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Featured Project: Transforming a Lower Level Into a Colorado Ski Lodge

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 09:55 AM PST

This is a guest post by Mark Mackmiller of mackmiller.com. In this post Mack shares how his company mackmiller design+build was able to transform an unfinished lower level into the family’s (client’s) favorite spot - Colorado Ski Lodge - Steamboat Springs. Mack also provided us with before and after pictures and the work looks simply amazing. In this post Mack talks about design and project challenges along with solutions they came up with. The images are located at the end of this post.

Mack Miller Design+Build - Twin Cities, MN

Design Challenge

This family of six wanted to duplicate the feeling of their favorite Colorado ski lodge - Steamboat Springs - in their unfinished lower level. The design team accepted the challenge creating an authentic lodge look without the hassle or expense of a plane ticket. From the moment you descend the staircase and grab the driftwood handrail, you know you are going someplace special. Upon completion of the space, more than one visitor exclaimed, "this looks just like Steamboat!" Mission accomplished. The family's desire was for the "lodge feel" to serve as a backdrop to several specific uses of the space. They wanted a cozy TV room with a wood burning fireplace, a game area for a ping-pong table and game table, storage for games with counter space for food when entertaining, a kitchenette for beverages and making snacks, an exercise room with a rubber floor, a bathroom, a future workshop, and a large storage room.

Transform an unfinished basement into a ski lodge getaway

Use unconventional materials to achieve “the look”

Combine the ambience of the old with the comforts of the new

Get rid of the basement feel

Do something creative to get rid of the HVAC ductwork running below the ceiling joists

Provide multiple uses in a coherent space

Accessorize with authentic artifacts to enhance lodge feel

Project Challenges

Ceiling Modification Challenge - Here is a creative response to a chronic challenge. The unfinished lower level was a great blank canvas with the exception of the HVAC chases that extended 4' into the main TV room and if simply boxed in, would have a lopsided ceiling height change interfering with the fireplace. The chase also protruded 3' into the game room/kitchenette area and down the main hallway. The 9' ceiling height made the fix possible.

Which Wood To Use and How Much - Many rustic designs overwhelm the senses with too much wood and too many species. Doors, cabinets, wall and ceiling coverings, trim and furniture are often a hodgepodge of woods. They overpower a project with too many surfaces and wood objects. You begin to feel lost in the forest.

Minding the Details - Another problem with using reclaimed wood is maintaining the rustic continuity. Many projects using rustic or reclaimed materials are surfaced with joined edges. The authenticity of the wood is diminished by not attending to the edges of the wood. They also cut out the charm and character of the aged wood.

Aging the Walls - The other area that is typically overlooked in a rustic design is the wall finish. Have you ever been in a vintage lodge with wood screaming with aged charm and find perfectly smooth sheetrock walls? Never; but that’s where most rustic remodeling projects miss the mark.

Decorative Touches - Too many rustic items are just plain tacky. Too many bears and moose, furniture frames overpowered with clunky logs, too many tourist trap novelties, and poor hardware selections can sink a good project.

The Handrail - Setting the Mood - The homeowners were adamant about setting the mood the moment they opened the door at the top of the stairs. The job was sold with the promise of a one-of-a-kind handrail. We had a vision of it our mind, and asked them to trust us on the design, delivery and execution.

Project Solutions Included

Ceiling Modification Solution – Hiding ductwork in the TV room and hallway by lowering the ceiling to 7'-6" resulted in a cozier feel. Perimeter soffiting in the game room/kitchenette area hid the trunk lines and gave the illusion of a higher ceiling and had the secondary function of serving as a focal point for the gaming area. The ceiling modifications solved one of the biggest challenges of a lower level remodeling project that is removing the "basement feel" resulting from non-symmetric ceiling heights covering HVAC chases. The use of tongue and grooved, beveled, cedar planks converted the ceiling into a decorative element in its own right.

Wood Choices and Quantity – To minimize a hodgepodge feel, we used only two species of wood. Reclaimed white pine barn board, lightly planed to keep the aged character of the wood. This was used for doors, cabinets, trim and wainscoting. The other wood was a knotty cedar for the ceiling. The homeowner’s budget precluded us from using a reclaimed material for the ceiling. We were careful not to overuse the amount of wood in the project. We wanted to express warmth through color other than wood tones.

Minding the Details – Using the barn board for the cabinets and doors required convincing the cabinetmaker and door maker to leave their fine woodworking skills behind and think like a pioneer. No wood was joined (except for door panels), every edge was eased with a wavering block plane. Knots, bullet holes, gouges, old paint, saw marks and every other imperfection were embraced for the story they represented. The homeowner’s favorite feature is the perfectly square, hand chiseled mortise in the fireplace mantle. It makes for a great conversation piece.

Aging the Walls – There is nothing more incongruous than rustic features and smooth sheetrock walls, especially white sheetrock walls. To give the walls an aged look we used a two-tone yellow, coarse Venetian plaster. Due to budget constraints, the Venetian plaster was eliminated from the exercise room.

Decorative Touches – Extreme care went into the selection of the furniture and decorative items, trying to get the right balance of old and new. Many of the pictures and knickknacks were culled from hours of antique shopping in small towns in northern Minnesota and Wisconsin. The furniture is mainly reproductions made to look worn. Rust colored cabinet knobs, pulls and bath accessories along with oil rubbed bronze faucets, square cut hinges and knobs round out the step-back-in-time feel.

The Handrail - Setting the Mood – Sometimes great ideas are simple in concept and harder execute. The railing construction began by scavenging riverbanks and lakeshores for driftwood of many shapes. Next was selecting the right piece for the right spot. The top of the newel post looks like a beaver just gnawed it. The railing was a real jigsaw puzzle. Joining it all into a sturdy handrail system that the inspector would approve of, was a combination of good carpentry skills, fast setting epoxy, and artistic luck. The resulting handrail wowed the homeowners and their friends. It sets the mood for a Colorado ski lodge getaway every time they descend the stairs.