How to Turn a Garage Into a Game Room

If your home is anything like most people's, you have a large room that is filled up with junk and cardboard boxes. The garage is often a neglected room that is used for storage. Rather than cluttering up your garage with junk, clean it out and transform a stuffy garage into the game room of your dreams. Adding a game room to your home adds to its value, plus it gives your family a place to lounge, play games and entertain friends. The game room should be all about fun. Depending on your personal tastes, there are several ways to decorate a game room. Does this Spark an idea?

Instructions

1

Take inventory of the things in your garage. Hold a garage sale for anything that you don't really use or need anymore such as old clothing, sports equipment and knickknacks. Use a shed or a portable storage unit for items that you still want to keep. Clean out the room completely.

2

Measure the square footage of the garage with a measuring tape so you know how much space you are working with. Note the measurements before you go shopping for furniture and gaming tables.

3

Use a broom to sweep dust, dirt and other debris off the floor. Make sure that you brush away spiderwebs from small crevices in the walls, ceilings and floors. Wash off floors and walls with a power washer and allow to dry for 24 hours.

4

Check the walls and ceilings for any cosmetic damages such as cracks or small holes. Repair the walls with a putty knife and patching compound. Allow the compound to dry for several hours or as recommended by the manufacturer. Sand any imperfections in the repaired areas with 220-grit sandpaper. Dust off debris from sanding with tack cloth.

5

Paint the walls and ceiling with a bright color to make the place feel warm and inviting. If your garage is made from cinder blocks, it may be necessary to apply several coats of paint because this kind of wall will soak up the paint.

6

Install carpet that complements the paint color to warm up cold cement floors. Large plush throw rugs can also be used to cover cement and make the room feel cozier.

7

Add lighting to brighten up the place and create a relaxing atmosphere to play. Some popular game room options include pool table lights, track lighting, hanging lamps, wall sconces or bar lighting. Retro game rooms look great with lava lamps.

8

Add furniture to the room such as bar stools, pool chairs, pub tables, couches or ottomans. Other choices include floor chairs, recliners or bean bags. Select furniture that is decorative and adds color and personality to the room.

9

Determine the type of games you want to have in the game room. Popular choices include an air hockey table, a ping-pong table, a foosball table or a pool table. Other possibilities include a pinball machine or a popular arcade game machine. Poker players may want to add a poker table along with comfortable poker chairs.

10

Place an entertainment center in the room with a television, or mount a flat-screen television to the wall. A large stereo system with speakers will make your game room ideal for parties.

11

Decorate the walls with items that reflect your interests. If you are a sports fanatic, decorate walls with framed posters of players, team pennants or team logos. If you are into pool, add framed art of billiard balls or cue sticks. If poker is your game, deck out your walls with framed art of poker cards. Other popular ideas include hanging posters in a variety of sizes on the wall. Or add wooden game room signs or vintage signs. Hang a dart board on the wall. Signs with neon lights and a large funky clock on the wall are other great choices.