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Living design · Upstate New York

Basements & ADUs, made into home

We turn basements and lower levels into complete homes: filled with light, shaped around how people actually live, and built to grow more meaningful over time.

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The finished living room with wood-clad columns, soft green walls, layered lighting and large windows onto the meadow.
Japandi basement apartment, Capital Region NY

The service

A lower level can become a home of its own.

Basements rarely begin as blank canvases. Steel beams and columns, concrete floors, low mechanical runs and irregular walls all impose their own geometry. Rather than covering everything with drywall, we design around the realities of the existing home, and make those constraints part of the design.

Whether it's an accessory apartment for family, a rental, or simply more living space, we approach the whole level as one interconnected home rather than a series of separate renovations: light first, then flow, then the craftsmanship that makes every square foot feel considered.

What a basement or ADU project can include

  • Whole-apartment planning: kitchen, bath, bedrooms, living, laundry and entry
  • New and enlarged windows to bring natural light deep inside
  • Full bathrooms, including cutting the slab for new plumbing
  • Kitchens and kitchenettes
  • Framing and insulation around existing steel, ductwork and utilities
  • Custom built-ins, window benches and millwork
  • Sliding barn doors and screens that save floor space
  • Lighting design and finishing, through to furnishings and art

Featured project

Bright Garden Apartment

Troy, NY · Lower-level apartment

This remodel transformed a dim, uninviting space into a bright, modern home filled with warmth and thoughtful design. We replaced a former door with a bedroom window, framing a beautiful view of the garden and patio.

A brand-new kitchen and bathroom feature custom tiling and warm woodwork, including a handcrafted bathroom bench, a kitchen island, and double barn doors that enhance the natural tones. A custom window bench in the bedroom adds both function and warmth.

From design to execution, we curated every detail, helping the client select furnishings, mirrors, and decor to maximize space and light, using reflective surfaces to amplify brightness. To complete the transformation, we created several custom art pieces, making this home both personal and stunning.

Drag the handle on any photo to compare before and after.

The bedroom before: dark wood paneling, a glass door to the garden and a folding cherry-blossom screen. Before
The bedroom after: the door replaced by a window over a built-in window bench, white walls and a pine barn door. After
The bedroom before: dark wood paneling, a glass door to the garden and a folding cherry-blossom screen. The bedroom after: the door replaced by a window over a built-in window bench, white walls and a pine barn door. Before After
Bedroom: a former door became a window, with a custom window bench beneath it.
The living area before: wood paneling, a dropped ceiling and a folding screen dividing the room. Before
The living area after: double pine barn doors open onto a bright hallway, with white walls and a teal accent wall. After
The living area before: wood paneling, a dropped ceiling and a folding screen dividing the room. The living area after: double pine barn doors open onto a bright hallway, with white walls and a teal accent wall. Before After
Living room: double barn doors replace a folding screen.
Before: a dark paneled room with a dining table, an old television and a single ceiling light. Before
After: a bright living room with recessed lights, a grey sectional, a desk nook and framed photographs. After
Before: a dark paneled room with a dining table, an old television and a single ceiling light. After: a bright living room with recessed lights, a grey sectional, a desk nook and framed photographs. Before After
Recessed lighting, white walls and reflective surfaces carry light through the room.
The old kitchen: cream cabinets, laminate counters, a yellow wall and a white refrigerator. Before
The new kitchen: white shaker cabinets, a blue subway-tile backsplash and a butcher-block peninsula with wooden stools. After
The old kitchen: cream cabinets, laminate counters, a yellow wall and a white refrigerator. The new kitchen: white shaker cabinets, a blue subway-tile backsplash and a butcher-block peninsula with wooden stools. Before After
Kitchen: brand new, with custom tile and a butcher-block island.

Project highlights

  1. 01

    A window where a door was

    A former door became a bedroom window, framing a view of the garden and patio.

  2. 02

    New kitchen and bathroom

    Both rooms built new, with custom tiling and warm woodwork throughout.

  3. 03

    Handcrafted woodwork

    A handcrafted bathroom bench, a kitchen island, double barn doors and a custom bedroom window bench.

  4. 04

    Light, amplified

    Furnishings, mirrors and reflective surfaces selected to maximize space and brightness.

  5. 05

    Curated to the last detail

    Several custom art pieces created for the apartment, making it both personal and complete.

A finished basement apartment: warm oak floor, pale green walls, black-framed shoji screens and a butcher-block counter.

Flagship project

An unfinished basement became a whole apartment

What began as a dark, unfinished basement of exposed steel, concrete floors, utilities, and awkward structural constraints became a warm, light-filled apartment shaped by natural materials, Japanese-inspired details, and a deep connection between spaces.

A compact reading nook occupies what could have been dead circulation space. Shoji-inspired sliding doors let rooms open and close without consuming floor area. Custom woodwork turns structural necessities into visual anchors. The result is less about maximizing square footage than making every square foot feel considered.

Take the room-by-room tour

A finished bedroom with a misty forest mural wall, dusty blue paint, oak floor and a mustard mid-century armchair.

Designing with constraints

Turning utilities into intentional design

One bedroom began as raw utility space: exposed concrete block, open floor joists, aging electrical, visible plumbing and ductwork. New framing and insulation created a real room, enlarged windows brought in light, and a misty forest mural turned one wall into a landscape.

Basements come with their own geometry. We'd rather design with it than pretend it isn't there.

See Bedroom B

How it works

We design for the day we finish, and for the years after

The people who design your space are the same people who build it, so nothing gets lost in a hand-off. You work directly with the owners, not a rotating crew of salespeople and subcontractors, and we take on a limited number of projects so each one gets focused attention. And we don't stop at completion day: we design for what the space will become.

  1. 01

    Consultation

    We start in your home with your goals, preferences and budget: what works, what doesn't, and how you want the space to feel and function day to day.

  2. 02

    Scope of work & detailed estimate

    We outline a detailed scope of work and a transparent estimate, so you have a clear picture of the timeline, costs and deliverables from the start.

  3. 03

    Design & selections

    Layout, materials, fixtures and lighting are worked out before anything is torn out, and we can help with the finishing layer too: furnishings, mirrors, decor and art.

  4. 04

    Construction

    Our craftsmen build it with precision and care, with open communication throughout and work areas left clean at the end of each day. We walk the finished space together, and we stand behind the work after we hand it back.

  5. 05

    What it becomes

    Plants mature, wood takes on character, and the space fills with the life it was built for. That's the part we design for.

The full story

Walk a finished basement apartment, room by room

Six rooms, thirteen before-and-after sliders. Drag the handle on any photo to see what was there before: steel, block and bare slab.

Explore the apartment

Other services

Bathroom Remodeling Spa-inspired bathrooms built around light, natural materials and the way you actually use the room. Explore Kitchen Remodeling Kitchens designed for gathering, with custom counters, warm woodwork and lighting that shifts from day to evening. Explore

Questions

Frequently asked questions

Can a basement get enough natural light?

Often, yes. In Troy we replaced a former door with a bedroom window, and in our Japandi apartment we reconfigured windows to bring far more light into what had been a dark basement.

Can you add a full bathroom to a basement?

Yes. In our Japandi basement apartment we cut and opened the concrete slab for new plumbing and built a full bathroom with a soaking tub and rainfall shower.

Do you design and build, or just build?

Both. We are a design-build studio, so the same team designs your project and builds it, from the first conversation to the final walkthrough.

Who will we actually work with?

The owners. You work directly with them throughout the project, not a rotating crew of salespeople and subcontractors, and we take on a limited number of projects so each client gets focused attention.

What areas do you serve?

Albany, Troy, Saratoga Springs, Lake George, Ballston Spa, Ticonderoga, Plattsburgh and the surrounding communities in Upstate New York.

How do we get started?

Fill in our project estimate form or call (518) 401-5992. We follow up within 48 hours, and we usually begin with a conversation in your home.

Can we meet virtually?

Yes. You can meet us in person, talk on the phone or show us your space on video. Just choose a virtual consultation on the estimate form.

What does a remodel cost?

It depends on scope and materials. Most full remodels fall in the $40k+ range, and smaller projects are welcome, especially when design and craftsmanship are part of the goal.

Can you help with furnishings, art and finishing touches?

Yes. We can help you choose furnishings, mirrors, decor and art, and we have created original artwork for clients' homes.

What could your lower level become?

An apartment for family, a rental, or simply more room to live: tell us what you have in mind, and we'll start with a walk through the space.

Start a Project

Or call (518) 401-5992