One of my first orders of business when we moved into our house was turning the basement into a hangout for my kids. They were both heading into their teen years and selfishly I wanted our house to be the hub, the place where all their friends wanted to hang out. This would be a place in the house for them to have some privacy to do their own thing. I had big ideas for what I wanted, but our basement is huge and not an even shape. It’s a walkout space built around the staircase in the center of the room. I thought it would be a big design challenge, but it actually turned out to be an advantage because it allowed us to define and separate sections. Basements can be such great spaces for family entertainment, and we couldn’t be more pleased with the way ours turned out. Here is a tour:
The Snack Bar
Knowing that the key to any kids heart is food, a hub for snacks and beverages was a must. We added this small wet bar that included drawers for snack storage, a minifridge stocked full of beverages, a coffee nook and penny jars full of quick-grab snacks. For a little extra character, we used chalkboard paint for the wall. Beckie has the best handwriting, so I asked her to write “The Snack Bar” and “Coffee” to define those spaces. I’ve been picking up the old penny jars (named because general stores used to sell candy for a penny in them once-upon-a-time) at antique markets for a while now. The vintage gumball machine is close to my heart because it once sat in my dad’s old State Farm office. For seating, we added a beautiful red 1950’s diner set that was a Facebook Marketplace find. I love the pop of color and character that it adds to this spot.
Game Spaces
I’m not opposed to video games, but I also think time on electronics should be limited and kids need to occupy their time with good old-fashioned games too. Again, my goal was to make this space the hub for all their friends that included a variety of fun activities. I went on the hunt for some big interactive games, which can certainly be done on a budget if you have the time to wait for the right pieces. I was able to score pretty great deals for the air hockey table (Facebook Marketplace) and the Boccerball table (found at ReStore – Habitat for Humanity’s resale store). I ended up buying the ping-pong table and dart board new as I was ready to complete the space.
At the Movies
No movie room would be complete without a popcorn maker. I found this one on Amazon – it has a vintage look with the appeal of being a new appliance. The vintage Coke menu sign was a great find from Allegan Antiques Market. We thought this little table made with old lockers was the perfect complement here…it was an estate sale score. We topped it off with a wire basket full of bags of chips and a vintage Seyfert’s Butter Pretzels jar that we keep filled with butter pretzels (of course!). Making this spot complete are the old movie reels that were purchased from an estate sale. I was told that they are films that were used in a High School science classroom – so fitting for a space designed for my kids!
TV/Gaming
We wanted to anchor the room with seating and a television which would become an area for the kids to watch TV, movies or play video games. We chose a leather sofa and two reclining lounge chairs for maximum seating and easy upkeep. We added red curtains to tie in with the overall color scheme in the room.
Walls
One of the biggest challenges in decorating big open spaces like this, especially when you are trying to define spaces, is the walls. The industrial letters spelling “Eat”and “Play” were from a vendor at Allegan Antiques Market. I had been coveting these letters forever and finally found the right place to add them in the house. We simply painted some plywood (from Home Depot) with silver metallic paint, mounted the letters to the board and then affixed the board to the walls. They define the snack bar and game areas perfectly. And the “Movie Magic” sign has quite a story. I was driving home from a trip to the Allegan Antiques Market and noticed the sign lying on the ground next to a video store that was going out of business. I went into the store and asked if the sign was for sale. The owner gave me a funny look and said if I really wanted it, she would sell it to me for $20. I quickly handed her the money and threw the sign in the back of my truck. It’s by far my biggest vintage score EVER! The red vibrant color really ties in well with the dining set in the snack bar area.
And finally, what to do with the largest wall next to the hockey table? I couldn’t find any art that was the right fit. And I had already used letters in the other spaces. I decided to use game boards to display across the wall – some are old and some are new. The games are attached to canvas’ with Velcro command strips. The game pieces/cards are in Ziplock bags which are affixed to the inside of the canvas with push pins. When in use, we simply remove the canvas, and unhook the game pieces and play…then hang it back up when we’re finished.
This space has been a game changer for our family, and I’d highly recommend adding something similar if you have bonus space in your house. Some of my favorite home memories happened here – my daughters swim team sleepovers, soccer team dinners for my son and youth group gatherings. It’s the perfect kids hangout. While my space is very retro and eclectic, there are lots of ways to personalize a room like this with your personal tastes. Some things to consider:
- How many people could you potentially have in the space at any given time?
- What kinds of games does your family like to play? And how often?
- Do you have space for larger game tables or are smaller/portable options more practical?
- Considering the location of your room – is a snack space needed? Is a wet/dry bar necessary? Will you need to cook or heat up food here?
- If movies/TV will be watched in this space, what type of seating is needed for maximum viewing? What type of storage will be needed for this space?
Start with those questions and then work personal style and durability needs in based on your family’s lifestyle.
~Jill
It looks Fantastic, Jill. Great job!!!!!