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Play Time in the Game Room
Finishing a basement offers homeowners a range of usage options
By Cassandra Wentworth
 The decision to convert a large,
unused space into something functional and inviting might seem like a no-brainer. When it comes to transforming unfinished basements into comfortable game rooms, however, there’s almost always one obvious obstacle: storage.
“I’ve been in game rooms where
I’ve looked around and thought: where are they going to put everything?” says Dave Gatesman of Gatesman Home Improvement based in Canonsburg.
Many contractors solve the
storage conundrum with unobtrusive closets that are used to hide
everything from winter clothes to sports equipment. It’s all about
keeping the undesirable visuals wellhidden, whether it’s behind seven-foot
doors or in an entire room filled with nothing but electrical wires.
These days, one common
game-room transformation goal is to create more space for entertaining.
For remodelers who want to create an expansive social atmosphere,
L-shaped, granite-top bars are popular. To stray from the “kitchenette”
appearance, Gatesman recommends adding detail, such as a shot-glass rail
on the countertop or half-sized, stainless steel refrigerators. For an
expensive look that costs considerably less, he also suggests adding maple
cabinets with a cherry finish.
Creating custom-made home
theaters, complete with surround sound and linked electronics, all
controlled by one remote, is also a popular game room choice. “With
things like Tivo, people are just staying in to watch TV more,” says Melodie
Schooley of Pittsburgh-based Arrangements with Style.
Some families prefer to use the
space as a catchall for the kids’ toys, making it an out-of-the-way play
space for them. Another common game room renovation goal focuses
on the needs of the older members of the family. Adults who are considering
asking their aging parents to move in with them often turn the basement
into an apartment, with kitchen, living space and bathroom all on one floor.
Re-doing a game room also
gives homeowners a chance to mix things up a little. Because it is removed from the rest of the house, a finished basement provides an opportunity to break from the decorative motif through the rest of the home. Oftentimes, men take the chance to create a more masculine
environment. Popular color schemes for these in-house hideaways are browns, greens and reds. Schooley recommends saving the paint choice until all other design decisions are made. That way, the desired hue can be used to tie everything together. “I like to pick a dark, medium-dark, medium-light and light color to create a lot of contrast,” she says. Whatever the goal, to make the job go smoother in this large and multi-faceted space, it helps to make the project a collaborative effort between the homeowner, contractor and interior designer. This not only
saves money and time, it maintains a cohesive vision.
Fitting the Room to Your Interests Jeff and Rita have been ballroom
dancing for less than two years. But when the time came for the couple to
renovate 1,500 square feet of unfinished space in their Peters
Township home, they knew an homage to their new hobby was the way to go.
The finished space looks like
something you’d see on Dancing with the Stars, with overhead, multi-zoned
speakers and a large, floating dance floor. Above it hangs Bill Brauer
artwork depicting couples in the midst of a dance.
Melodie Schooley likes the floor’s
multi-functional purpose. “It’s a dance floor, but it also provides a nice, open
area for parties if they want to pull in. some additional tables and seating,” she says.
Separating the dance floor from the family room area is a small partition wall with steel
expansion beams. The other side of the floor is lined by an L-shaped bar, complete with shot
glass rail, Chicago bar, foot rails and oversized, round bar stools.
It was really important that it not look like a
kitchenette,” Jeff says. “We wanted it to look more like a bar. The details make all the difference.” A deep evergreen accent wall and cherrystained maple cabinets add to the effect, as does the double stainless steel refrigerator and built-in wine cubbie, where bottles lay flat rather than at an angle. The bar is fully functional, with a dishwasher, sink, food compactor, and range. “Their style was a little more country, but they wanted to keep it jazzed up with the bar area and the stainless steel refrigerator,” Schooley says.
Seating in the living room area is in the form
of comfortable plaid couches and a full dining table. Cool green walls provide a nice contrast to the darker green accent wall. “Upstairs is very bright and open,” Jeff says.
“It was nice to do something different. It’s nice to come down here and unwind and relax.”
The project also includes a full bathroom accented in coppers and reds next door to a utility
closet/mudroom. But for the couple, the highlight is their new dancing space.
“It’s such an incredible pastime,” Jeff says. “If we would have known how much we’d like it,
we would have started 30 years ago.”
Redoing a Game Room gives a homeowner a chance to mix things up a little.
“Technology has had a huge impact on the game room. Television and related equipment come
to mind first - new options in entertainment centers to house the new electronic equipment are available in a multitude of styles. Additionally, options in lighting and ‘Smart’ temperature control are available too.”
Cathy Davin, Davin Interiors, LLC |
