Although currently dimly lit and a little rough on the eyes, your unfinished basement still has a lot of potential.  With just a little love and the help of the following ideas you can spice it up in no time and get some great ideas out of the space.

1. Add a pop of color to space.  Consider painting and sealing the floors, opening up the room by painting the rafters white or a light color, or creating a bold accent wall.
2. Divide the space.  Want to make your basement a multi-use room? Partition out the area by installing an inexpensive curtain system.  This can be done either with a curtain track or a simple wire , some books and curtains will suffice.
3. Add foam mats.  Whether you'd like to use the basement as a home gym to get in a quick workout or a place for the kids to play and rough house, adding some foam mats into the mix is a great and easy solution.  They come in various colors and can quickly be picked up and tucked away if needed.
4. Use a large rug.  As an alternative to adding mats, find a large, eye-catching rug to be used as a focal point and furnish the area around it.
5. Add lighting.  Basements often offer very little built-in lighting and few outlets around the room.  Consider stringing cafe lighting across the space from the rafters to give a nice ambiance and glow without any difficult electrical work.