Themed zones, Indian-inspired décor spice up basement

Eager for more elbow room, Tina, Kulbir and their two children moved from the city to the suburbs. They renovated most of the rooms in their big, new house with ease, but they were stumped when they got to their cramped and dated basement. Both self-professed computer geeks, Tina and Kulbir wanted the room turned into an efficient home-office space.

However, they also wanted it to function on several other levels: as a rehearsal space for budding musician Kulbir and his bandmates; as sleeping quarters for overnight guests; and as a TV and lounge area for the whole family.

So, I geared up to make this room all things to all people -- and add some function and style along the way. Taking a cue from Kulbir's background and the couple's exotic and colorful wedding photos, I decided to design this multipurpose space with a spicy, Indian-inspired theme.

I started by getting rid of the dated décor, including the acoustical ceiling tiles, the pine wood paneling and the wall-to-wall carpeting. After sound-proofing the ceiling (to appease Tina while hubby is "jamming"), I put up drywall on the ceilings and walls.

I then painted part of the room in a peppery, reddish-orange color and papered the other parts in a heavy, textured grass cloth. On the floors, I put down super, hard-wearing vinyl that looks like hardwood, but is more durable and really great for basements.

For the room's color palette, I settled on a warm blend of browns, reds and oranges, choosing fabrics in luxurious silks and rich velvets.

Then I got busy dividing the room into zones. I decided to make one end of the room a work zone and one end a play zone.

In the work zone, I installed a long, floating mahogany desk with two separate work areas, each with its own white leather, swivel-based chair and computer. I also installed a lot of streamlined cabinetry -- closed shelving for office items and open shelving for accessories.

On the overhead window, I added an exotic layered dressing: the first layer in deep, chocolate velvet, and the second in a reddish scarf-like treatment.

At the opposite end of the room in the play area, I set up a large-screen TV and encased it in a mahogany entertainment unit. I left room for shelving on either side to display artifacts and let the bottom shelf wrap around the window wall to form a bench for extra seating.

Between the work and play areas, I created the lounge zone, with a gorgeous sofa table and a beautiful, cream-colored sectional, which has a pull-out sleeper sofa. For some added flair, I put in a luxuriant coffee table, a funky red chaise, a vivid area rug and an unusual zebra-framed mirror.

I used lighting to help create just the right atmosphere in this space. I put up some recessed lights, some task lights over the desk, and a variety of lamps around the room. I then added some nontraditional hand-blown glass fixtures for a bit of Eastern ambience.

After some final accessories -- including lots of framed wedding photos of Tina and Kulbir -- the basement was complete. By combining modern finishes and fixtures, exotic colors and fabrics, and functional cabinetry and furniture, this room is now ready for work, play, sleep -- and endless music rehearsals. Now that's divine!

Interior decorator Candice Olson is host of HGTV's "Divine Design." For more ideas or information visit www.divinedesign.tv. Her column is syndicated by Scripps Howard News Service.