TanyaL

I would think the next thing would be to check the walls for dampness and have a humidity check on your basement. You sound as if the basement has not been used before as a living area but perhaps as a storage or laundry area.
I would want electrical outlets everywhere! So that I would reconfigure my sewing area as the whim hit me. All my sewing machines set up permanently, small ironing area, large ironing area, cutting table set up high so I didn't have to bend over, etc. Portable lighting, permanent lighting, etc. Tv, computer, radio - the list goes on. Good luck.

Geri B

I work in the "unfinished" part of our basement.....I painted the concrete foundation wall a butter yellow....altho the floors are the concrete, where I stand to cut fabric and work on longarm I layed down those large puzzle pieces found in kid's dept and now I noticed they have also appeared in box stores......in walking pathways I have long inexpensive runner type rugs and valances on the windows........to let in as much of the beautiful sunlite as possible. I also bought an electric broom to pick up threads/snippets. When done "playing" each day, I give the whole place a quick zip with elec/broom and when I come back down to play again all is neat and clean...well most of the time anyway!!!!

cpfrog

All the above suggestions are great.
I too like smooth floor for picking up pins, and moving my chair, and general sweeping.

If it was my basement, I'd also buy a good DE-humidifier to remove excess moisture in the air. That way nothing will "smell" and there will be less of a chance of mildew, esp. with all the fabric you'll be storing! :-)

Might want to also invest in large plastic totes for some storage over that floor. ( What if you had a flood of only a couple inches???? or if the elect. went out and the sump pump didn't work? )

Cold? an elect. floor heater or gas wall heater; a rug under your feet; a warm sweater!
Hot? a ceiling or floor fan; a window AC if it would fit?

Good luck and happy sewing.

Country1

When we bought our current home, the 1st thing we did was take out all the carpet. We had laminate put in the bedrooms. The rest of the house had it, except for the kitchen and bathrooms (they have tile.) In our house before this one we had hard wood, which was beautiful, but takes alot more to care for than the laminate that looks like hard wood.
I am a diabetic and my husband was afraid I would not see pin in the carpet and step on it.
We also have rescue dogs and foster for the local Humane Society, so alot easier to keep hair undercontrol.
I am happy for you and your new space! Can't wait to see pics!......
Blessings to you,
Penny

marla

Laminate floors would be what I would pick but know you have to put down some type of base layering. I would forget curtains, unless you hang then to the sides of the window. Make sure you have lots of light and mirrors to reflect light. Best to build a closet so you can keep everything away from dust, humidity and clean up clutter. Best wishes. Please share when your project is complete.

marla

Great idea.

Sew Freak

My DH painted the concrete floor white and we put scattered some throw rugs for the cold. It's great....easy to keep clean!

quiltingcandy

I am a big fan of carpet - sorry the rest of you are against it. The only part of our house that doesn't have carpet is cold. But we are not on a slab.

117becca

i work in the basement and it's cold down there in the winter, so carpet is a must have. I'm also working on an efficient way to heat the area....hmmm.....

Tothill

Every basement is different. Our basement is 1/2 underground with exposed foundation walls about 4 feet up the walls. There are windows on all sides at ground level (no window wells).

We have good perimeter drainage and no issues with damp at all.

The only two rooms in our house with carpeting are the family room and dh's office. My sewing room and the laundry room have painted concrete floors. There was old tile, but we suspected it had asbestos and some were lifting so we have the rest removed.

We are lucky too to live in a mild climate (damp in winter outside). The basement is the most comfortable are of the house during the summer. If it feels cool in the winter we just put on a space heater.