Game tables, a full bar, a movie theater and industrial style transform an unfinished space into an entertainment haven

May 15, 2017
Houzz Contributor. Lifestyle Writer + Editor.More
Sometimes you just want to get out of the house for a night on the town. But these homeowners wanted to create that feeling right at home. They transformed their unfinished, concrete-lined basement to include a bar, pool table, foosball table and movie-theater lounge area all in one large, industrial-style space. That way, stepping into the basement felt as if they “went out for the evening,” builder John Rainone says.
Basement by JR Custom Living, Inc.
JR Custom Living, Inc.

Photos by JR Custom Living

Basement at a Glance
Who lives here: A family of six
Location: John’s Creek, Georgia
Designer-builder: John Rainone of JR Custom Living

Wood floors with boards laid lengthwise elongate the narrow space and, along with brick, help set up an “edgy, industrial chic look” that the homeowners were after, Rainone says.

He also added new ceiling beams into the floor system above to mimic how things would have been framed back in the 1950s, when the house was built. “We wanted to mirror how wood floors were built prior to plywood and structural joists,” Rainone says. This helped give the room a more exposed, loft-like feel.

Paint: custom; furnishings: custom, JR Custom Living

Basement by JR Custom Living, Inc.
JR Custom Living, Inc.

In a theater area, a custom sectional faces a large screen for movie nights. Lighting tucks into overhead beams, while Sonos speakers throughout the basement offer serious sound quality.

Sound system: Sonos

Industrial Home Bar by JR Custom Living, Inc.
JR Custom Living, Inc.

To cover up the concrete walls, and to add visual interest, Rainone added 12,000 bricks.

Lighting: Restoration Hardware

Industrial Home Bar by JR Custom Living, Inc.
JR Custom Living, Inc.

The homeowners wanted a real-looking bar area, nothing too “kitcheny,” Rainone says. In lieu of upper cabinets, floating shelves display liquor bottles.

The bar includes refrigerator drawers, kegerator, ice machine, microwave, beverage center and wine center. Given all this, Rainone designed the bar from a bartender’s perspective, allowing 4 feet of clearance between the back wall and the bar counter to allow for plenty of room while serving drinks.

Industrial Home Bar by JR Custom Living, Inc.
JR Custom Living, Inc.

LED lighting changes colors with an app by Philips that Rainone says “allows the bar’s personality to conform to the mood of the moment.”

Color-changing lights: Philips Hue LIghtstrip Plus

Industrial Home Bar by JR Custom Living, Inc.
JR Custom Living, Inc.

The bar stools were a vintage find and became so popular among Rainone’s clients that the he found a local source to make affordable reproductions.

Bar stools: JR Custom Living

Industrial Home Bar by JR Custom Living, Inc.
JR Custom Living, Inc.
A lighted shelf illuminates vodka bottles behind a triple beer tap. “The whiskey, bourbon, rye, scotch, etc. [are] on the left, and the gins, rums and tequilas are on the right,” Rainone says. “The only thing this bar is really missing is a bartender employee, a liquor license and a point-of-sale system to track someone’s tab.”