Game Room Decorating Ideas

Make a Plan

Before you can put your game room decorating ideas into action, you need a plan. The first thing to do is ask yourself what the primary purpose of your new game room will be. Are you looking for an active room, with a pool table, dart board, and air hockey set up, or is your game playing style of the more sedate variety, like board games or cards? These factors will have a huge impact on the way you design your room. If you’re going to have a pool table, the table becomes the focal point of the room, and you will need to leave plenty of room to maneuver on all sides of the table. If your room is going to be used for sit down games like poker or Monopoly, you’ll need a sturdy table on which to play and lots of comfortable seating that gives easy access to the table.

Also, consider how your game room will fit in with the rest of the house. Does the room need to follow the same cohesive design style you have used throughout your home, or are you comfortable making this an “anything goes” kind of room? There is no hard and fast answer to this question – the only answer is the one that fits your vision of the room.

Lastly, as with any design project, make a budget and do your best to stick to it. Game rooms can be especially dangerous in the budget department with all of the fun extras that can be included. Remember to leave some cash left over for chips and dip!

Game Room Decorating Ideas

Now that you have given some thought to the parameters of your project, consider putting some of these game decorating ideas into play!

• Go for a 1950s pool hall feel for your pool room. You can find retro style pool tables for sale on sites like eBay and you can complete the look with stainless steel accessories, neon lighting and retro posters. Make sure the room is set up with a music system ready to blast favorite tunes from the era, or if your budget will allow it, a jukebox would be the perfect finishing touch. Go for a room that James Dean would be happy to knock some balls around in.

• A Las Vegas style casino room is perfect for card lovers. Poker tables are a must, of course – go for the larger, eight sided type to provide plenty of room for your Vegas high rollers. You can also get a roulette wheel, a blackjack table and even some slot machines to finish the look.

• Give your kids a space where they can be active even when it’s raining outside. Get a ping pong table, an air hockey table, a Foosball machine, a dart board, or even an indoor basketball hoop. These games will keep the kids active and amused without you having to worry about the windows getting knocked out.

• Get in touch with your inner 80s child and fill your room with classic 80s arcade games. Pac-Man or Ms. Pac-Man is a must, of course, and don’t forget other classics like Donkey Kong, Frogger and Centipede. If your budget doesn’t stretch to full size arcade games, not to worry. Many of these classic games are now available for download online or can be bought on disc to play with modern gaming systems, so get a big screen TV, some comfy chairs, and create your own updated arcade. Neon signs are a great addition to arcade themed rooms, and don’t forget to have your favorite 80s music playing in the background!

Game Room Decorating Ideas – The Finishing Touches

Any game room theme you decide to go with will benefit from having these extras:

• Wet bar or mini refrigerator
• Stereo system
• Comfortable chairs, including a seating area for post game chill-out sessions
• Plenty of good lighting

More Game Room Ideas

For more help getting your game room decorating ideas under way, visit Create a Home Game Room.