Basement Remodel

Space Planning

The primary challenge was to reconfigure the room so that visitors no longer landed at the base of the stairway with no idea which way to turn. "There was no compartmentalization, no feeling of specific spaces," Schwartze says. "It was just one big, open space."

The architects redirected the stairway through a new landing to lead guests toward comfy sofas and a fireplace. A grid of decorative ceiling beams adds visual texture and conceals plumbing—the architects avoided moving wires, pipes, and ductwork in order to control costs.