“I work in a busy newsroom,” Matt explained. “It’s a very noisy, active environment – even when there’s no big story to cover, we still have to get a show on the air every single night. So there’s constant pressure to go, go, go.” Things don’t calm down much when the father of three returns to his Boston home at the end of the day. “Toddlers have one speed: fast. And they have one volume: extra loud.”
Both Matt and his wife Celina were looking for a way to add a little peace and quiet to their lives. “Everyone needs a space where they can just take a deep breath and decompress,” Matt explained. “Back in the day, my Dad had the den to retreat to. But we didn’t have that kind of room in our house.”
“We started looking into having our basement remodeled after I saw what my brother-in-law did with his home,” Celina said. “He went the typical man-cave route with a huge TV, Patriots decor and a dedicated beer fridge,” she laughed. “I thought we could take the same idea, but have it be a little classier and more reflective our lifestyle.”
Finding a Boston basement finishing contractor was the first step. “It was important to me to find a company that specialized in basement transformations,” Matt said. “Every contractor tells you they can do it, but when you start asking questions, they have to admit they’ve never actually finished a basement before. I wanted someone with lots of experience.”
“We wanted a comfortable space where we could just relax. Watch a TV show that didn’t feature animated singing penguins or even read a book,” Celina said.
“Or do absolutely nothing at all,” Matt said. Their basement finishing contractors also built in storage closets and cabinetry, helping the family use the space to truly get organized. “It’s really been one of the best decisions we’ve ever made,” he added. “We use this room every single day. It’s helped us tremendously to have a place to go when the stress levels get too high – without actually having to leave the house! Strongly recommended for any parents of active children.”
