 With growing intensity, home is becoming the place to be for entertainment. This has strengthened the desire for a truly personalized space for fun activities. The games room is the one room where you can pull out all the stops and make it a masterpiece of self-expression. With a myriad of choices available for furnishings, games, props and décor, the task of finding just the right touches for your games room can be overwhelming.
A great way to get inspired with decorating ideas for a games room is to search magazines, antique stores and even your local bar and restaurants. Sometimes all it takes is one item to inspire an entire theme. Or that one item can lead to an eclectic mix of collectables and memorabilia to add to your decorating scheme. Remember the great vintage sign you saw in that quaint corner antique store last weekend? Maybe that is your starting point. Turn your games room into a vintage retreat full of nostalgic items that beckon to an easier, less stressful time.
Warp speed ahead into the here and now with a cool, sleek contemporary look that exemplifies understated elegance and streamlined space. Select a modern styled pool table. Create a few seating areas by putting together contemporary loungers with ottomans and small glass and chrome side tables. Bring in some great 60s style retro lamps in bright colors to add some flair and excitement to the room. Add one or more area rugs in a great geometric design to pull the room together and add visual interest. Hang a few framed posters on the walls or one spectacular abstract painting. Create a space that is inviting and fresh.
Keep it traditional with a country club atmosphere, complete with dark, rich woods, leather seating and Tiffany lighting. This is a classic decorating scheme that never goes out of style. Sophisticated yet cozy and inviting, a games room that has that old world charm will be a room where you’ll want to spend much of your time. A pool table with beautifully carved legs in a fine mahogany finish with a stained glass pool light above adds instant atmosphere. Add some barrel-back leather lounge chairs around a card table and sumptuous leather seating for relaxation and conversation. Paint the walls a dark burgundy or deep green and let the room just envelop you in warmth. Hang framed vintage travel posters on the wall and bring in a globe drink caddy for handy, moveable refreshment. The gentlemen in the family will surely love the masculine touches and the women will enjoy the warmth the room exudes.
Whether your games room is a room over the garage, a basement or an added space, break the rules and create a room that is totally different from the rest of the house. Treat the games room as an entirely separate space and let your imagination run wild! Remember, this is where the games begin. Let it be fun and carefree. Make it eclectic and quirky. Let your mind wander to a far-off place and bring that feeling home into your games room.
Let your interests and hobbies lead the way in your design scheme. Focus on what you want your games room to be. What is its primary use? Will this be a family retreat, where everyone comes to unwind with a few games of pool or pinball? Place a pool table center stage and add game tables for playing cards or board games. Or will this be a screening room for all those movies you’ve been meaning to catch up on? Delegate one area of the room for a big-screen TV and comfortable seating. Accentuate the space with movie posters and memorabilia. Will you be entertaining in the games room often? If so, you may want to add a bar for ease of drink and snack serving. Make sure you have plenty of comfortable bar stools. Serve up the good times in ways that make your guests feel special.
Paint can transform the room. Experiment with colors. Try those exciting bright shades of green, red, blue and even orange that you’ve seen but were afraid to try in any other room of the house. There are some great decorating ideas for a games room to be gained from color alone. Perhaps even paint a mural on one wall. If the room will be used frequently by children, paint a wall or two with chalkboard paint and let them create their own masterpieces. Add a wallpaper border and create the rest of your room from there.
For the ceiling, be even more creative. Apply a coat of glitter paint and dim the lights for a movie. Be dazzled by the sparkle above. Install embossed metal ceiling tiles to add interest and texture. These tiles come in a wide variety of finishes, colors and patterns. You can choose from tin, copper, brass or painted in highly ornate or subtly textured patterns. There are moldings available in the same material so you can bring the design down slightly on the wall to create a wonderful border around the room.
Lighting is a crucial part of decorating your games room. Think about the activities in the room and the placement of your furniture and games. Create a lighting plan to accentuate these areas. For example, a light fixture over the pool table is a must. If you have a bar area, you will want lighting there. Hang a few nice pendant lights over the bar counter. If your games room incorporates a movie area, consider recessed lighting with dimmers to enhance your viewing. In fact, recessed lighting throughout the room is a great illumination option, especially if your games room is in a basement. Consider carefully the room layout and gear your lighting needs to that. Once the fixtures are in place, you can supplement those with floor lamps or table lamps where needed. Lamps also make great decorating accessories, with so many styles available to fit any décor.
For the floor, area rugs add great interest and unify a room. You can create separate areas in a large room by placing several rugs throughout the room. Pick patterns that pull colors from the room. There are some great novelty rugs available that will add punch and even a little humor to your room. If you have hardwood floors, bring in a large area rug to cover the room for added warmth and comfort. Basement rooms are usually finished with cement flooring. You can paint, stain or apply a great decorative finish to the concrete. You can even have it finished to look like hardwood!
Don’t try to decorate your games room all at one time. Add to it as your interests and styles flourish and change. With more and more families opting to stay close to home, there are endless ways right at your fingertips for you to create a stimulating, functional games room that fulfills all of your needs and desires. There is a plethora of decorating ideas for a games room all around. Be creative and don’t hold back. Create the room that is just right for you, your friends and family…because home is where the games are.
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