Designing A Games Room

Congratulations, you’ve taken the first step towards creating a home recreation room which will add value to your free time, allow you to spend more quality time with your family and add value on to your home. As you are reading this then you’ve probably already decided researching and planning a games room is the best option to get the most out of your decision and you’ve made the right choice. We hope the following article can give you a few helpful tips about location, lighting, materials and other things to consider for a home gaming room so you can get the most out of your decision.

Most people choose to convert an existing room in their home into a recreational gaming room rather than build on a new section to their house. Popular choices are to convert a loft, attic, basement, garage or in houses where a lounge and living room are present, to choose one of these for games room conversion. Choosing to convert a room in your home presents a few additional issues to get the most out of your games room, most notably space, adding in new electric and plumbing and coping with already present features such as windows, doors and fireplaces which may not be in the most helpful of places. Noise levels to are a consideration as your home games room is likely to become the noisiest room in your house, meaning you’ll want to locate it away from relaxation areas and bedrooms.

 

Games Room Flooring Materials

The floor of your games room needs to be level and if it isn’t then you’ll have to get it level before seriously considering using that room for any kind of table game. Snooker, pool, table tennis, foosball, air hockey amongst others require a level playing surface to avoid niggly problems with play.When considering a floor surface then the general consensus is to opt for cork flooring tiles. A games room is likely to become the noisiest place in your home and cork is known to absorb sound and is also easy to clean when over-exuberance leads to food and drink spillage. Wood flooring is another hardwearing alternative but less noise-friendly if your games room is inside your house.

 

Games Room Lighting

When planning a games room do not overlook the importance of lighting in the design features. A dangling bulb in the centre of the room is unlikely to provide the kind of lighting for enjoyable play and putting in the extra lighting needed later on may involve channeling new electrics into the walls and otherwise messing up the decor you already have in place. Get the structural stuff done first and lighting comes under this banner.When considering what lighting you need think about what games you intend to include. If indeed, your games room is only intended for kids to play with their toys and board games in, then a single ceiling light will probably be fine. On the other hand, a snooker or pool table will benefit from a dedicated overhead snooker table lighting hood and other games like a dartboard may also require an overhead light for clarity.

When considering lighting also think about how these lights will interact with each other. For example, a snooker table light is a bulky piece of equipment which may obscure other parts of the room.

 

Game Room Add-Ons and Special Requirements

Many homeowners want things like a telephone outlet in their games room or extra electrical outlets. Some games, like arcade machines, add an extra load onto the home electricity circuit and may require extra circuit breakers and other additions to the existing electricals. Some also want sink and bathroom facilities as well, all of which adds to the extra cost of building a games room and many may require contractors to be hired.

 

Recreation Room Wet Bar and Sink

What plumbing does your games room require? If you are thinking of adding in a wet bar to serve cocktails and other drinks to your guests then you’ll have to check into getting plumbing installed as well. This is something you will want to do first before thinking about flooring etc. Remember if you room is built on a concrete slab this is going to require some major digging and all these extra bits and pieces add on to the cost of building a games room.

 

Games Room Ceiling Tiles and Wall Covering

Noise and lighting are important considerations for the ceiling. Accoustic ceiling tiles offer noise reduction qualities which are ideal for home game rooms. If noise isn’t a huge issue, then why not go wild and creative with your ceiling and walls? It is a gaming room after all so let your imagination run wild! Soundproofing walls may also be an option you will like to consider. Thicker wallpaper, soundproofing wall tiles and soft furnishings like curtains help reduce sound transferance.

 

Games Room Decor

You can add some real character to a game room will wall decor. Check out the wide selection of game room accessories from Drinkstuff which includes such things as game room pictures and posters, clocks, funky neon signs, bar signs and pub mirrors amongst other things to add a touch of class and style to your rec room.

 

Game Room Furniture

One often overlooked area of any games room in the planning stage is the additional furniture which should be included. Do you intend for your guests to lean against the wall when not playing? What about drinks? How about keeping them amused between games? You’ll need to provide seating of some kind, maybe a table or two, a mini fridge is a good option for storing food and drinks, as is a television screen of some kind. Some kind of snacks area in general is a good option whether this is a full bar or simple counter area. Storage of some kind, such as shelves, a cupboard or other section for storing all the game accessories is also something of a necessity.

 

What are The Best Games For A Home Game Room

This choice is up to you! We do however recommend you have look through our article on choosing games for a home game room for some tips on what might be best suited to you and your lifestyle but ultimately, if there are games you love above others, then you’ll want to choose them. Remember of course, there are multiplay game tables available so you might be able to fit in more than you think!

When planning your games room, it is wise to have in mind the game tables etc. you want to include so you can plan around their location. Take lots of measurements and plan well to avoid disappointment and remember some games require a lot more space than the simple area the table itself takes up and others can be folded away when not in use to free up space. Also think of the traffic patterns around the room to avoid placing hazardous games like dartboards where people are likely to be walking. I remember going into one game room where the dartboard was on the back of the door - great, until someone walks in unannounced and gets a dart between the eyes!

We hope the above home game room design hints, tips, tricks and advice has been useful to you and encourage you to check out some of the other articles about home recreational games room plans and game buying advice for more helpful ideas.