No matter what age you are, playing board games never gets old! It's a way of bringing families and friends closer, away from technology, while enjoying every moment. So, why not make a dedicated gaming space you can play in whenever?
And since National Scrabble Day is in three days (on the 13th), we thought we'd offer some of our expertise on how to get it done! Trust us; it's easier than you think!
1. Choosing the Best Room
The first step in creating the perfect board game space is deciding what room to put everything in. If you have the space, you could transform an entire room just for games. But if you don't, you could easily adjust your living room, dining room, or even a substantial home office space to fit your needs.
The key is to have enough space for multiple people to sit comfortably around all the furniture. So, measure carefully and leave room for the furniture you have in mind!
2. Ideal Gaming Surface
Playing board games requires a flat surface, and while you could always play on the floor, the convenience of a table can't be beat. You could use a living room table, dining room table,gaming table, or a large desk to suit your needs. You need enough tabletop space to play your largest board game with the maximum number of players, leaving room for each person to play their pieces.
Multi-purpose tables are best for board games because you can find features like slide-out shelves or built-in drawers to hold your gaming essentials. But don't forget to think about choosing an easy-to-clean surface, like finished wood, glass, modern acrylic, or powder-coated metal.
3. Comfy Seating
Once you've figured out your table situation, the next step is seating. If you have a low living room table, you could opt for a soft rug, some poufs, and oversized throw pillows around it and play comfortably for a time. But if you have a larger table or intend to play serious games that take hours (have you ever finished a Monopoly game?), you need comfortable chairs.
For your living room, you could opt for a sectional with deep cushioning, an attached chaise, and throw pillows. Or you could look for low-cushioned seats so the kids can sit easier. In the dining room, you can use the chairs that came with your dining set or bring in some fancy swivel chairs. You can also find gaming table sets with matching chairs to keep up your style points!
Pro Tip: Don't forget to consider comfortable features like adjustable heights, swiveling, and memory foam cushion!
4. Plenty of Storage
You might not think it, but having enough storage is essential to any gaming space. Sure, you could keep all your board games tucked away in some closet or the attic, but it's much easier to keep everything closer. By storing everything within your game space, you keep the clutter at bay and make it easy to access all the fun!
So, look for living room tables with hidden storage, consoles with slide-out trays and shelves, and other multi-purpose furniture.
Pro Tip: Remember to plan ahead and find enough storage space for more games and supplies than you currently own!
5. Organizing Fun
If you've ever played a board game with missing pieces, you know the importance of keeping your games well-organized. No one likes sacrificing an Oreo for a player piece, so keeping those smaller items (including extra dice!) in drawstring or plastic bags is best.
You can also organize all the pieces when you store the rest of the game in smaller compartments within your storage console or drawers with dividers. And as you rearrange things, you can organize your favorite games by the number of players and get everything partitioned out, so setting up is much easier!
Pro Tip: You can also try organizing your games from most-used to least so the ones you play more often are easy to grab and the less-used ones are safely tucked away.
6. Good Lighting
Since board games are about as old-school as you can get, you can't underestimate the importance of good lighting. That way, you can see all the action and keep a better eye out for cheaters (you know who they are!). Even if your space has lots of natural light, you will also need good ambient lighting.
Make sure you have directional and adjustable light fixtures or portable lamps you can adjust accordingly. You can also bring additional mood lighting with strip lights to capitalize on all the fun.
7. Style it Up
After you have all the essentials, all that's left is the decorating! This step is where you can experiment to your heart's content and add a touch of whimsy, like:
- Using a game theme to decorate, like Dungeons & Dragons.
- Adding gaming equipment as part of your décor, like spelling out things with Scrabble tiles in a frame.
- Including retro gaming touches like life-sized Monopoly pieces or old-school video games.
- Putting up a massive family scoreboard to keep track of the week's winners and see who gets bragging rights!
- Keeping drinks and snacks nearby with a built-in home bar or mini fridge tucked away in the corner!
Who Wants to Play a Game?
There you have it, the seven easy steps to creating the best board game space in your home! And if you're ready to start, there's no need to roll the dice — Nawara Brothers Home Store has everything you need! We have a wide selection of in-stock furniture we can deliver to you quickly!
And if you have any questions, give us a call or stop by!