Remodeling a Basement into a Game Room

For homes that have children or teenagers, a basement is the perfect area to keep toys, video games and equipment, play equipment, and other items that they love without cluttering living rooms or distracting them from bedtime. Remodeling a basement into a game room is an ideal use of this space, and will give them a place to use their imagination and creativity without ruining the living spaces upstairs. There are just a few steps that you should take in order to have a safe and fun environment for kids and teens to play down in their basement playroom.

1. Finish the basement space before adding toys. An unfinished basement is not a safe place to play, since there are often exposed wires and plumbing, HVAC and similar building materials exposed, and often bare insulation in the space. Make the room safer by adding the right insulation, hanging drywall for walls, adding a ceiling to cover exposed wiring or plumbing, and walling off spaces such as HVAC units.

2. Measure the space before bringing large or expensive items into the basement playroom. This will ensure that you do not needlessly struggle to get large items into a space that is too small, such as a billiards table. Until you know that the space will be available and accessible for expensive items, such as video game equipment, do not bring them into the basement playroom. You also have to ensure that electrical outlets and overhead space are sufficient.

3. Do not overlook lighting. Even children need adequate lighting to play and be creative, so make sure that there is sufficient lighting in the basement playroom for drawing or reading, playing games and video games, and imagining with various toys. Overhead lighting is great if the ceiling is high enough to hang it safely out of reach, but natural lighting is optimal whenever possible.

4. Maximize the natural lighting in the space by painting the ceiling white. While it is not always ideal to paint the walls white where children or teens will be spending a large amount of time, painting the ceiling white will reflect all light sources and make the room feel brighter and more spacious that with lights alone.

5. Adding white walls is feasible if you cover the lower half in a different color or material. For instance, you could paint the upper half of the walls white, add a chair rail, and use chalkboard paint for the bottom half to encourage artwork and creativity. This keeps their works of art where you want them in most cases, and they can erase and add new masterpieces any time they are ready without damaging the walls.

6. Consider murals or painting techniques that minimize damage. Expensive wall art like framed artwork or metal tree wall hangings aren’t necessary in a kids’ space. Instead, a busy paint scheme, such as a brightly colored mural or faux animal print techniques, will reduce the visibility of damage to the walls, especially from drawing or scuff marks. These also add playfulness to the space, and bright colors such as vivid reds and yellows add energy to the room as well.