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Effie Row

Build What You Love

October 6, 2015

Basement Made Beautiful Part 2: Framing & Lighting the Space

With the basement cleared out, the master plan in mind, and the plumbing and waterproofing drains in place, it was on to the next step: framing and electrical.

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It’s no secret that I hired a contractor to do a majority of the basement project. And from day one, when the framing went up, I knew that I had made the right decision. For me, figuring out how to properly frame around the various obstacles would have been like trying to solve a rubix cube: totally doable, but not without messing up, starting over and messing up again.

1904 rowhome basement transformation - framing and lighting the space | EffieRow.com

#basementrenovation #basementtransformation #basementreno #smallbasement #darkbasement #basementbathroom #basementaddition #exposedbasementceiling

Had it not been for the exposed beams, the HVAC system, a sunken entryway, drains, and other quirks that had to be framed around, we totally would have tackled the project ourselves. But I can’t tell you what a joy it was to come home after just one day of work to find the entire space framed out perfectly.

#basementrenovation #basementtransformation #basementreno #smallbasement #darkbasement #basementbathroom #basementaddition #exposedbasementceiling

Once the framing was complete, we could move on to lighting. But before any electrical wires showed up, there was one significant change that contributed greatly to lighting the space: painting the ceiling white.

Before we embarked on the basement project, I knew that I wanted the century-old beams left exposed. Eric, however, was more than skeptical…

Thankfully, Eric trusts me (most of the time), so the beams were primed with an oil-based paint from Sherwin Williams. But when a topcoat of latex paint was applied, all the awful stains  (100+ years worth) started to come through. So it was back to a third coat of the oil-based primer, which worked beautifully, and that is how we left it. So moral of the story: use oil-based paint.

One thing neither of us had any doubts about was the lighting. And by that I mean that we both knew that lighting was not something we were going to skimp on. In its original state, the basement (stairway included) only had two lights. And by two lights, I mean two light bulbs. Nothing more. Any task other than simple laundry nearly required a headlamp.

And while a couple of flush mount light fixtures would have done the job, they wouldn’t exactly have helped our cause of making the space seem brighter and larger than it actually was. So in came recessed lights – half a dozen of them and then some.

In the bathroom, we planned for vanity lights and an overhead light. But we also had to meet the building code requirement of ventilation. Fortunately, there are some awesome vent/light combinations out there these days that look like nothing more than a recessed light.

Have I convinced you yet just how important lighting is in your basement remodel? No?! Well then check out the following before and after pictures to see what a few recessed lights can do before a space is even finished!

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Filed Under: Basement, Renovations & Remodels Kate

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Comments

  1. 1

    Todd says

    April 21, 2020 at 7:01 pm

    Very nice. I want to paint my basement ceiling as well. I’m thinking white, to make it brighter, but my spouse is thinking black. Why did you choose white?

    • 2

      April 23, 2020 at 4:29 am

      Hi Todd! I also debated between black or white. We went with white because the basement ceiling was overall low and I wanted the space to seem bigger and brighter (with only one small window). Personally I loved the white once it was done, but I’ve seen some amazing pics of black floor joists (as a basement ceiling).

  2. 3

    Bri says

    May 12, 2020 at 8:21 pm

    Hello and thanks for sharing! We are planning a basement renovation and also plan to just paint the ceiling rather than trying to drywall around the systems and losing precious headspace. Did you use regular can lights? And if so, were you able to paint them so they blend in? I’m not finding options that seem designed to be exposed rather than tucked out of sight behind drywall. Thanks!

    • 4

      May 13, 2020 at 4:31 am

      Yep! Regular can lights but the opening of the hole was taped off prior to spraying/painting the entire ceiling. I was super happy with how well they blended in. It’s obviously an industrial look but they are the exact same color as the ceiling so they don’t really stand out. Good luck with your reno!

  3. 5

    Saps says

    November 22, 2020 at 9:31 pm

    Hi!! How low is your basement ceiling? Ours is really low, around 6 feet which has made me feel like it’s not usable but looking online is giving me hope and was curious about yours! Thanks!

    • 6

      November 27, 2020 at 7:57 am

      I think we were right around 6’6″ to 6’8″ to the bottom of the beams.

  4. 7

    Erin E Munich says

    January 18, 2021 at 3:29 am

    What brand of can lights did you use and where did you get them? My hubs his having a hard time finding can lights that can fasten between our exposed basement beams.

    • 8

      January 18, 2021 at 5:56 am

      I think they were Halo brand but we’ve since moved so I can’t say for sure. Try searching for new-construction recessed lights specifically (which will have the arms that reach out to attach to beams on either side).

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