Basement Rec Room Refresh, Part Une: The Plan

A Finished Basement That Never Felt Finished

Our basement rec room refresh began with a room that was already finished and furnished—but still lacked a clear direction. With a few strategic changes, some creative rearranging and mostly pieces we already owned, we set out to give the space a moodier, more collected personality without undertaking a full renovation.

Now you know I love French country, but my husband wanted something more masculine for this space. So that’s the direction we took when this space was finished. The furniture works, the room has plenty of personality, and our railroad collection gives it character all its own. Still, something has always felt a little disconnected.

Rather than replacing everything, I began wondering how much of a difference we could make with a few carefully chosen changes. Could one large rug, a dark accent wall, warmer lighting, and some thoughtful styling transform the room using mostly things we already own?

That question became the inspiration for our basement rec-room refresh.

The plan is to lean into what the room already does well: warm brown furniture, black accents, a rustic faux-cowhide rug, vintage railroad pieces, and several elements painted in a unique metallic burnt bronze. Instead of fighting its masculine, slightly industrial and rustic personality, we’re going to embrace it—and make the entire space feel warmer, more layered, and more intentional.

This is Part Une: the room before, the inspiration behind the new direction, and the plan we’re about to put to the test. Follow along for Part Deux, Part Trois, and however many chapters it takes until we get it right!

Finding the Direction for Our Basement Rec Room Refresh

I asked Sophie Sees to envision this room differently. If you aren’t familiar with what Sophie Sees is, it is the virtual design service on my website that helps people envision the possibilities for their space before making changes.

This is the concept it created, and I was hooked! I absolutely love this look. I love how it warms the space and ties every element in what is already a rather spacious room. I love the idea of layering rugs, and I especially love the dark accent wall!

I requested two additional concepts with variations in the rug colors, so it could help me in my rug search.

So, this is my muse. Let’s see if we can make it happen!

Working With What We Already Own

I don’t really want to make a large investment in this project. I am perfectly happy keeping the sofa and other furniture. Instead, I want to embrace some of the room’s strongest features, including the burnt-bronze painted elements, the faux-cowhide rug, and the vintage train collection.

The inspiration image also includes items such as a decorative tray on the coffee table, books on the shelf, throws and greenery—all things I already have. If you’ve read some of my other blog posts, you know I’m a big fan of “shopping my own home”. I only need to purchase a couple of small items and one large rug.

The Search for the Right Rug

Coordinating a traditional area rug with a cowhide—and navigating misleading online colors—can be a challenge! I love the rug in the inspiration, but the closest thing to it, a nearly identical match, cost more than $400. That’s not something I could easily justify, especially to my husband, so the search began for a more affordable option.

After a LOT of searching, I finally found what I hope will work. It should—IF the colors look the same as they do online.

Our Basement Rec Room Refresh Plan

Here’s the plan: paint the wall behind the bar Tricorn Black. Why Tricorn Black? Because I already have leftover paint from painting our front door!

Then we’ll cross our fingers that the rug works, restyle the display shelf and coffee table with items I mostly already own, remove some of the pillows, and rearrange throws.

Piece of cake—right?

Will Our Design Plan Work?

Besides the rug, I have a steam locomotive print and a really cool pair of cast-iron pillar candle holders on the way. Everything else I need is already here.

Can paint, one large rug, and a few styling changes really transform the entire room without replacing the furniture? Stay tuned and come back for Part Deux to find out!