What is your lighting like or going to be? Basements always need plenty of artificial lighting to become homey. Cannisters, wall sconces, pendants and table/floor lamps can all be used.

Like yours, ours is a traditional basement. We finished it with ample lighting, on dimmers, and added color to define various spaces within a great room concept. The ceilings and many of the walls are an off-white and on them we have hung colorful posters.

Personally, I wouldn't paint the wall to match your leather unless you are comfortable repainting when it is replaced. Rather, a neutral which will allow the sofa to stand on its' own but will go with new furniture. Consider making the bookcase very dark like black or expresso.

I'm linking photos of our basement to offer ideas. Gray floor, gray/silver, blue, acid green and white walls. You'll need to go onto the 2nd page to see the overall room. Hope this helps.

Here is a link that might be useful: Basement

Just wanted to relay my experience. Our lower level is 50% below grade, in the family room there are 2 windows at ground level, East & West facing. Back when painting I wanted the popular SW Blond look. But in the lower light downstairs it went all ruddy and gloomy. As did other samples I tried. Found that I had to go to the highest (lightest) color on a swatch. It might wash out in a high light room but in low light it takes on much more depth, falling somewhere between where a 2nd or 3rd color down from the top of a swatch would.

thank you for the suggestions...the Stone Hearth color is very pretty.
Here is the bookcase unit (orangey pine, not oak). The color clashes with my burgundy sofa's, although they wont be directly near them. I'd still like all the furniture to look right together and not a hodge podge of stuff like it is now. any ideas?

here is the TV unit which we'll be using. We're getting a larger TV and tweaking the setup to fit.

we had some left over BM Bar Harbor Beige and painted a wall with it...

PLEASE excuse all the messy stuff on the shelves, havent cleaned much downstairs since deciding to re-do it.
thoughts on the wall paint color and painting or staining the bookcase? Also, do you see a gray floor or beigy cream one? I really appreciate all ideas...thanks!

We used SW Ivoirie in a windowless basement. I love it. Not dark enough to look muddy, not light enough to look white. Gives a very warm feel.

I would pick the flooring first. The sofas are a given, the flooring that you like and goes with the furniture will probably be limited to a couple of options, and then the paint that would go with either of these could have dozens of possibilities.

sjt- thank you for the ivorie suggestion, its a very pretty color, but appears a little too gold in our basement.
pal- i have some flooring samples. I think, haha, its narrowed to these 4. we decided to go w/ bar harbor beige. We had some left over so were able to paint one wall. The color looks good, not too dark. Its very beigy though. Not sure if we should go with a lighter or darker floor tile.

any votes on these 4? Having trouble visualizing the patterns. The colors all look good with the wall color, the pics not quite color accurate. Thanks so much!

same as one above, but a lighter version

{{!gwi}}

Gel stain the wood pieces with Java gel stain from general finishes, they will look great with the couch and lighter floor and wallls. I like the second flooring option.