Movie lovers have their home theater, bookworms have a home library, and gardening enthusiasts have their flower gardens. What do video gamers have? A home video game room of course.
A windowless room may sound ideal, but you will probably still want just a little bit of light while you are watching your movie. The ideal solution is a dimmable lighting product. Light Direction. Position your lighting equipment such that it lights up the room indirectly by shinning primarily on the walls and the floor.
We have seen some good video game rooms, we have seen some unique ones, and we have certainly seen some wild ones. For video game lovers, having the right place to play your games is essential to your enjoyment and comfort. You could choose to play on the couch in the living room or on your bed but your back will punish you for it, not to mention all the disruptions from other people. Having a dedicated video game room allows you to play in quiet and comfort.
Video Game Room Design Considerations
There are no hard and fast rules regarding how you should set up your video game rooms. Different people will have varying tastes and needs. But there are some basic foundations you need to consider as you set up the ultimate video game room.
- Comfort – Chances are you are going to be seated most of the time. Thus, it is extremely important that you be as comfortable as possible. Look for a chair that is soft and provides proper support to your back and spine. You should not experience any back pain by the end of your playing session.
- Cooling – gaming computers need to be powerful and this means they produce plenty of heat. If you spend hours racing or shooting up zombies and bad guys, the room is bound to get quite hot. The obvious solution is to blast the AC to full power though this can be expensive. Cheaper ways to keep the room cool include using multiple fans, opening the windows and getting a larger room if you can.
- Storage – you are going to need lots of storage otherwise your game room is going to be one confusing mess.
- Technology – make sure you have all the tech gadgets you need to make your gaming experience comfortable. Examples include an adjustable TV stand, a cable organizer to avoid messy wires on the floor, cooling pads for your laptop, wireless headsets and speakers and so on.
- Lighting – most game rooms are set up in spaces with little to no natural light coming in. So you want to make sure you have adequate light fixtures set up around the room.
- Nutrition – if you tend to play on through the night, consider having a fridge in the room with healthy things to nibble on. You can also add a water dispenser for quick access to drinking water.
Related: 5 Finished Basement Ideas to Create a Fun Space for Your Family
Video Game Room Ideas
If you fancy your own video game room at home, we have some great game room ideas for you. Do not feel limited in any way by the following list of video game room ideas. Be as creative as you want.
1. The Basement Lair
Movie Room Lighting Ideas
The basement is one of the most popular locations for a game room thanks to its seclusion and large space. If you have an unfinished basement, you will have to undertake extensive renovations to turn it into your dream game room. If it is already under use, you could partition part of it and deck it out with your own colors and furniture.
The most important thing to remember when setting up your game room in the basement is safety. Make sure the basement is built to the required safety standards. This means having a second escape exit, smoke detectors, fire sprinklers and so on.
The basement provides the advantage of being in a secluded part of the house. There are minimal disruptions and you can have the volume as loud as you want without worrying about disturbing others. If not the basement, you can also find an unused room, such as an extra bedroom, and convert it into a video game room. However, you may not get the seclusion that the basement provides.
2. A Living Room Game Station
Not everyone has an unused basement or extra room lying around the house. In that case, you have to adapt to your current situation. One idea is to set up your gaming center in the living room. Note that this only works if you are single or have no kids around.
To prevent cables from messing up your living room style, buy one of the many cable organizers available in the market. Don’t forget to include adequate storage for your video games and other items instead of leaving them strewn all over the place.
3. The Corner Spot
If you cannot get an entire room to yourself, the corner spot gaming station is your best option. Depending on the situation at home, you can choose a secluded spot in the living room, the bedroom, your own home office or the home library.
Like the living room game center discussed above, you have to keep things minimal and neat. Get enough shelving for all your stuff and have a cable organizer at hand to keep your gaming area clean. You might need additional lighting around your spot, maybe a fan to wad away the heat and definitely a pair of gaming headphones to keep the noise to yourself.
4. Themed Game Room
One of the reasons why we highly recommend you use an entire room as a gaming center is the design freedom you get. Since it is your personal space, you can pretty much design it in any way you want. If you want to really personalize the space and create the best gaming atmosphere, choose the right theme.
Most gamers use their favorite games to theme their video game rooms. You can go vintage and create a Super Mario themed room with elements from the first Mario games released in the 1980s. If you are crazy about racing games, deck out your game room in all the racing posters and paraphernalia you can get your hands on. Same goes if you love swords, fighter jets games and sports games.
Some go beyond gaming to theme their rooms after their favorite movies. So if you have particular leanings toward Star Wars, Pirates of the Caribbean or Fast and Furious, feel free to theme your game room accordingly. This is especially if your game room also doubles up as a movie room.
5. The Minimalist Den
Video game rooms are often associated with miles of cables running across the room, tech hardware strewn all over and bits and pieces laying around without any apparent organization. For minimalists, this is definitely not a place you want to play in. So what do you do if you love clean minimalist looks but are an ardent video game lover? Just set up the minimalist video game den.
Leave your walls clean and use neutral colors all round. Do not fill up the room with furniture, one comfortable couch or two gaming chairs are plenty. Have adequate and well-placed storage around the room, preferable one that recesses into the wall to maintain the minimalist look. Finally, go wireless. Wherever you can, cut out the cables and opt for wireless hardware.
6. The Attic Game Room
If not down below in the basement, what about up above in the attic? The attic is a great place to set up a video game room. It is secluded and usually spacious. Talk with a contractor about what renovations are needed to convert the attic into a functional video game room.
One issue you have to focus on is temperature control. The attic is often vulnerable to extreme heating in the summer and freezing cold in the winter. We recommend looking at various insulation options for the attic. Again, this is an issue you should discuss with your contractor.
7. Multiplayer Rooms
Video games are double fun if enjoyed with friends. If you have a friend or two who also love video games, consider setting up a multiplayer video game room. For this, you will need a large space, preferably the basement or the attic. Set up enough furniture and hardware for everyone and make sure there is adequate cooling to deal with the added heat. You will also need more storage.
A great idea is to add a mini bar at one corner or end of the multiplayer room. This gives you and your friends a nice way to break from all the racing and shooting.
Check out these great ideas from Apartment Therapy: 10 Ideas For Setting Up an Ideal Gamer’s Room
8. Accent Lighting
To create an immersive gaming experience, lighting is an important element. Instead of just a single overhead fixture, add bits of accented lighting around the room. A combination of different colored lights helps create a surreal atmosphere, perfect for video gaming. Blue and red ambient lighting is especially great if you are going for a unique gaming atmosphere.
With the advancement of technology and the reducing costs of gaming equipment, now it is possible to set up your own gaming center at home. Whether you are working with a small budget or a big one and whether you only have the corner spot or an entire basement, there is a perfect video game room design for you.
Check Out Our Other Great Articles:
Image Sources: