While you may want to focus on your kitchen, bedrooms, or living room when buying furniture and appliances, it's important not to neglect rec room ideas if you have a recreation room! This area is especially useful during the winter, when your family spends more time indoors than the warmer months. There are lots of ways to customize a recreation room to your family's specific needs, even without spending time and energy on a full-out remodel. The experts at Appliances Connection are here with some rec room design ideas and ways to turn your basement rec room into a place where you can hang out for hours on end.
Pool Table
Pool, billiards, and snooker games are a classic way to bring entertainment to your rec room, and they have grown increasingly popular in recent years. One study published in Business Wire estimates that the market for billiards and snooker equipment will continue to grow through at least 2024. Because there are so many game options available, a pool table can entertain just one person or a large group.
One of our favorite pool tables is this one from Mizerak. Its internal ball return system means that you don't have to circle the table collecting balls from its pockets after every game, and its slate exterior coordinates amazingly with its cool blue felt.
Television
Whether you're a diehard sports fanatic or you could watch movies for days on end, a high-quality television is a must-have in any rec room. Smart TVs are a particularly popular choice, as you can use them for movies, streaming, sports, and gaming with fewer wired connections.
If you're looking for a television that's chock-full of high-end features, look at this 85-in. model from Samsung. Not only does it have a 4K UHD crystal display, but its innovative Auto Game Mode reduces input lag and automatically optimizes the screen for video gaming.
Sectional Sofa
Any recreation room needs a comfortable place for your friends and family to sit down, especially if you have a large television. With a sectional sofa, you can easily customize your rec room's seating to the amount and shape of available space. This type of furniture comes in a tremendous variety of configurations and sizes.
Signature Design by Ashley brings us this gorgeous sectional sofa. At 82 in. long, it can seat quite a lot of people at once (or just let you stretch out for a nap). Its neutral tones compliment most types of decor, and it's designed to coordinate with other furniture from the Keskin Series.
Beer Dispenser
You don't have to go to your friendly local bar to have your favorite beer on tap! Appliances Connection offers a wide selection of beer dispensers that can mimic the aesthetic of your favorite tavern without having to leave your home. As a bonus, beer dispensers can save you both time and money if you and your friends are avid beer drinkers.
This indoor beer dispenser from Perlick's Signature Series is a great choice. Not only does it have a flow control faucet that makes pouring your favorite brew easy, but its RAPIDcool forced-air refrigeration system is second-to-none when it comes to delivering beer at the perfect serving temperature. It can even be converted to hold two sixtel kegs instead of one quarter keg, so if you want to have multiple beers on tap, you can!
Foosball Table
For family-friendly entertainment that can accommodate a crowd, consider getting a foosball table. This durable arcade game simply begs you to host a tournament with your friends.
One particularly distinctive foosball table is this one from Atomic. Its azure LED lighting makes it stand out in any rec room, and it even comes with music and sound effects. Even its legs light up!
Beverage Center
If your selection of favorite beverages is too eclectic for a keg, or if you simply prefer cans and bottles, consider getting a beverage center. These appliances let you always have your favorite drinks on hand, whether they're beer, soda, wine, or even juice. This is especially handy if you have a basement rec room, since it can save you from having to go upstairs to the kitchen every time you need a refill.
We particularly like this beverage center by XO. Its clear glass shelves let its signature tri-color LED lighting show through in either honey amber, midnight blue, or theater white, and its electronic controls allow you to set it to temperatures as low as 34° F. Meanwhile, it even comes with a choice of designer and pro-style handles that suit however you plan to use it.
Storage Chest, Drawers or Cabinets
One of the cornerstones of any rec room is your collection of recreational equipment. If you have a lot of card and board games, videos, or other small items in the area, you will need to keep them neatly organized. This means that you will need an abundance of storage solutions such as chests, drawers, and cabinets.
Safavieh makes one of our favorite sets of storage drawers. This chest combines six rattan baskets with a vintage pine wood finish, coordinating well with many styles of decor. Because you can pull the baskets all the way out, you can carry them with you and make cleanup after game night even easier!
Mini-Split Air Conditioner
It's a fact that no matter how well-appointed your rec room is, nobody will want to use it if it's absurdly hot in the summer. Mini-split air conditioners are an excellent solution to this problem, since their compact profile and flexible installation allow you to place them out of the way and still get powerful, efficient cooling. Mini-splits are also among the quietest cooling solutions available.
This mini-split AC unit from Tosot is reliable, efficient, and has a whole host of smart features. Because you can control it from your smartphone or a tablet, you can place the cooling unit anywhere you want, and it even comes with a self-diagnosis function for any issues that come up.
Air Hockey Table
Are you looking for something a little faster-paced than billiards? Air hockey may be what you're looking for! This flexible, fast-paced game rests a small rubber or plastic puck on a cushion of air to reduce friction.
Atomic is well-known for its high-quality gaming equipment, and this air hockey table is no exception. In addition to a quiet (but still heavy-duty) motor, it has electronic scoring and even overhanging rails to reduce puck bounce.
Fitness Equipment
You may want your rec room to pull double duty as a fitness area. Obviously, the type of equipment you can have in a recreation room will vary based on the size and layout of the room, but stationary bicycles, treadmills, and dumbbell racks are all popular options.
One piece of fitness equipment you should consider is this heavy-duty treadmill from Sunny Health and Fitness. Not only does its digital monitor screen measure time, speed, distance walked, and calories burned, but it comes with a device holder that lets you prop up your phone or tablet for easy access to music and videos as you exercise.
Related Questions
Does a game room add value to your house?
Being able to advertise a recreation room can definitely increase the value of your home if you ever decide to sell it.
What should I put in my rec room?
If you have a lot of space to work with, consider adding large-scale entertainment (such as tabletop games) to your rec room. In a smaller space, focus on adaptability, so you can move smaller items in and out as you need to.