When Pat and Debra Decker decided to renovate their basement, they knew that just a handful of improvements wouldn’t create the kind of top-to-bottom transformation they wanted.
Thanks to some very meticulous planning and intensive work by Functional Living Design Group, the new basement offers a night-and-day difference from the old one, sporting a bar, kitchen and living area in addition to a full personal training studio. The Powell homeowners had previously worked with Functional Living to remodel their kitchen, back when the company was known as Organized Home Remodeling, and were confident it could come up with a plan that would accommodate everything they wanted.
The Deckers first contacted the remodeler in 2014 to transform their laundry room into a full-size mudroom, which reconfigured the layout of their garage. The kitchen came next, in 2018, followed by the basement in 2021.
The Basement
The training studio was central to the Deckers’ goals for the basement, as Pat had long been planning to get into personal training after retirement. After getting all of his relevant certifications during the early days of COVID-19, he knew Empower Fitness by Patrick needed a space that would feel intimate to clients who didn’t like the idea of working out in a large gym facility during a pandemic.
On top of that, the couple wanted to add a basement bar, which had long appealed to them, as well as a living area and plenty of storage space for Pat’s sizable collection of holiday decorations.
“(The idea) really continued to develop as we were looking at all the space we had down there (and) how we could utilize it,” he says.
Functional Living put together a set of renderings dividing up the space: bar, training studio, living space, storage area, plus a bathroom that had been roughed in when the house was built. The company also had to completely realign the stairway down to the basement, creating a grander appearance with a luxury vinyl tile cap on each step and gold sconces all the way down.
“They almost give off a theater-type … look as you come down the stairway,” Pat says.
The framer hired by the company happened to be a former Olympian, and he helped Pat figure out which walls in the training space needed extra support and which would be best suited for equipment such as resistance bands. The electrician determined where to put lights to highlight the entryway into the studio, as well as where to place dedicated outlets for equipment. Barn
doors leading into the space are made with reclaimed wood to make it more welcoming, and a large mirror was installed on the wall that would maximize lighting.
A sitting area with a desk, computer and filing cabinet; an egress window; and a walk-in closet for clients’ personal effects fills out the studio area. Access panels for the electrical and security systems are plentiful throughout, making it easy to care for equipment, which is placed strategically throughout the space.
The bar – equipped with a microwave, dishwasher and refrigerator – is built with more reclaimed wood and an epoxy river running through the middle. A mirrored shelf holds liquor bottles, backlit cabinets further improve the visuals, a gold farmhouse sink draws attention to itself and a sizable backsplash complements the stacked stone aesthetic. The dark blue cabinets match well with the light blue vein on the countertop, Pat says.
The living area is highlighted by an electric fireplace that not only maximizes the visual appeal of the flame, but can heat the entire space. Easily moved chairs and an ottoman in the center pair well with the shelf jam-packed with games, and luxury vinyl tile can be found throughout the entire basement area.
The basement bathroom is equipped with a full shower and a boldly-patterned porcelain tile.
The Kitchen
Prior to the remodel, the kitchen was very dated and closed off from the rest of the house. A small desk area in the corner, multi-level island and large cabinet dividing the kitchen from the family room made the space antithetical to its owners’ love of entertaining and hosting parties.
“We needed a much larger space for the island and much more storage (to) really utilize the space better,” Pat says.
The reimagined kitchen works as much more of a gathering space, with a beverage area where the desk once was. White cabinetry contrasts with reclaimed wood in the drawers, pantry doors and columns, the latter of which are wrapped in wood with metal trim finishes.
“We wanted to have a combination of modern (and) also natural restored wood,” says Pat. “I think that’s the eye-catcher there.”
The removal of the central cabinet created connectivity between the kitchen and family room, and accommodates much greater emphasis on the archways in the middle. The island is now a flat space, with pull-out drawers for storage of utensils and small appliances, and plenty of space for seating.
The homeowners had replaced the flooring with porcelain tile some time before, and Functional Living was able to work around it to match all the colors, Pat says.
Other kitchen features include:
A double oven with a French door
Floor-to-ceiling cabinetry near the window with a view into the garden
An extension of the space into the sizable breakfast nook with seating for 10
Garth Bishop is a contributing editor. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
