Tired of doing laundry in an unfinished rugged basement? The owners of this 1922 Seward Minneapolis home were as well!  They contacted Castle to help them with their basement planning and build for a finished laundry space and new bathroom with shower.

Changes were first made to improve the health of the home. Asbestos tile flooring/glue was abated and the following items were added: a sump pump and drain tile, spray foam insulation, a glass block window, and a Panasonic bathroom fan.

After the designer and client walked through ideas to improve flow of the space, we decided to eliminate the existing 1/2 bath in the family room and build the new 3/4 bathroom within the existing laundry room. This allowed the family room to be enlarged.

Plumbing fixtures in the bathroom include a Kohler, Memoirs® Stately 24″ pedestal bathroom sink, Kohler, Archer® sink faucet and showerhead in polished chrome, and a Kohler, Highline® Comfort Height® toilet with Class Five® flush technology.

American Olean 1″ hex tile was installed in the shower’s floor, and subway tile on shower walls all the way up to the ceiling. A custom frameless glass shower enclosure finishes the sleek, open design.

Highly wear-resistant Adura luxury vinyl tile flooring runs throughout the entire bathroom and laundry room areas.

The full laundry room was finished to include new walls and ceilings. Beautiful shaker-style cabinetry with beadboard panels in white linen was chosen, along with glossy white cultured marble countertops from Central Marble, a Blanco, Precis 27″ single bowl granite composite sink in cafe brown, and a Kohler, Bellera® sink faucet.

We also decided to save and restore some original pieces in the home, like their existing 5-panel doors; one of which was repurposed into a pocket door for the new bathroom.

The homeowners completed the basement finish with new carpeting in the family room. The whole basement feels fresh, new, and has a great flow. They will enjoy their healthy, happy home for years to come.

This Arts & Crafts home in the Longfellow neighborhood of Minneapolis was built in 1926 and has all the features associated with that traditional architectural style.  After two previous remodels (essentially the entire 1^st & 2^nd floors) the homeowners were ready to remodel their basement.

The existing basement floor was in rough shape so the decision was made to remove the old concrete floor and pour an entirely new slab.  A family room, spacious laundry room, powder bath, a huge shop area and lots of added storage were all priorities for the project.  Working with and around the existing mechanical systems was a challenge and resulted in some creative ceiling work, and a couple of quirky spaces!

Custom cabinetry from The Woodshop of Avon enhances nearly every part of the basement, including a unique recycling center in the basement stairwell.  The laundry also includes a Paperstone countertop, and one of the nicest laundry sinks you’ll ever see.

Come see this project in person, September 29 – 30th on the 2018 Castle Home Tour.

Built in 1951, this sprawling ranch style home has plenty of room for a large family, but the basement was vintage 50’s, with dark wood paneling and poor lighting. One redeeming feature was a curved bar, with multi-colored glass block lighting in the foot rest, wood paneling surround, and a red-orange laminate top. If one thing was to be saved, this was it.

Castle designed an open family, media & game room with a dining area near the vintage bar and an additional bedroom. Mid-century modern cabinetry was custom made to provide an open partition between the family and game rooms, as well as needed storage and display for family photos and mementos.

The enclosed, dark stairwell was opened to the new family space and a custom steel & cable railing system was installed. Lots of new lighting brings a bright, welcoming feel to the space. Now, the entire family can share and enjoy a part of the house that was previously uninviting and underused.

Come see this remodel during the 2018 Castle Home Tour, September 29-30, 2018!

These Woodbury clients came to Castle to transform their unfinished basement into a multi-functional living space.

They wanted a cozy area with a fireplace, a ¾ bath, a workout room, and plenty of storage space. With kids in college that come home to visit, the basement also needed to act as a living / social space when they’re in town.

Aesthetically, these clients requested tones and materials that blended with their house, while adding natural light and architectural interest to the space so it didn’t feel like a stark basement. This was achieved through natural stone materials for the fireplace, recessed niches for shelving accents and custom Castle craftsman-built floating wood shelves that match the mantel for a warm space.

A common challenge in basement finishes, and no exception in this project, is to work around all of the ductwork, mechanicals and existing elements. Castle achieved this by creating a two-tiered soffit to hide ducts. This added architectural interest and transformed otherwise awkward spaces into useful and attractive storage nooks. We incorporated frosted glass to allow light into the space while hiding mechanicals, and opened up the stairway wall to make the space seem larger. Adding accent lighting along with allowing natural light in was key in this basement’s transformation.

Whether it’s movie night or game day, this basement is the perfect space for this family!

A 1,100-square foot basement build-out gave the owners of this 2000 twin home an exceptional entertaining space and more.  The basement features a kitchenette with an island, custom cabinetry by Chelsea and Cambria quartz countertops.  Custom cabinetry was also installed in the craft room.  The family room boasts a tray ceiling and fireplace, and a new ¾ bath with a custom tile shower was added.  The new lower level truly provides the owners with a perfect space for entertaining guests, as well as a cozy area in which to settle in for movie night.

This 1968 Fridley home was overall in good condition. After 10 years, the family of 5 was simply ready to make some updates to suit their needs and style. On the main floor, previous remodels had left the homeowners with layers of mismatch flooring. From carpet to parquet, tile to engineered wood, this house had it all. The family decided to unify the front entry, ½ bath, kitchen, dinette, and family room with a new modern tile. Removing a large closet between the dinette and family room also helped modify the space to make it seamless. A large new 8’ glass patio door and new fireplace with surrounding shelving became focal pieces of the new space. A ½ bath refresh rounded out the main floor improvements. In the basement, a family room, bedroom, and ¾ bathroom were added so the family had more space to spread out.

This 1949 South Minneapolis home had an underutilized, unwelcoming basement with old, dark paneling in the family room, and an unfinished laundry, storage and work shop area.   Headroom was at a premium because of low hanging duct work, plumbing and gas lines.

Castle Building & Remodeling transformed this basement by creating a much more welcoming, well-lit and functional family room, with an added egress window, built-in storage units and a media area with a flat screen TV.  Duct work and piping in the unfinished half of the basement was raised or consolidated to give adequate headroom for a bright and spacious new laundry area.

A new 3/4 bath completes the package, along with a built-in linen cabinet in the finished hallway.  Storage areas were consolidated in separate areas of the basement with their own access doors. The family now eagerly uses the basement space as a regular part of their home, no longer dreading the trip down to the ‘cellar’.

2015 Home Tour Participant
Looking to add more living space for this growing family, Homeowners of this 1923 St Paul home made the decision to finish their basement. A full new floor plan was designed to include a long list of must haves. The new space included: a new bedroom, family room for the kids to play, an additional room for guests and/or study, new 3/4 bath, easy access for bicycle storage in laundry, low pile carpet that is comfortable for the kids to play, and warmth for the MN winters! A great floor plan was designed that integrated the family room and guest bed/study that also creates wonderful sight lines and a great flow. The basement was updated with all new windows including two egress windows. Beautiful rainglass pocket doors were installed to the bath and laundry to continue the flow of natural light from room to room. Custom natural oak millwork and beautiful door knobs by Rejuvenation Hardware were installed throughout. To match the charm of the home, subway tile and hex tile floors were installed in the new bath and shower. The bath was finished with a stock vanity, mirror, lighting, and Kohler plumbing fixtures. Modern features were also integrated throughout including Hudson Reed wall mount radiators and a NEST thermostat. One of our favorite features of this project, is the original support header and column that we decided to keep exposed. The homeowners took it upon themselves to sand the aged wood down to its natural color and it truly creates a unique piece of art. Castle and the Homeowners couldn’t be happier with the finished product.

2014 Home Tour Participant

This late 40’s, Arden Hills ranch was getting very little use from an unfinished, unwelcoming basement with a concrete block wall that divided the basement down the middle and low duct work that made most of the space very uncomfortable to use.

Castle Building & Remodeling transformed this basement by creating a large opening in the block wall, connecting the two halves of the basement.  The ductwork was moved to one side to allowing for great headroom throughout.  The new main open area has been divided into a family room with a fireplace, flat screen TV and flanking cabinetry, next to a craft and hobby area.  A new, spacious 3/4 bath, and a bright, efficient laundry room add to the overall functionality of the basement, which also includes a music practice room.

Don’t forget to check out the special cat door entrance to the space under the stairs where the litter box is hidden away in a specially finished area with a motion light…for kitty’s convenience.