In the current economic climate, many designers are realizing that their clients’ needs, priorities and spending habits are changing. And as spending on entertainment outside the home decreases, more clients are looking to their own houses to provide that much-needed enjoyment. As a result, designers must rethink how they can give their clients what they want with less expense, while still creating a beautiful, finished space. After all, economic challenges only make us more creative, forcing us to take advantage of opportunities in an existing home or room, to clarify design priorities and allocate funds based on those priorities. Having an unlimited budget may make this goal easier to achieve, but a smaller budget need not restrict creativity in design solutions.

A recent project put our creativity to the test. The clients wanted a living space that would cater to their children, their adult friends, visiting family and occasional business clients. The space—a dreary basement—needed to be both sophisticated and kid-friendly, as well as contain a comfortable living area, an eat-in kitchen and a media room.


Take advantage of existing features, and create opportunities within the space.

• Because we couldn’t expand the existing footprint, we had to find space within the basement to create our design. A rarely used secondary stairway was eliminated, creating additional space, as well as a newly defined closet on the first floor.





























• We also tried to embellish design elements that couldn’t be changed. A single door separated the kitchen area from the new media room, but it did not match the glamour of the new space. Lacking money to remodel the doorway to accommodate a double door, we created the illusion of one by incorporating the same decorative elements on the wall as we used for the functional door.































• Using and improving existing features, rather than reconfiguring the entire space, allowed more money to be freed up for other parts of the project. An unsightly door to the mechanical room was made to look like part of the wall, so as to blend into the living area unnoticed. A new surround gave life to an outdated fireplace without having to replace the entire unit. Existing closets in the media room were maintained to house a/v equipment and other new HVAC systems.


Determine client priorities, and allocate budget accordingly.

• Our clients were adamant about creating a living space that did not feel like your typical basement. It was important to create an entry to the room that would open the space and eliminate preconceived notions of a basement. We allotted more money for this area, so we could create an open, inviting and sculptural space, one that would set the tone for the entire basement.

• The media room was the main focus of the renovation, so more money was spent in this area. Reclining theater seats and a built-in banquette offered seating for family and friends, while the theater screen was placed on a small stage, which doubled as a play area for our clients’ theatrical-minded children. With more money spent in the media room, less expensive finishes were used in other parts of the basement to stay within our budget.





























Focus on the functionality of the space and create multi-functional areas.

• A small kitchenette was expanded to create a fully functional kitchen that serves as the children’s snack area, additional cooking space for family gatherings and a small dining area for the family. Incorporating all these needs into one room, rather than several, helped us stay within the clients’ budget.

• The family room was also designed with multiple functions in mind. A home office space, complete with pullout tables for the kids’ projects, was built into existing closet space, so the workspace could be concealed when not in use. At the other end of the family room, an entertainment center was flanked by concealed storage for books, videos, music and art, creating functional storage space that does not take away from the aesthetics of the room.





















































By focusing on the existing attributes of our clients’ homes and paying close attention to their budget priorities and their functional needs within the space, designers working in this somewhat unstable economy are limited only by their creativity.


—Eileen Patterson, principal designer and owner, and Helen Shoemaker, interior designer, work at The Patterson Group, a residential interior design firm located in Boston.