Fun and functional games room

Your new games room is going the most popular room in the house. You can pretend to be a fully matured adult all you want. You can impress your guests with your new dining room table that is finished in oh-so-grown-up walnut, with a lacquered finish- for extra seriousness. You can chit-chat with them about respectable and important adult issues like the price of petrol per gallon compared to, I don’t know, margarine? Or demonstrate your political awareness by constantly referring to that nauseating phrase “credit crunch”. But! When they leave……you know where you are headed. Let’s face it, we are all really just children who happened to grow up and a well equipped games room filled with the latest fun technology or games that fill you with nostalgia (or both!) can only be a great thing. For that reason you should take the planning and decorating of a games room with the same amount of seriousness as you would your living room or kitchen, if not more.

In a games room you really are limited only by your imagination, and perhaps your bank manager. The key to a successful games room is getting the balance between fun and function. A good games room should be able to entertain a group of people at once- a games room is not a byword for divorce, it is not somewhere for a husband to disappear, but should instead be a place for the whole family to have fun together and break the silent monotony wasting every night glued to the television.

The first step should be to set a budget. Unlike e bedroom or hallway, a games room can easily cause overexcitement during the decoration and fitting out stage. Niche furniture can get pricey, and in your zeal to create the perfect play space, it’s easy to overspend so maintain a constant grasp on your finances. Game room decorating should be within your means, not a financial hardship.

Next, choose a theme. Whether you opt for the laid back cool of a pool room, with charcoal walls and low hanging lamps or a 1930’s art deco cinema with velvet seating, crimson and gold, corniced walls and an original popcorn machine, be sure to maintain a continuous theme. Mixing and matching ideas, eras and schemes will result in junk shop chic. Be fair in your decision making and remember to include everybody in the decision making, you may love the idea of a room dedicated to The Smiths but your eight year old won’t.

If you are including particularly pricey items such as a snooker table, Lazy Boy chairs, games consoles, a jukebox or even 1950’s diner style booths, it is wise to buy such items first. In the event you run low on funds, you’ll have the important items covered. Knick-knacks or finishing touches such as curtains, blinds and wall art, though important to the strength of the scheme, are not likely to be overly expensive so should be left to the end. Running out of money half way through the project when you still had the pool table to buy for your pool room would render it a room and nothing more- no matter how many pictures of Stephen Hendry you’ve hung.