From weekend parties with friends to solo nights unwinding after a long week, a game room can be a place of fun and escape. Investing in a better game room or recreation area prioritizes your well-being and adds more value to your home.
How Can I Decorate a Recreation Room?
Your game room can and should be whatever you want it to be. Is video gaming your favorite way to pass the time? A gaming-inspired space is perfect for late-night grinds. Prefer classic board games or rowdy nights with your poker buddies? You can do that, too.
Create a functional, stylish gaming space by choosing a theme and corresponding color scheme — then use those to guide you through the furnishing and decorating processes.
Pick a Theme
While your theme could be an extension of your home's decorating style, like sleek neutrals or antique accents, you could also customize the theme to fit what you'll be doing in the space. For example, kid-friendly gaming rooms will warrant different furniture and equipment than an adults-only billiards space.
Common game room decor ideas include:
Board games: Whether your favorite board game is something as traditional as Monopoly or as complex as a campaign-style role-playing game, create the ideal space for long hours of sitting and concentrating. A space like this should be comfortable and relaxed, with a strong focus on the table at the center.
Rec room: Recreation room decor ideas range from an industrial, gym-like atmosphere to a cozier, homey room. Rec rooms typically include pool tables, poker tables, foosball or similar.
Video gaming: A video gaming room is all about maximizing space and electrical outlets to configure PC monitors, gaming consoles and computer systems while maintaining a neat, clutter-free appearance. Many gamers also enjoy atmospheric lighting and some soundproofing if the room is near a noisy area of the home.
Kid-friendly: Kid-friendly game rooms primarily depend on the child's age. A toddler's game room might have blocks and large stuffed toys, while elementary-age kids enjoy card game stations, board games and some video and arcade game options.
Sports fan: Game rooms aren't always about playing — for sports fans, they're also a great space to watch their favorite team. Sports enthusiasts adorn game rooms in their favorite teams' colors and decor, with memorabilia on the walls and a large, comfortable viewing area near the television.
Arcade-style: You can design an arcade game room as a throwback or bring it into the modern age with custom touches. Add arcade machines and an air hockey table for a fun space the whole family can enjoy.
Choose a Color Scheme
Pull colors from your theme and create a palette to use as you paint, choose furniture, decorate the walls and install flooring. A few examples of themes and their corresponding color schemes are:
Team colors for a sports-themed room
Black and neon for a classic-inspired arcade
Primary colors, like blue and red, for a toddler's game room
Earth tones for a relaxing game space
Jewel tones and dark neutrals for a poker or pool room
Be as creative with your colors as you'd like. While using a theme is a great place to start, the right color combination will bring any type of gaming space to life with a cohesive, stylish look.
What Essentials Should Every Game Room Have?
When you decorate a recreation room, always start with the essentials before moving on to luxury items or decorative pieces. Furniture and lighting are two of the most critical things to consider.
Furniture
The more comfortable and practical a furniture piece is, the more use you'll get out of it on game night. Consider the following:
Comfortable seating: The average video gamer spends nearly nine hours sitting at their PC or gaming console each week, and they're not the only ones. The Super Bowl runs just under four consecutive hours. And say nothing of the hours spent gathered around a poker table or Monopoly board. Comfortable seating is essential for staying focused on the game and preventing aches and stiffness the next day. If your game room involves more standing, invest in good flooring or padded mats.
Multipurpose pieces: Multipurpose pieces are ideal for small spaces or game rooms on a budget. Look for things like ottomans with built-in storage or a gaming table you can adapt to more than one game type.
Spacious tables: Choose a table large enough for your favorite games and group, especially if you plan to play a lot of board games or cards. Kid-friendly game rooms should have smaller tables appropriate for your child's age and size.
Lighting
The right lighting can enhance your game room's theme and prevent excessive eye strain. Popular examples to consider include:
Ambient: Soft, ambient lighting is perfect for a game room doubling as a family room or casual gaming space with friends. Choose warm light temperatures and look for places to use interesting lamps or fixtures.
Natural: If your game room is in a spot near the window, natural light saves energy costs and provides a comfortable gaming environment, especially for youngsters.
RGB: RGB LED lighting — which stands for red, green and blue LED lights — is popular in video gaming rooms because it is sleek and stylish without being bright enough to cause screen glares. RGB lighting systems offer endless arrangement and color options for a truly customizable space.
Recessed: Recessed lighting is common in finished basement game rooms, as it offers a traditional, out-of-the-way approach to lighting. It looks sleek, modern and takes up no floor space.
How Can I Improve My Game Room?
Once you've filled your home game room with the essential furniture and lighting, use leftover budget and decorating space to improve it with things like:
A home theater: A home theater system with sound bars and enhanced speakers will make sports and video games feel more immersive than the standard viewing experience.
Soundproofing panels: Apply soundproofing panels to the walls to create a soundproof barrier in your gaming space. This is perfect if you're playing video games or if your Friday football group tends to get a bit rowdy.
A home bar: Let your game room shine as the entertainment hub of your home by adding a bar or wine cabinet stocked with your favorite drinks and snacks.
Extra outlets: Add extra outlets or charging hubs for things like smartphones, lighting, TV monitors, computer systems or other accessories.
Furnish Your Game Room With Help From HB Home
Furnish the game room of your dreams with help from HB Home, where you'll find top-quality pool tables, classic arcade and rec room games, video gaming chairs, tables, furniture and much more. No matter what game room decoration ideas you have, we have the items you need to bring them to life.
Shop HB Home today and get ready for unforgettable game nights with your loved ones!