Like the Beast who was transformed by Beauty's sweet tears, basements are shedding their grim edges and strutting a newly discovered glamour.
Vansishing faster than you can say "makeover" are the cellars of yore: the banal veneer panelling, water-stained acoustic tiles on the ceiling and jolly British bars.
In fact, the very word basement is practically politically incorrect. The preferred term is now, the lower level.
Take the souped-up sous-sol section of Jean-Michel and Toni Comtois' home in Gatineau, Que. A stunning 900 square feet of cosy home theatre, knockout wine cellar and ab-building gym, it was until recently "a basement full of years of accumulated junk," says Jean-Michel.
"The project started with us wanting to build a little exercise room with a washroom so we could shower. It grew from there."
The family wanted something more than the DIY-finished basements they'd seen at their friends' homes, so they called on Norm Lecuyer, owner of Just Basements (www.justbasementsottawa.ca).
Lecuyer then waved his own magic over countless lower levels across the city.
For about $60,000, he gave them a getaway distinguished by a bright, open stairwell, unexpected, curving walls that entice visitors to enter and discover the lower level, and a bar with a granite countertop where Comtois likes to sip his prized collection of single-malt whiskeys.
It's also an ideal spot for the Comtois' teenage daughter -- minus the single malt -- to hang out with her friends. These are casually inviting places where parents and friends of all ages can be themselves.
Lecuyer says his clients, unlike earlier generations for whom the cellar was often little more than a place with a furnace, dirt floor and some jars of preserves, often grew up in suburban homes with a standard rec room.
The rec-room generation and their families have graduated to the next level of comfort, especially since the advent of high-end home theatres.
"It's a mindset that's changing, that sees the basement not as some second-class citizen, but as a living space that has value," says Lecuyer.
Saying that it's a mistake to cheap out on a basement makeover, Lecuyer cautions against giving much credence to reality television shows that trumpet low-cost upgrades. "Some products are being designed for homeowners to install cheaply, but the quality's just not there.
If you're adding 1,000 square feet to a 3,000-square-foot house, why would you think you can just spend $15,000? " For a good basement upgrade integrated with a home's overall flow, he says be prepared to pony up $50 to $60 a square foot.
Decked-out basements have leaped into favour during the past five or 10 years because buyers are part of a "generation of 'must-haves,' says Lecuyer. "We are two or three generations away from the Great Depression. We have no concept of (financial pain) and we have a lot of disposable income.
"Culturally, we are purchasers, and we've been encouraged by the advent of home and garden design, television, and all that."
As well, he says, the window-rattling, neighbour-annoying reality of home theatre surround sound just doesn't fly in the living room, but is acceptable in the muffled basement.
However, not all basements are created equal, especially those in some older homes. You have to be realistic: sometimes a cellar is better off remaining just that unless you have access to a limitless trust fund.
Overhauling a basement, where challenges range from below-grade dampness to bulky mechanical systems, can also raise complex and pricey design/construction issues, according to the pros.
Michael J. Martin, owner of Ottawa's Michael J. Martin Luxury Renovations (www.mjmluxuryrenovations.ca), says that just enlarging windows can cost $4,000 because of concrete walls and other impediments.
Properly done, however, going downstairs can be just like going upstairs. Martin says he often drops basement heating ducts from the ceiling to the floor and adds cold air returns at the top of walls to improve air circulation.
However, he's less certain the growing use of engineered hardwood flooring with a cushion beneath is a sound choice for basements: "I've heard about moisture buildup if the floor's not properly vented." He prefers old-fashioned carpet.
Martin, incoming chair of the Canadian Renovators' Council of the Canadian Home Builders' Association, also warns against hiring cut-rate, cash-only renovators. References, written contracts and proof of insurance are all de rigueur when hiring anyone to work in your home, he says.
Jim McKeown, a veteran sales representative with Coldwell Banker Rhodes in Ottawa, says upgrading a basement likely won't yield a financial payback. "It used to be that if you got 10 cents on the dollar, you were doing well. I don't have any statistics, but I'd say you'd probably get 60 or 70 cents now. Just keep in mind that you're doing (an upgrade) for yourself, though that's a pretty great return on your dollar, too."
When it comes to decorating a basement, Donna Correy says that almost anything goes for colour as long as the lighting is good. The owner of Ottawa's KISS Design Group has often gone with a dark wall or two because darker colours seem to recede, creating the illusion of more space.
Dark colours, of course, accord especially well with a home theatre, where light is an enemy. "It seems so funny when people refer to that basement as a 'man cave,' " she says. "Men have had so little input into the decorating of their homes, that maybe that's why these are called 'man caves.' Men might be interested in the technical part of home theatres or bars, but I'd say it's an equal partnership with their wives when it comes to planning the basement."
-- Postmedia News
Top 10 must-haves
HOME THEATRES: Big screens and even bigger sound, designer chairs and smart lights that slowly dim as the movie starts rolling make home theatres more sought-after then ever. Perfect for cocooning after a rough day in the big world.
BELLY UP: De rigueur in 1960s rec rooms, sweet watering holes are back. Now they're bigger and better, says Norm Lecuyer, president of Just Basements. Full-on pub-style bars with pull taps, granite counters and subtle lighting mean you may never want to leave home.
WINE CELLARS: Temperature-controlled with glass doors and an ultra-sleek look -- a fine vintage never had such a good friend.
FULL KITCHENS: Some families do nearly all their cooking below stairs, reserving the main floor kitchen for show or entertaining, says Donna Correy, owner of Ottawa's KISS Design Group.
PLAYROOMS: Play structures, toy-storage areas and other kid-friendly features give new meaning to an old term.
FUN AND GAMES: Fuzzball, air hockey, pool and Ping-Pong tables: basement games rooms are on the rise. One of Correy's clients even set up an entire floor hockey rink using old NHL boards and glass.
FITNESS ROOMS: With the advent of compact, affordable exercise equipment, fitness buffs are increasingly trucking downstairs instead of down to the gym. However, Correy notes that many men still prefer the gym, while women often like the privacy of home workouts.
HOSE-DOWNS: Spa-like bathrooms with steam and body-jet showers, whirlpool tubs and high-end fixtures: just the thing after a sweaty session in the fitness room.
CONCRETE FLOORS: Old-school, yes, but up-to-the-minute when you add cosy, radiant floor heat and tart up the concrete with stained, stamped or stencilled pizzazz. Also in vogue: engineered hardwood and ceramic tile.
BRIGHT WORLD: Reds, blues, yellows, oranges, greens: be bold when painting, especially accent walls that can splash your basement with colour and character. Wall sconces at a little over six feet and casting light downward can create the illusion of greater ceiling height, says the experts. If you need to sometimes close off your stairwell, use a light-transmitting French door.
