Our basement is essentially one large square that is currently divided by a sofa to create a recreation room and home office. From your photos, it appears that one of the most dated items in your basement is the plaid wallpaper, so your makeover process should begin there.It is terribly outdated and the office area is a disaster zone. Remove the paper, then paint the walls, wainscotting, built-in shelving and cabinets a light neutral cream, such as Benjamin Moore’s Easter Lily (OC-126).The ceilings in this room are quite low, so you may want to remove any decorative items from the tops of your bookshelves to keep things looking neat and tidy.With your new cream walls, you may also want to consider painting out your brick fireplace surround in white to help open up the space and make this end of the room appear less heavy.

I had visions of a grand studio to paint in, as well as a place I could finally leave all of my projects spread out with out cluttering up my home.

Rising NHL star Alex Steen and his wife Sofie recently moved into a big home in the suburbs with their infant son and two dogs.

They managed to get things organized upstairs but have a huge basement in desperate need of attention.

When you eventually decided to update it is important to keep in mind budget, purpose and style.

If you want an affordable option that will keep your feet warm opt for a modern carpet in a plush Berber or new styles that feature interesting patterns or textures.