Finished Basement
AMEK Custom Builders, Bloomington, Minn.
Architect: Firm Two Architecture
Project Goals: The clients wanted an upscale “entertainment parlor” for watching movies, relaxing with friends, and gathering for family game night.
Challenges: The curved staircase and new stair landing posed challenges in balancing design aesthetics with local code requirements. Turning the landing so it faces into the main area rather than a back hall forced load-bearing portions to be moved and modified.
The ceiling over the game area required extra skill. Carpenters and electricians had to cut holes for wiring through the 4-inch-thick fir beams as well as scribe the beams to the curved soffit. Each stair step was hand-crafted with custom-cut treads, and the underside of each step individually drywalled.
Solutions: The main area is divided into a stonework theater, a custom bar, and a gaming table. The game area was given its own personality with solid Douglas fir ceiling beams, stone wall pillars, and tile flooring. A fitness room, guest bedroom, and bathroom with a walk-in shower are also part of the project. One special feature is a kid-size hideaway under the curved steps. Artwork is featured along the stair wall in small openings with recessed lighting.
A home control system regulates room temperature, in-floor heat, accent lighting, and all electronics. All mechanicals were relocated in the curved walls and ceiling soffits.
What the judges said: “A very clever design … this is a great example of extending the living space to feel more like the ‘lower level,’ not the negative stigma that sometimes comes with a basement.”
