Organizing space, fitting walls properly and providing light are the keys to turning the basement into a place that is habitable and use it for your hobbies, as a play room for the kids or an orderly place to store things.

Traditional storage
If you want to use this room to store food (canned goods, packages of cookies and crackers, cartons of milk) you need cabinets and shelves.

If the room is square or rectangular in shape, it is best to set these up on the wall closest to the entrance to the house. If the room is irregularly shaped, you can use one of the areas that juts off and set up doors there. Inside, place shelves and this becomes and an independent cupboard. In this case you will need light inside. As you will be storing food there, it must be free of moisture, which is often caused by condensation. One good way to avoid this is place containers of salt. This will absorb the water vapor in the atmosphere.

A wine cellar
Creating a wine cellar in the basement is mainly a question of decoration. Two options to keep in mind are stoneware tiles that look like terra cotta and walls lined with tiles that look like bricks. The bottles can be stored on wracks of ceramic, wood or even in a refrigerized chamber, depending on what your budget is. A large pine or oak table and stools, and a hanging lamp will turn the area into a real wine cellar.

Make sure you have enough electrical outlets in case you need to install a refrigerator or an electric cooker for having meals with friends.

A play room
For birthday parties, play time with cousins or refuge from a rainy day, the basement can become kids� favorite room in the house. In this case it should be comfortable and warm. If necessary you need to set up heating. All you will need to do is run a pipe through and set up a radiator strong enough to heat the room. You can pave the floor with stoneware or laminate, and thrown down a couple of rugs. You can also panel the walls with wood. This will provide both thermal and acoustic insulation and decorate the room. For seating, an easy chair or a few hassocks will be enough.