How to Build a Gamers' Room
- 1). Use a suitable room. As long as there is enough space for seating and all your gaming equipment, the space should be fine. A spare bedroom, media or theater room, converted basement or garage can all work well.
- 2). Map out the placement of the room's elements and furniture. To maximize seating space, it is best to either mount your TV and equipment, or have it placed along one wall. Seating should be placed a reasonable distance in front of the television, with at least one table to set down food and drinks. A snack area can be set up at the back of the room and contain as little as a mini-fridge or as much as a full bar. You should also decide where to store your games, movies and extra controllers; bookshelves or a bookcase are effective storage areas.
- 3). Protect your floors from food and drink spills. Long gaming sessions are usually not complete without snacks and there is no guarantee you won't knock some of it onto the floor, so area rugs or mats with waterproof backing are a good idea. To help prevent spills you can also place your plates and cups on small side tables, instead of on the floor or in the cup holder of your gaming chair.
- 4). Find a platform to keep your television, gaming systems, speakers and computer all in one place. A modular entertainment center or even a large desk could work -- it just depends on the equipment you need to house. Ensure that the backs of each piece, especially your gaming system and PC, are unobstructed so that they don't overheat.
- 5). Keep the cords from your electronics neat and tidy with an electrical cord organizer, which can be bought from your local computer, electronics or video game store. Not only will the cords look better bundled together, they will be less of a tripping hazard. Using a power strip can also be helpful, instead of running to cords to various outlets throughout the room.
- 6). Pick comfortable seating. Sectional couches and plush chairs can be used, or you can consider getting gaming chairs or rockers. This type of chair is designed for gaming, usually quite low to the ground, has outputs for headphones and speakers, and is ergonomically designed to support the back through several hours of playing.
- 7). Add functional, decorative lighting. Even if you're not worried about pulling the look of your game room together, lighting will come in handy while you're playing and need to see, but don't want to use harsh overhead lights. A standing lamp is an inexpensive, easy-to-find source of light that can be pointed just where you need it to be.
- 8). Incorporate decorative elements. You don't necessarily need to worry about picking a color scheme and coordinating pieces in your game room, but you can put posters or prints from your favorite movies, games or sports teams on the walls or display your collection of cards, sports or gaming memorabilia throughout the room to add a personal touch.