• Basement room designroom image by Andrey Rakhmatullin from Fotolia.com
  
  Walkout basements have full-door exterior exits not requiring access to the home's interior. Some basements have exits that lead to stairs rising to ground level; others are built into a slope and have doors that lead out to ground level at the bottom of the slope. Either type of walkout basement can be finished, adding to a home's living space.
  
  

Recreation Room

• Finished basements can be turned into recreation, family or playrooms. Begin with a simple playroom that changes to meet a growing family's needs. Make it bright and cheery, with easy-to-clean, safe surfaces. If the basement is large, carpet one area and tile another. That way, it works for a broader range of activities. Cushion posts or columns by wrapping with carpet to avoid injury.
  
  

Study Room or Home Office

• Create a basement study area, with plenty of lighting, desks, tables and bookshelves, for older children, or, if you work from home or have a side business or hobby, transform your walkout basement into an office with a secure separate entrance. Insulating the basement with sound-deadening acoustic panels allows for a quiet office workspace, even when the family is home.
  
  

Fitness Room or Home Gym

• Convert your basement into a home gym and provide a space for treadmills, stationary bikes, weight machines and punching bags that is out of the way of your living area. Enlarge the feel by mounting mirrors on walls and a television above the workout area. Add a sauna or steam room and a shower area for convenience.
  
  

Home Theater

• Transform your basement into a home theater. Choose an area without windows, and cover the walls with fabric or other acoustic material. Built-in cabinets or a utility area allows unsightly cords and wires to be out of sight. Integrate the speakers and lighting into the walls and ceiling during framing, for a more spacious feel. Install a projection screen or a large plasma or LCD television on the long wall and arrange furniture in a semicircle to give the best view.
  
  

Apartment

• Make your basement pay for itself by creating and renting an apartment. Add a kitchen and bath, living space and bedroom. Remember that bedrooms need exterior access, so include a window large enough for egress. Ventilate the kitchen and use fireproof wall, floor and ceiling coverings there. If plumbing and drains are required, cutting the concrete is messy, so create a step-up bathroom with room for plumbing underneath and toilets specially designed for basements.
  
  

Considerations

• Basements are prone to dampness that can cause mold and damage to furniture, walls and flooring; address environmental dampness before building. Fit the furnace with a dehumidifier. Use proper insulation to keep the area comfortable.
  
  Plan lighting carefully. For a playroom, home office or apartment, be sure natural lighting is available; using French doors will add more windows. Use sconces, up-lights, directional lighting and recessed lights for a warm effect.
  
  

Utility Room

• Basements typically house furnaces, water heaters and pressure tanks. When framing in a mechanical area, be sure to allow large access doors for repairs or replacement.