Nicole Morrison
When one California-based family decided to ramp up their home’s functionality with a nearly 1,000-square-foot dig-out of their basement plus a kitchen reno they enlisted Kelly Finley of
Joy Street Design. “We ended up designing, essentially, a new house on the lower level,” Finley explains. “In each room, we were trying to maximize the space, because although we were increasing the footprint of the house, what they were trying to achieve in that space was difficult.”
As with many homes in the Bay area, the Oakland house is located on a hill you have to walk up three flights of stairs to get to the front door. The lower level was originally only a corner of the house that included a small room, bathroom, and HVAC system. Now, completely excavated and finished, it hosts a living room, main suite, kid’s bedroom, laundry room,