Help wanted: games room furniture placement

12 years ago

Hi all,

We are in the process of building an addition. The house is mostly framed in, and the builders will be framing the basement next. Of course, we also need to decide where the basement plumbing will go, followed closely by electrical. We realize if we can firm up where all the furniture and games will be placed it will help guide our other decisions.

Below you will find our first choice for furniture placement. The TV location was hard to work out, but after trial and error we concluded it might be best against the wall along the stairs (perhaps with DVD, Xbox etc. stored under the stairs). The stage that you will see in the corner will be for the boys Rock Band equipment (drums, guitars, etc). My daughter will also use it I am sure, as she is very dramatic. The stage also allows a step up to reach the egress window in case of fire exit. The area marked "bar" is really more of a counter to snack at. I figured if we put comfy swivel bar stools the kids might just eat their snacks at the counter (rather than over the couch) especially since it will allow them to view the TV (or swivel around and watch a ping pong game).

Would you be so kind as to look over our furniture placement and tell us what adjustments need to be made?

Thanking you in advance for your help.

Carol

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Comments (6)

juliekcmo
12 years ago
Overall I like the layout.

I do think that a round table and 4 chairs would be better used than the bar you have drawn. Table can be used for board games, card games, and group homework projects. Just box around the pillars and ignore them.

Perhaps a smaller bar with some stools could go behind the sofa. I do think that lightweight easy to pick up and move stools would be nice to have to sit on and move next to the hockey shot or ping pong areas.

Also, in the wall between the ping pong area and storage closet...can you recess in the wall between the studs a shallow set of shelves to store balls, paddles, etc. That could be very "custom" and isn't expensive.
ontariomom
Original Author
12 years ago
Hi Juliekcmo,

Thanks so much for your input. You are right that the round snack table would be more social, and have more uses than the shape we show. If we can make a circle shape fit, I too like it better. Were you envisioning the round table to be a high up table with bar stools, or a regular height table? BTW there are no pillars in the basement, those that were proposed were just decorative pillars so they can go. Great idea about the built ins for ping pong accessories.

We may try to move the TV to the area where we show the stage, and then move the stage and other furniture. We have been advised that if we want speakers for the TV, the location on the stair wall is not workable.

Carol
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I would move the tv to the wall where the couch is now. Move the couch opposite, with its back to the sliding door. Consider adding a sofa table behind with a pair of lamps to bring more warm lighting into the room. Keep the small chair where it is on the right side of the fireplace, and use the floor lamp next to it. Put the chair and a half and ottoman to the right of the couch, the end table and lamp beside it. Move the whole arrangement a bit closer to the fireplace, and make sure that the front legs of the couch and the chairs are on the rug. I agree that the coffeetable is not the best choice. I would love to see something round, perhaps a wood or slate top, with iron legs so that you don't have so much heavy furniture in the space. Down on the end wall where the tv is now, I would think about a game table and chairs in the corner where the screen is, great for snacking or playing games or doing puzzles. I would find a new home for the screen. Then a group of bookshelves with some closed storage in the same finish as the tv cabinet to the right along the wall to allow for storage of some of the toys, as well as a place to house books and media. Take the clock off the fireplace and use that on the end wall where the game table will be. Use the canvas you have on the fireplace, to bring some of the warmer colors of the room onto the grey fireplace. If your DH doesn't want to paint the fireplace, check into staining it. Just giving it a warmer finish would do a lot for the room.
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I don't see how putting a sofa facing the DR and the TV on the wall segment between them allows for decent viewing. I see your two options as (1) putting the TV in the corner (not necessarily on the diagonal -- a 65" TV is generally a little less than 60" wide -- doesn't leave a lot of space, but it can be placed flat) or (2) putting the TV on the wall between the window and the DR and floating a sofa opposite the TV and in front of the stairwell wall with a walkway behind it. I would probably use a sofa or sectional facing the sliders with the TV in the corner and a console or sofa table along the back of the sofa to give a landing spot for the DR and a transition between the rooms (most sofa backs just aren't that special base for a reading lamp too). You say you lean contemporary and the space in that corner is limited, so I would consider a non-traditional option for the TV console. This one is a lot less bulky than a traditional cabinet. It could place the TV flat or angled a bit without being obtrusive. We have a FR with an open end and lots of doors and windows like yours and the only real solution for us was to put the TV in the corner. We had a cabinet for a long time and more recently got the easel (ours is the black, which is a stain so you see grain and it comes off more charcoal than heavy black like a painted finish would be). I am so much happier with it. The components all sit on the bottom, we got charcoal grey flannel baskets for the rest of the shelf space and a cord storage box to contain the power strip, plugs and help control the cords. Once you get decide on the TV and sofa placement, the rest will fall into place.
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You're welcome, my pleasure. I mentioned wall mounting tv on an angling arm, and there are various types of arms available, depending on your needs. 'TV extension arms' would extend the tv out to mitigate the distance, these arms are also available with varying angling capabilities One example: [https://www.houzz.com/products/pdx650-full-motion-mount-for-37-75-tvs-black-prvw-vr~29971748[(https://www.houzz.com/products/pdx650-full-motion-mount-for-37-75-tvs-black-prvw-vr~29971748) This mount would extend tv out about 2 feet, and is pretty streamlined, with tv being able to sit 2'' from wall when mount is pushed back, so that's a nice feature. Just one example, and there are arms that extend out further than this one, lots of options available to suit your specific needs. I like the idea of wall mounting tv on an arm - but another good option could be using a mobile tv console, and if you like industrial styling, at all - there are a ton of wheeled options, in that style category, alone. So with either wall mounting on extension arm, or using a mobile console, your boys should be able to move the tv, versus having to move their seating... although, they could do a combination of both - if it's more comfortable, etc. I love that second light fixture, also. So many fun styles in the Sputnik type of design. :)
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mary_lu_gw
12 years ago
Is your stairway open or enclosed? Not sure why you couldn't put speakers there? If the stair is closed, or even partially closed, you could build a bookcase type unit across the wall and everything would fit into it? Couldn't the wiring for a surround-sound system be run through the ceiling and then placed around the room? You could then put a door at the end of the stair wall(far right) to access storage under the stairs which would allow you to still put all electronic equipment out of sight.

Like the idea of a normal height round table. Much more useful in the long run. Also liking the idea of the "stage' in the corner which serves to give better access to windows.
ontariomom
Original Author
12 years ago
Hi Mary lu,

Thanks for your reply! Our stairway is going to be partly open at the bottom. If we end up locating the TV on the staircase, we will need to keep it partly enclosed. I do like the idea of the built in bookcase unit to accommodate the TV and components. I am not sure why we were told that the surround-sound would not work well with the TV in that location -- guy stuff that I will get my DH to look into further. Thanks for the clarification on the table height. My kids do like to play cards.

I am worried that most TV viewers will have to turn their head to view the screen. Should I be angling any furnishing to improve viewing angle?

Thanks,

Carol
mary_lu_gw
12 years ago
The only area that would not really be able to see the TV would be the ping pong players, and I doubt they would be watching TV. Also those seated at the table would probably not be sitting there if they were seriously involved in TV watching, but if they are they could easily move their chairs. The other seating you have would allow good viewing. If you were to move the TV to the end wall near the stage there would be more options for TV viewing, but it would limit somewhat your ability to use the under-stairs area to hide electronics, cables, etc.

I think overall you are accommodating many different activities all within your space.
ontariomom
Original Author
12 years ago
Hi Mary Lu and Julie and thanks for your ideas.

Unfortunately, we are going to have to move the TV to the right hand wall. I found out today that it will cost us twice as much to do surround sound if we have the TV against the stair wall as speakers in the ceiling are much more than speakers in the wall. Also, the light from the two windows at the bottom of the page will cast light on the plasma screen making it very hard to watch TV during the day unless we cover up the windows with dark blinds. I do not want to cover up the light as I think basements are dark enough anyway. Sooooooo, it looks like the TV is moving.

I did post a second draft of the layout of entire basement including the games room, mudroom and basement powder room on the building a house forum. I have not added the round table yet, but I do like that idea. However, I also like the idea of the counter height snack bar. If the round table does not go in the games room, there is room for it on the main level as we need one good area to play cards, board games etc.

I welcome any more comments!

Carol

Help wanted: games room furniture placement

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Help wanted: games room furniture placement

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