The elusive basement. Many from the North or the Midwest who have migrated down to the South may be familiar with the stunning lack of basements in the region. It may seem strange, but functionally, it makes total sense. Basements were originally built below the frost line in the colder, dryer regions of the United States to make homes more foundationally sound—not to mention, they’re the ideal safe room for tornadoes. But let’s face it—both frost and tornadoes are hard to come by in this humid climate, so here in the South, basements are just another way to add some fun and functionality to your home. With the help of interior designer Heather Garrett, this is exactly what Amanda Gall and her husband, Ken, did to their Croasdaile Farm home in Durham. “We needed to live close to Duke for my husband’s job,” Gall says. “We fell in love with Croasdaile Farm not only because of the proximity but also because of all the young families and major charm the neighborhood provided.” They purchased a home with an unfinished bare-bones basement and knew going into it that they wanted the space to be for adults. “My husband and I didn’t want it to be a typical rumpus room for kids,” Gall says. “Instead, we wanted it to be a retreat for adults. Something comfortable and loungey, but with a chic, sophisticated style that had a little glam to it—something you might find in a boutique New York City hotel.”
After realizing that Heather Garrett was the designer of most of her inspiration pins on Pinterest, Gall knew she had to work with her on their empty basement. “When I met with Amanda, her direction was something like, ‘I am trying to build the walkout basement of my dreams, but I don’t know exactly what that looks like,’” Garrett recalls. “But in talking, we discovered the Galls were looking for kind of an updated French salon feel— someplace swanky but comfortable where they could entertain their friends or escape to when they wanted to relax.” They also specified that Ken Gall needed a study that was hidden away where the kids couldn’t find him and interrupt work, and they both love massages, so a room where they could have in-home massages would be a plus, too.
With 3,500 square feet to work with, Garrett took on this project as if it were a whole home design. A full kitchen, bar, office, two guest rooms and three bathrooms, a media room, three fireplaces, and a living room were all included in the design. And it needed to be seamless with the other floors of the home. For a year, Garrett worked with the Galls to create the ultimate adult retreat. “The challenge I had with this project was just to forget that it was a basement all together,” Garrett says. “Instead of wondering how to make it not look like a basement, I embraced it and tried to work with the naturally darker spaces and corners to make them moody, comfortable, and loungey.”
Garrett started with the salon inspiration by adding ceiling beams to the main living area. A show-stopping chandelier made of strips of leather by Ngala Trading Company in South Africa added the ultimate punch of glam. From there, she bridged the living room and kitchen with a bar, also covered in leather with brass accents, with a pass-through to the kitchen that is surrounded with an antique mirror. The counter has what Garrett calls a “live edge,” one she mimicked in the powder room, and sheets of chainmail to create a skirted look.
The kitchen wows with textured wallcoverings by Kelly Wearstler for Groundworks and a pendant from Arteriors. A companion chandelier hangs in the adjacent wine room, where a paned glass door allows you to view the treasures inside. “Since this was a basement, I kind of could do whatever I wanted, design-wise,” Garrett says. “I could go over-the-top, and the wine room was no exception.”
In the living room, hideaway doors can be retracted completely to open out onto the terrace, giving the appearance of zero walls, and a sitting area off the salon cultivates cocktails and quiet conversation. Garrett’s favorite room, the office, can only be accessed by a hidden door—the privacy the Galls requested in the design. “It’s kind of a dream of mine to be hidden away and forgotten,” Garrett laughs, “so the office is amazing to me. It’s masculine and stylish, and the Sony picture television is, like, the coolest invention.” When not in use, the homeowners can choose a custom frame and piece of artwork to display on the screen; it disappears to reveal your favorite channels once it’s turned on.
A massage room was added with custom seat-height tables that Garrett covered with velvet slipcovers. In the media room, the Galls’ only request was to have the “world’s most comfortable couch.” After all, “comfort is king,” Gall says. After trying many, Garrett couldn’t deny that the Cloud sofa from Restoration Hardware was the most fitting for both the room and the Galls’ request. “If there is one room where we always end up saying, ‘How lucky are we?’ it’s the theater/media room,” Gall says. “It’s perfect for hunkering down and being a homebody.”
Gall feels that hiring a designer is the key to getting the absolute most out of your dream space. “Give them some leeway, don’t try to micromanage the design process—it’s like taking away the painter’s brush before they’ve finished a masterpiece,” she says. “Giving a designer your trust and the freedom to create will give you magic in the end.” “The most limiting element in any project is the functionality of the room,” Garrett explains. “I can fill a space with the most gorgeous pieces and design, but if it doesn’t function for the family using it, it doesn’t matter.” Garrett continues by saying that if her design suits the function of a room, be it inspiring, fun, soothing, togetherness—if it satisfies the specific function, then she’s done her job. This basement is living proof.