile! We just finished our basement and added a full bath down there as well. It’s so convenient!
Liz
Thanks, Mariana! It’s a game changer, right? Even just having the basement finished is so nice.
Adele
What an amazing transformation!!
Liz
Thanks so much!
Kinsley Castro
Hi, we are thinking of doing something very similar to your basement remodel. Could you share the budget for the bathroom?
Liz
I sent you an email 🙂
Deb
Liz,
What a fantastic renovation! Just beautiful!!! I am in the process of planning our basement renovation. Would you mind sharing with me the size of your basement space? The layout is similar to ours and I am just interested in seeing if we have the same amount of space to add all the elements that you have in your space (extra bathroom, laundry room, separate furnace room, and cozy living space).
Thank you in advance!
Deb
Liz
Thanks so much! It really has added so much to our home, and I know you will love yours! Our basement is approximately 400 square feet, not including the unfinished part behind the bathroom (the furnace area and crawl space for storage). Let me know if you have any more questions!
Michelle
Love this bathroom! We just added a basement bathroom and used yours as inspiration. What color paint did you use for the walls? Thank you!
Liz
Thanks so much, that means a lot! The color is SW repose gray