Kids’ spaces and home offices

Basement Playrooms, Kids’ Spaces & Home Offices

A basement is where the toys can stay out and the work can stay quiet. Built in storage, good light and a door that closes do most of the work.

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What is involved

Kids’ Spaces and Home Offices, Planned from the Slab Up

A playroom works when everything has a place to go back to. Built in cubbies, a window seat with storage under it, and a homework station with shelves above it keep the room usable as the children grow.

An office works when it is quiet and well lit. Insulation in the ceiling, a solid door, a network line and outlets where the desk will be, and lighting that flatters a video call matter more than the desk itself.

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What the job includes

Built in cubbies, shelves and window seats
Homework stations with task lighting
An office with a door, sound insulation and a network line
Outlets placed for desks, screens and chargers
Durable flooring that suits a slab
Even lighting on dimmers
Egress planned in where a room may become a bedroom later

Basement ideas

Kids’ Spaces and Home Offices Ideas

Design examples for Chicago area basements. Open any photo for a closer look.

Planning notes

What to Know Before You Start

1Planning for the next stage

A playroom becomes a teenager’s den, and an office can become a guest room. If a room might one day be slept in, plan its escape window now, while the walls are open and the excavation is part of a larger job.

Where your town allows a bedroom in the basement at all, that is the cheapest moment to make the room legal for it.

2Light and sound

Most basement windows are small and high. Recessed lights on dimmers, light under the shelves and pale finishes do the rest. A homework station wants task lighting of its own.

Insulation in the ceiling and a solid door make the difference between an office and a room near the laundry. We plan the duct runs so they do not carry sound into the room.

Local rules worth knowing

GlenviewA home business in Glenview may use no more than 25 percent of one floor and may not employ anyone outside the family living in the house.

Oak LawnIf you will run a business from a basement office in Oak Lawn, confirm the village rules on home businesses with the Building Division first.

Tinley ParkA habitable basement room in Tinley Park needs natural light equal to 10 percent of its floor area and ventilation equal to 5 percent, with a window sill no higher than 44 inches.

Orland ParkA basement office or playroom with a closet counts as a sleeping room in Orland Park, so it needs egress like a bedroom.

Common questions

Kids’ Spaces and Home Offices FAQ

Can a basement office be used as a bedroom later?

Only if it has a legal escape opening and your town allows basement bedrooms. In most suburbs that means an egress window and a well. It is cheapest to add while the basement is being finished.

How do you keep a basement office quiet?

Insulation in the ceiling and the walls, a solid core door, sealed gaps and duct runs planned so they do not carry sound. Most of it is invisible once the room is done.

What flooring works for a basement playroom?

Something that can live on a concrete slab below grade and survive spilled juice. Luxury vinyl plank is the usual answer, with a rug where the children sit on the floor.

Free estimate

Ready to Talk About Kids’ Spaces and Home Offices?

Fill out the form and we will call to set a time to look at your basement. The estimate is free and there is nothing to sign.

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Where we work

Chicago Evanston Skokie Glenview Northbrook Highland Park Evergreen Park Oak Lawn Homewood Tinley Park Orland Park