Hazel, Jude and their 10-year-old twins have a busy family life. Hazel is a powerhouse in the workplace, while Jude is a stay-at-home dad and Renaissance man. During the past two years, the couple have renovated most of their big, old house, with Jude taking the reins as lead handyman. He has the talent and he has the tools, but he has one problem: Finishing the job. Let's just say they have a lot of rooms that are (begin ital) almost (end ital) done.

The couple had a large, unfinished basement perfect for a family room, but with so many rooms (begin ital) nearly (end ital) finished, Hazel was reluctant to have Jude start another project. They wanted a lounge for the family and an organized area for the kids' crafts and Hazel's sewing. But Hazel was determined to finish what had already been started. So she asked Jude to work on his incomplete projects and gave me the task of designing the basement.

This concrete and insulation-exposed room needed everything, so the first order of business was to put up walls, lay down floors, install crown moldings and put in ceiling lights. The couple wanted the room to blend with the traditional design of the rest of the house, so I painted the walls a light shade of blue, chose a cherry tone for the wood flooring and placed tons of creamy custom cabinetry with an antique wash.

I then divided the space into two practical zones -- a family lounge and a crafts/sewing area. In the lounge, I created one whole feature wall that comprises a big-screen television and a new raised gas fireplace, with cabinetry above and below.

Too, I put in a huge sectional sofa in warm wheat chenille, situated for perfect viewing of this wall. The neutral sofa is a perfect backdrop for a host of accent pillows that play up the contrasts of texture, color and pattern: rich velvets and silks in blue, caramel and decorative paisley. In this area, I also put in a rich wood coffee table, a dark-leather lounge chair and a light area rug.

To one side of the feature wall, I put up one whole wall of Hazel's favorite botanical prints -- 14 in total -- that, with added wall sconces, form a lovely picture gallery.

In the second zone of the room -- a large, U-shaped configuration -- I created a crafts and sewing spot. I placed lots of creamy storage cabinets around the perimeter and some floating dark-wood shelves that sit above sand-speckled quartz countertops. I then put in a rustic wood table in the middle of the space and hung three gorgeous bronze pendant fixtures above.

I also installed a special area where Hazel can do her sewing. A modern sewing machine sits at desk level; above is a special nook for her mother's antique sewing machine that needed a real place of honor in the room.

Unfortunately for the kids, I designed a little homework area -- a nice workstation and chair, with an under-cabinet fixture so they will have plenty of light to get their studies done.

After adding a few more accents and accessories, this basement became transformed. By combining warm colors, comfortable furniture, traditional details and perfectly placed lighting, this room is now ready for crafts, calculus -- and cozying up by the fire. And the best part about it? It's 100 percent complete. How divine!

Interior decorator Candice Olson is host ofHome and Garden Television's "Divine Design." (Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service)