Completed Capable Group project
Newmarket Basement Renovation: Separate Rooms and Kitchenette
An open recreation room is only one way to finish a basement. This Newmarket project uses separate rooms and doorways, with a compact kitchenette and a shower bathroom connected by the same light-grey palette. The finished layout gives the lower level several distinct spaces instead of one uninterrupted room.
01 · Basement details
Separate rooms, one continuous finish
The first room is photographed without furniture, so the arrangement is easy to read: a small high window, recessed lights, pale walls and a doorway leading further into the basement. Wood-look flooring continues across the connected spaces.
That continuity matters when a lower level is divided into rooms. Repeating the floor and trim keeps the spaces visually related, while doors allow them to be separated. For your own plan, decide which activities need a door and which can share an open area before adding partitions. A finished room should have a clear purpose, not simply occupy the space left over.
02 · Basement details
A compact kitchenette occupies the corner
Dark upper and lower cabinets frame a short L-shaped worktop with a sink. A microwave sits above the counter, and the adjoining doors connect this area to the rest of the basement. The cabinetry provides a defined place for preparation and storage without filling the whole room.
A kitchenette changes the planning conversation because it introduces water, cabinetry and appliance requirements. Decide what you actually want to do there: make drinks, reheat food or cook full meals. Those uses call for different equipment and services. The kitchenette here has a sink, a microwave and storage; a cooktop or range is a different scope.
03 · Basement details
The bathroom completes the set of rooms
Light, veined tile covers the shower walls, with glass at the entrance and a small-format floor inside. A dark vanity repeats the cabinetry colour seen in the kitchenette. The finishes connect the bathroom to the wider project without making every surface identical.
If you want a bedroom or a separate dwelling downstairs, have that intended use reviewed before settling the layout. For a family-use basement, start with the activities you want downstairs and build the room plan around them.
2026 GTA planning range · before HST
Budgeting for a basement with several rooms
$55,000–$100,000 CAD
This is the current 2026 GTA planning band for finishing a basement that includes a bedroom and a bathroom, before HST. It is a market planning range, not this project’s price or a Capable quote. A kitchenette adds plumbing, cabinetry and appliance scope; floor area, drainage, ceiling conditions and any entrance work also need to be confirmed. A basic open basement starts lower, at about $40 per square foot.
Which activities need their own room downstairs?
Tell us your city, the approximate floor area and the rooms you want to create. Mention any existing bathroom or kitchenette, and whether the basement is for your household or a proposed separate dwelling, so the discussion starts with the right scope.
