The basement is a dark secluded area, with a lot of open space, and very
little use. It is difficult to know what to do with it. One option, is
to turn the dark isolation, into gently lit seclusion, where you can retreat
from the worrys of a day into a world of romance, created by you.
Lighting In a Romantic Basement
It is difficult to light a basement. Its low presence in a homes design
means that it is difficult to fit many outside windows in its walls. Further,
these windows will have to be near the top of the room, creating a bad
angle for recieving direct sunlight.
Basements are also generally built in such a way that they are one
big room. This makes it difficult to get adequate lighting throughout
the space, and can leave many areas dark or shadowed, if multiple lights
are not used.
However this annoying lighting situation, can actually be a benefit when
designing a romantic retreat. A dim setting is actually quite romantic,
and the shadowy corners where illumination can not reach, are the perfect
places to position secret nooks where you and your lover can cuddle in
privacy.
One way to romantically illuminate the area is to use soft lights in
strategic places around the space. While a simple desk lamp will create
the necessary shadowy nooks, a colored light such as an illuminated onyx
piece, can help to transform the temperment of the space from dark and
desolate, to soft and romantic.
String lights, or christmas lights, are another way to accomplish this
goal. They will provide a festive atmosphere that will banish gloom, without
creating glare or over lighting the space.
The Secluded Basement
To get to the basement you have to walk down a flight of stairs. You don't
walk past or through it to get to another area, instead it is an isolated
structure, dangling off of the bottom of the rest of the house. It is not
a natural place to congregate, and is not widely traveled. Further, from
the basement you cannot see any other room in the house, and people in
other rooms cannot see you.
These factors make your basement the perfect place to build a romantic
hideaway. Its inherent isolation makes it one of the most private rooms
in the house. Going into the basement is like hiding. The few ways that
you can enter are easy to control. Windows, what few you may have, can
be given curtains to cover them, and the door can be equipped with a lock.
Further, the fact that the basement is built into the ground means that
it is isolated from sound on five sides. In many basements you cannot hear
a door bell or phone ringing in upper portions of the house.
You should of
course be careful that you can hear when there is an emergency going on.
Putting a doorbell on the basement door will both allow people to reach
you, and ensure that someone doesn't walk in unannounced.
You should also be certain that fire alarms can be heard from here, or
consider installing a second fire alarm in your basement.
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