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Rich Turn to Pimping Basements

Media rooms, arcade games, full gyms making downstairs space not so musty

By Drew Nelles,  Newser Staff

Posted Jul 29, 2008 9:29 AM CDT
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(Newser) – Basements are no longer the lowly underbelly of the high-end home. With the rise of home-theater technology, and widespread community opposition to mansion expansion, wealthy homeowners are increasingly turning basements into underground playgrounds, Portfolio reports, featuring everything from faux-'50s diners to recording studios to saunas. “Whether you have a $2 million house or a $20 million house, finished basements are important," one broker says.

Underground is also a place to stash toys out of place elsewhere. “Things you can't get away with on a main level you can put into a basement,” says one contractor—with water features, arcade games, and the like coming to mind. And new vocabulary is emerging: “I try not to use the term basement," says one enthusiast. “I call it the concourse level.”

LG Techorator Doug Wilson, host of TLC's Trading Spaces and Moving Up TV shows, helps consumers blend stylish design and smart technology, also known as techorating, into their lifestyles.
"LG Techorator" Doug Wilson, host of TLC's "Trading Spaces" and "Moving Up" TV shows, helps consumers blend stylish design and smart technology, also known as "techorating," into their lifestyles.   (AP Photo)
Home theater salesperson Justin Standish, left, helps a customer with information on big screen televisions at a Best Buy store in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2008.
Home theater salesperson Justin Standish, left, helps a customer with information on big screen televisions at a Best Buy store in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2008.   (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
LG Techorator Doug Wilson, host of TLC's Trading Spaces and Moving Up TV shows, helps consumers blend stylish design and smart technology, also known as techorating, into their lifestyles.
"LG Techorator" Doug Wilson, host of TLC's "Trading Spaces" and "Moving Up" TV shows, helps consumers blend stylish design and smart technology, also known as "techorating," into their lifestyles.   (AP Photo)
A 50,853-square-foot mansion off Albany Avenue in West Hartford, Conn., will have a 33,500-square-foot basement complex, complete with a 103-seat movie theater, ticket booth, and concession stand.
A 50,853-square-foot mansion off Albany Avenue in West Hartford, Conn., will have a 33,500-square-foot basement complex, complete with a 103-seat movie theater, ticket booth, and concession stand.   (AP Photo/George Ruhe)
Wealthy homeowners are turning their basements into underground playgrounds, Portfolio reports.
Wealthy homeowners are turning their basements into underground playgrounds, Portfolio reports.   (Shutterstock)
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