
Next Level Entertaining: 4 Creative Room Addition Ideas
Having a special space to relax with family and friends and enjoy time together is a perfect addition to any home. There are many ways homeowners are choosing to personalize their space. Whether you want to entertain, enjoy a great movie or establish a family game night, the options for creative room additions are essentially endless. Which room would you want to add to your home?
A Room Designed with the Gamer in Mind
Technological advancements have made way for an entirely new recreational activity, gaming. Consider creating a room for the gamers in your life. If you want to incorporate a bit of nostalgia, purchase one of the old-style, coin-operated video games and/or pinball machines.
Why not create several areas with half-walls that are designed specifically for playing video games on an enormous flat screen television, while sitting in a gaming chair? Creating multiple gaming locations with half-walls allows gamers to move from one gaming system to another with ease.
Plus, add in some of the traditional games that never go out of style, like a pool table or air hockey. Table tennis tables or foosball tables are great family games that everyone can still enjoy. Complete the space with a sitting area and table where the whole family can relax and play board games.
A Kitchenette near Your Family Room
If you plan to spend a lot of time in or near your family room, consider creating a kitchenette. A kitchenette is especially helpful if your family room is not on the same floor as your main kitchen, because it allows you (and the rest of your family) to grab a snack and/or beverage without the need to head to another floor.
Your kitchenette can include anything you want it to, a miniature or full-size refrigerator, cabinets, drawers, a sink and stovetop with a built-in microwave.
A Durable, Child-Friendly Room
If you have children, when you begin thinking about creating a room for them, durability is not an option, it is a necessity. Consider using furniture that is covered with durable materials like denim; in addition, pillows and draperies need to consist of easy-to-clean and washable materials such as heavy-duty cotton. If you have very small children, keep safety in mind by installing safety covers over electrical outlets.
If you would like to add a fireplace to the room, you may choose an electric or gas design that remains completely closed, but also be sure to check how hot the front of the fireplace can get to prevent the possibility of a child getting burned.
When it comes to painting your child-friendly room, pick strong, washable paint in colors that easily camouflage fingerprints and other markings and consider a low or no VOC paint.
A Theater-Inspired Room
Some homeowners want to a dedicated space for media and entertainment. If that’s your family consider a theatre room. These spaces are often created in a lower level, such as a basement, where low levels of natural light are an asset to the space. You can also create the same effect with darkening blinds and/or draperies. Theater-style seating and giant screen are two elements that really complete the feel of the room.
You can also add high-quality built-in speakers, recessed lighting and wall mounted lamps with remote controls for easy dimming. To get the most out of your theater room, choose a dark-colored, low pile carpet that is easy to clean. Also, dark, flat paint colors are the best choice for your theater-inspired movie room.
At the end of the day, spending time with your family is the ultimate benefit of adding a creative room, where you can all unwind after a long day and catch up with each other.