Basements often get a bad rap—damp, dark, and generally uninviting. But with the right vision and a bit of elbow grease, even the creepiest basement can be turned into a stunning, functional space. In this post, we’ll walk you through how one DIY couple turned their dingy basement into a beautifully finished room that’s both livable and stylish—without breaking the bank. Here’s how they did it, step by step, and managed to stay under the $10,000 budget, or not quite. A Damp,