A Kids’ Retreat Beneath a Sky of Kites

Basements usually get what’s left over. This one became the children’s own floor: a place for homework after school, movies with friends and toys that don’t have to be packed away when guests come.

Starting from scratch

We pulled up the old flooring, took out the built-ins and removed a wall to make one open room. Then we laid wide pale oak planks, twelve inches across, so the lower level feels as finished as anything upstairs.

Give children a room of their own, and make it as good as the rest of the house.

A sky underground

The walls are covered in Bonnie and Kites, a Sandberg mural of kites drifting through clouds. It has the lightness of a storybook without being a themed playroom, so it won’t need to come down when the kids are teenagers. Crisp white trim and ceiling keep it fresh.

Room for every part of the day

A big sectional anchors movie nights, a low coffee table takes the board games, and a walnut desk in the corner is the homework station. The furniture is generous and sturdy because this room gets used hard.

A little independence

There’s also a full bathroom down here, with a classic washstand and patterned tile, so the floor works on its own. That’s the real luxury: a space the children can call theirs, with friends over, still under the same roof as everyone else.