Couple Transforms 100-Year-Old Home’s Storm Shelter Basement Into ’70s Den’
September 13, 2025
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A Wisconsin-based couple has transformed their unfinished basement storm shelter into a retro 1970s-style lounge after a year of severe weather left them spending more time underground than expected.
The viral renovation was shared on Reddit by Maria, who posted under the username u/IntentionLeather7806, with the title: “Turning our unfinished basement storm shelter into a cozy 70s den.” The post, which features several images of the retro transformation, has gained 24,000 upvotes since it was shared on September 8.
In the caption, Maria wrote: “We had a lot of storms this year, including softball-sized hail and a lightning strike to our house. So, we’ve been spending way more time in the basement than we expected. It also became our dog’s safe space whenever he’s anxious, which is a lot these days.”
Images of a basement storm shelter before (left) and after (right) it was transformed into a 1970s-inspired den. Images of a basement storm shelter before (left) and after (right) it was transformed into a 1970s-inspired den. u/IntentionLeather7806
Maria, 32, a climate scientist, told Newsweek that she and her husband Mike, also 32, completed the work in less than a week.
“We renovated the basement, which I loosely call ‘storm shelter,’ two weeks ago. It took about four days. The basement had stayed dry and undamaged throughout the storms, but our house was struck by lightning in March, and in April we had softball-sized hail that destroyed our roof, siding, a few windows, and our car,” said Maria, who did not share her last name.
Their home, built in 1925, recently turned 100 years old. Maria explained that the basement project became a chance to experiment with a different look. “We went for the 1960s/1970s theme just because it’s something different from the rest of our house, which is mostly craftsman style,” she told Newsweek.
The project comes amid a surge in home renovation spending in the U.S. Median costs for renovation rose 60 percent between 2020 and 2023, from $15,000 to $24,000, according to a 2024 survey by Houzz, a home design platform.
Reddit Post
The caption of the viral Reddit post added that the decision to renovate came out of necessity. “We decided if we were going to spend so much time down there, we should make part of it less depressing.”
Maria said many of the furnishings came from “the vintage odds and ends we’ve been hanging onto” and random pieces that the couple already owned, such as the lamps, coffee table, and chair.
“I’d say my favorites are the rugs, music setup, and paneled fridge,” Maria told Newsweek. “For music, we have a Kenwood KR-6600 receiver, Pioneer PL-512 turntable, and two large Onkyo S-58 speakers. Definitely going to get a disco ball and throw a fun party down there.”
The couple also managed to keep the renovation budget-friendly. “We finished the renovation about a week ago…it was just a quick and cheap—a few hundred dollars in materials for floor paint and panels—way to use items we already had in the house to make a more cozy, semi-finished feel to the basement. We are very happy with how it turned out,” Maria said.
One standout design element is the flooring. Maria explained: “The rugs are leftover scraps of carpet from a job my husband did. They were custom-designed and made by an artist in Amsterdam named Arno Hoogland.”
The post notes that the couple remained mindful of the risks of renovating a basement in an older home. “I know it’s not recommended to ‘finish’ a century home basement, and we kept this in mind—no drywall, left gaps for airflow, dehumidifier running. Thankfully, our basement has very high ceilings and stayed dry too,” Maria wrote.
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