Ways to cleanly separate and style a large STR basement on a budget?

[Mangmang Wu]

Hey everyone — I’d love to get your creative ideas. We have a large, mostly open basement for our short‑term rental, and it includes a laundry area. I want to divide the space and make it look nice, functional, and comfortable — but without spending a ton. What are some budget‑smart ways to:

Create separate zones (guest area, sitting area, storage, etc.)

Hide or integrate laundry functions without making it feel like a utility room

Add visual interest (walls, ceilings, flooring) that work in a basement environment

Use lighting, partitions, rugs, paint, etc. to elevate the look

I'm especially curious about solutions that STR owners have used successfully. Thanks so much in advance!

[Michael Baum]

Hey @Mangmang Wu, so is this just part of the STR space or is this all of it?

It really needs a lot of work IMHO. Adding anything to "elevate" the look is just putting lipstick on a pig.

This is a complete redo. So much work to be done down there starting with all the stuff, furring out the walls maybe to insulate. Redoing the floor, waterproof underlayment with LVP maybe?

It can be done but it isn't going to be cheap or easy. I have done quite a bit of basement remodeling and it takes time to get it looking good.

What is your planned nightly rate?