Project Angelpass - Walkout Basement Remodel in Mississauga

Happy Summer folks! Hope you are having a good one. We have been lucky enough to go on a couple of road trips, beach escapes and camping weekends and have still managed to complete a number of projects in between. Here we are sharing the recently remodeled walkout basement we designed and built in Mississisauga. Our client wanted a light and bright space with the convenience of a kitchenette and washroom and that's exactly what we gave her and her beautiful children. 

The white oak laminate floors really open up the space and bring the light indoors. The addition of a beautiful Bay Window just adds to the open plan concept. Multi fold doors allow the home owner to close off for a bedroom option or open it up for entertainment. A compact black kitchenette is the perfect contrast to the light space.  

 

This compact kitchenette has everything the home owner needs from a sleek flat cook top, black sink and faucet, and matching black dish washer. The microwave is mounted above the cook top and the front opening cabinets are a stylish and convenient option. Cute brass handles and a solid oak  butcher block with walnut stain counter top finish off the look

 

 

 

A compact 3pc washroom created in a 5 x 4 ft space has everything needed from a shower stall to a cute round mirror.

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We have a number of other projects to reveal from another luxury washroom, 2 massive home bars and a home office which we will be revealing shortly. Instagram is where we post daily and if you are an interiors fan then that's the place to follow us. Right now we are posting live updates on a washroom we are remodeling in New Market and this one has all the works from a stand alone tub, curbless shower and floating vanity. You don't want to miss it!

Photos by the talented Jerson Marques.
Design & Build by Wilde North Interiors

WWW.WILDENORTH.COM

Thanks and Big hugs
Dhiraj & Lynda

Modern Home Bars in Basements

In North America Home Wet Bars are increasing in popularity with more and more Canadians opting to entertain in the comfort of their homes during those colder months. Having a dedicated space for a bar area in your entertainment room is key to accommodating a good sized (dry or wet) bar whether that be the Living room or the Basement. At Wilde North Interiors we have been building modern bars for the last 7 years with each bar being designed and custom built keeping in mind our client's personality and vision.

(ALL IMAGES BELOW ARE PROPERTY OF WILDE NORTH INTERIORS)

Brannigan Gate Bar in basement
Wilde North Bars - Design & Build

The bar is designed as an extension or inclusion of the overall basement design with the aim of keeping the space looking cohesive. During our consultations we get asked these questions most often about custom bars and thought we would share them with you.

What kind of bar are you considering?

Depending on the space availability you can either opt for a walk up bar, a U or L shape bar or an island style bar. Some of the best bars are roomy but intimate, lively but able to facilitate peaceful contemplation, and well-spaced but with easy access to the bartender / drinks.

Scenic Lane Walk Up Bar

What is the best location for a wet bar in your basement?

The optimum location is closest to the drain stack to minimize costs on the plumbing side. However if cost is not an issue and the placement is critical to the design, a drain can be added wherever needed.

Another consideration is placing the bar in a dedicated zone where foot traffic does not impede line of sight to the TV. The bar could either be in a corner of the basement or somewhere more central. We recommend building the bar in proportion to the overall size of the space i.e. if you have a large basement then consider the bar taking up 20% of the entertainment space for it to have presence.

At the Montgomery Bar in basement the logical location for the bar was next to the walk in wine cellar. This L-shaped bar was built with custom cabinetry, floating box shelves, LED lightings,  and the cellar was remodeled to match the finishes of this contemporary bar.

Montgomery Modern bar and walk in wine cellar

Why would I need the wet bar option?

Wet bars are equipped with a sink and hot/cold water for ease of washing up after a party, having drinking water available, etc. If you have a kitchen near by then maybe a wet bar is not so much of a necessity. But if you do consider a wet bar then install a high tap which allows you to fill a large water pitcher or rinse a tall wine glass. 

Rosehurst Bar

What home bar furniture should I get?

Bar furniture would include bar stools that match or compliment the design of the bar, several for your guests and one compact one for behind the bar if needed. Consider whether you want the bar stool to be in a wood, metal or lucite finish, whether upholstered or not, with or without a backrest, etc. If you have a detailed finish on the front of the bar then consider a simple bar stool without a backrest so the eye can see right past the bar stool. If the front of the bar is simple then consider a bar stool in a contrasting color/finish so it stands out and creates impact, for example a saddle leather bar stool against a grey concrete bar would make an ideal combination.

 Recommended bar stools heights are:

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At Wilde North Interiors we lean towards vintage furniture and have a weakness for white & gold bar stools that are partially upholstered but saying that there is an endless range of options out there to choose from.

Via

All prices in USD
Via

How to style your home bar?

Since a bar is an already busy landscape with displayed bottles, glasses, etc we recommend that you keep the decor simple. Maybe consider artwork with a subtle nod to the design or pub concept, or something that matches the overall design of the basement. What works is displaying items in multiples as repetition/collections always looks impressive or using trays to group things together. Check out this blog post where we have shared tips on How to style your Home Bar.

What features can I have in the wet home bar?
The list of options is entirely up to your requirements, but here are some of the features that we've added to some home bars

• Kegerator (Beer on tap, could there be a better invention!)
• Dishwasher
• Microwave
• Sunken ice bucket
• Beverage Cooler
• Wine Cooler
• Ice Maker

Montgomery Custom Bar and Walk in wine cellar

What storage options are available in the bar area?

Aside from the cabinets that form the structure and provide you storage for your glassware and bar implements, we have also built secret or hidden storage options for our clients where ever space is available. At the Fenwick Bar we installed wheels on the lower cabinet which can be pulled out to reveal storage under the stairs.

Fenwick Bar

Fenwick Bar

At the Jeffcoat Bar we designed and built a door that displays glasses that can also be swung open to reveal storage behind.

Jeffcoat Bar

Jeffcoat Bar

What wine bottle storage options are there?

Wine bottles are best stored in the dark and on their side. At the Rosehurst Bar we clad the walls in palette wood and mounted the wine bottles horizontally on pegs. 

Rosehurst Bar

Montgomery Bar

And at the Montgomery bar we mounted 'label forward' wine pegs for the clients impressive wine collection in the walk in wine cellar we remodeled.

What Lighting options can be considered?
Aside from the pot lights, pendants and sconces we have added to a basement space, we have also used LED strip lights to light up counter top ledges, along the front panel, backlit display cabinets and even back-lit sunken ice buckets. Lighting can be controlled via a touchscreen panel or by a wireless remote.

Montgomery Bar

Brannigan Gate Bar

Summer Park Bar

Brannigan Gate Bar

Scenic Lane Bar

Brannigan Gate Bar

We have even used LEDs to light up display cabinets like our clients collection of 300+ miniatures here:

Brannigan Gate Bar

What treatment is required for the ceiling?
And lastly the ceiling, not forgetting that unnoticed but critical element. You can make your bar stand out even more by treating the ceiling with a unique finish. At the Rosehurst bar we created a bulk head that mimicked the profile of the bar giving the bar a cozy feeling and the bulk head hid an ugly pipe.

Rosehurst Bar

Here below at the Rainpark Basement we created a barrel ceiling that nests a mid size wet bar with three custom display niches on the back wall, giving the space a very unique overall look.

Rainpark Bar in basement

Visit our Porfolio to see all the images of basements / bars we have designed & built. Dhiraj is becoming quite the barchitect or barstud that he likes to call himself. We are working on two other bars in Etobicoke right now, one of which is 25 feet long and the other is very turning out very glamorous. Follow along on our Instagram for live updates and sneak peeks of behind the scenes shots.

WWW.WILDENORTH.COM

Hugs

Dhiraj & Lynda

Interior Design & Remodel - Project Rainpark in Mississauga

We're always thrilled with reveals but more so with Project Rainpark as this basement truly has the Wilde North stamp all over it. From design to spec to build, this detached home basement in the much sought after Churchill Meadows area in Mississauga was everything this young family wanted, and so much more.

The basement was zoned for a Home Theater Area, Lounge area with linear fireplace, Custom wet bar and Guest space with integrated Murphy bed. A contemporary 3 pc washroom was an integral part of the build as was optimization of space for storage. The key to making a large basement space cozy is to zone out the space creating dedicated functions for each zone. 

BEFORE - Unfinished basement in Mississauga

Our clients were open to new design ideas and so the first thing we did was specify an all white space. White is a beautiful fresh color that brings a pristine look and feel to a space. We then went with beautiful wood look laminate flooring that had a lot of character/movement to balance the white walls. Add tall 5.5" modern step reveal baseboards with complimentary casing and top it all of with matte black hardware.

The entire space was grounded with this mammoth fireplace feature that we painted black (baseboard included) and treated with 1/2'' wrap around reveal beads for architectural interest. It acts as an anchor to the room and a dramatic focal point. A circular LED ceiling fixture was chosen to break up the straight lines and to add mood lighting to the grouping of chairs. Add one quirky cactus to the mix and it completes this fun family room for our young clients. 

The flat TV was mounted flush with the wall. This was made possible by recessing  the articulated bracket within the wall cavity. Placing the TV on an interior wall allowed us to recess the Media Cabinet into the wall allowing access to and hiding all of the wires behind the wall.

The Custom Media cabinetry in the Home theater zone was flanked with these modern sculptural black & gold sconces with a pop of color in the aqua rug. Dead space was turned into a deep niche where we sourced these dramatic black wings and mounted them 4'' off the wall. We angled them inwards as if they were really on an Angel's back. Pictures just do not do justice to this beautiful feature we created in the home theater zone.

The bar was treated with a vaulted ceiling, a feature we added post design to balance an out of place HVAC duct. Three rows of pot lights align beautifully with the trio of niches. The bar front was treated with stunning encaustic tiles and lit up with uncounter strip LED lights. And the hand polished hardwood counter tops were stained a deep ebony color. We added a mini fridge, undercounter sink, and much storage behind the L-shaped counter. The curated art in the niches are gold and black feathers, a theme that was repeated from the over-sized niche in the Home Theater Area. A separate glass shelved niche to the side holds glassware and accessories.

The client's idea for a Murphy bed was integrated into the wall here making it look like custom cabinetry. More dead space was turned into storage cabinets at the back wall. Modern sconces which are a copy of the ones in the Home Theater area, albeit in White and Silver, were chosen for additional lighting. Repetition is key to keeping a space cohesive.

A contemporary 3 pc washroom was added with modern grey tiles, white floating vanity and a sleek black mirror. More storage was added with recessed cabinetry and shaker style doors. A tiled shampoo niche was added inside the shower stall.

This remodel was an absolute pleasure for us pulling everything together and making it a cohesive space. Huge thanks to our lovely clients for trusting our design ideas. Work has started on Project Montgomery where we are building a custom bar and walk-in wine cellar in the basement. Interior Design work at Project Tapestry Lane and Project William Luck are underway and we can't wait to shoot it. Follow our daily updates on INSTAGRAM where we share with you behind the scene pics.

Head over to our website to see the video of this project:

PROJECT RAINPARK

Or to see the Portfolio of our other work here:
WWW.WILDENORTH.COM

Hugs

Dhiraj & Lynda