What color should I paint my basement?

They're dark, have low ceilings and usually have a strange layout. What is it? 

It's the basement. 

I didn't realize how much I missed my basement until I didn't have one. I always had a basement during my entire adult life in both New York and Pennsylvania. For some reason or another, having a basement in the South is rare. When do I miss my basement the most? During a tornado warning. Really though, the basement is such an important area of the home and today, I'm going to talk about choosing color for your basement.

So what do we know about basements? 

• Dark
• Odd layout
• Maybe will have one or two windows
• Used for storage
• May be finished
• May be unfinished
• Air circulation is a problem
• Flooring choices are specific
• Lighting is crucial
• Makes a great family or playroom for the kids
• Can be turned into an apartment
•  or media room
• or  Man Cave

There are so many things that we can do with our basements it's almost overwhelming to decide where to begin. We know for bedrooms, choosing a relaxing color may be the way to go. Going with a bright cheery color for a kids room is obvious and for hallways and foyers a neutral hue is a really good idea. But - when you have one room of the home that can be so many things, how do you decide on ONE color to fit all those needs? Is there a one color fits all option here?

The way I chose color for my basement (when I had one in PA) was easy. I just picked a color that was in the carpet. Now not every basement can have carpeting so do those moisture checks before you go with this option.

Anyway, my carpet was very colorful. It had light blue, teal and purple in it. I don't have a sample to show you but these were very close to the colors that were in the carpeting. When you have a carpet this colorful, it's a good idea just to use one of the colors that you can see in the carpet or choose a coordinating neutral. I went with the first hue for the main wall color. 

This blue was a great choice for a basement because:

• it matched the carpeting and furniture
• made the room light and bright
• was both kid and adult friendly
• would go with just about any decor
• wasn't a neutral which made me happy :-)

If my basement had a supporting column like the one you see in the photography on this page, I would have painted it as well to add a bit of interest to the room. I would have chosen the teal color since it would be dark enough to hid finger prints but not too dark so it's not the first thing you notice in the room.

Some tips to consider while you decide on your basement color.

1. Hold your paint chips vertically not flat when viewing them
2. Sample your color to see how it looks on the wall but please don't paint on the wall, use Small Wall paint sample boards.
3. Use a satin paint sheen, eggshell at the least
4. Keep it fairly light unless it's going to be a Man Cave
5. Call me, Donna Frasca, A Color Specialist in Charlotte if you need help :-)