How to design the perfect games room

If you find yourself with a little extra space on hand (lucky you!) or looking for a way to liven up your home, a games room might be the solution.

Photo by Steven Weeks on Unsplash

This is a space for entertaining and getting the family together for some good old-fashioned fun. There are a few ways to design the perfect games room and make the most of your new entertainment space.  

Layout

Measure up your space and see how many bulky pieces the space can take. The average pool table measures 7 or 8 feet and needs considerable moving room around the table for swinging pool ques. To save on space, you can get a pool table converter that changes the table into a ping-pong table without wasting any extra space. For a very small space, look into an extendable table that can neatly fold away when not in use. These are all basics that you need to consider when planning the layout and will be the deciding factors of which type of games room you will have. 

Lighting

Lighting is very important and can make or break the mood of a room. Stay far away from florescent lighting as this is harsh and clinical. Soft, yellow lighting creates a calm mood, perfect for a games room. A good idea is to add dimmers so you can have brighter lights when playing boardgames and softer light when hitting the pool table. If you want to play video games, you can add some fun LED lights to the back of your TV to add a fun and cartoonish atmosphere to the setup. 

Seating

Seating heavily depends on the space you have available. A large, comfy corner unit is the optimal arrangement for a games room but not everyone has the luxury of that amount of space. A good idea is to have movable furniture like ottomans or bean bags to move around to where the action is happening. If your room is centered around a pool table you might want high bar stools that can line up against the wall but a room centered around a table for board games will require comfortable chairs where you can sit and play for hours. 

Storage

One downside of a games room is that it can very easily look cluttered or messy. All those fun board games you have been collecting over the years need to find a new more organized home so try a storage option with doors, drawers, or lids. If you have bar games, keep all the equipment together so have darts in one place, ping pong paddles and balls in another, and pool ques hung in a rack. Not only will these systems make your life easier but they add to the aesthetic value of the room. 

Soundproofing

This might be the last thing you think of but will be one of the first things to add during construction. It isn’t an absolute necessity but you will be thankful you did it in the long run. Don’t expect much peace and quiet throughout the house if there is a rowdy board game or video game happening. You can also help to contain the noise levels through your décor choices. Carpets instead of tiles or hardwood floors, plush couches, thick curtains, and tapestries are all ways to help damper the sound. If you are planning on having loud movie nights or gaming sessions regularly, you could add sound blankets to the walls. These are movable so you can hang them up only when things get too loud. 

Have Fun

This truly is the best space to live out your childhood fantasies. Have fun when designing this room and don’t be afraid of adding bold colors, quirky furniture, or weird art. You can even have your room follow a theme and pay homage to your favorite sports team or create a cozy pub atmosphere.