The following column was published in many towns for the Alternative Press in N.J. for February. It seems Super Bowl centric, but really it is an ever green column with tips for sprucing up your entertainment room. Hence, we are sharing! Enjoy-and send us before and after pictures-we love those!
It’s that time of year-football, the Super Bowl, and many mentions of “man caves.” The problem with the term “man caves” is that it’s a bit exclusive for us. It doesn’t totally fit with Patrice and I because we both love watching the games, especially with our friends, and…wait for it… our kids. So, we thought this would be a great time to discuss how to build, or spruce up, “entertainment rooms.” By “entertainment” room we mean part man cave, mom cave, game room, and family room. It can mean different things for your family.
If you want a Super Bowl spruce up, the Home Depot and Glidden Paints have teamed up to create the perfect game plan. Now, you can bring the excitement of your team’s colors to a den, recreation room, bedroom, or home office. Click here to check it out! You may be surprised, but many people do repaint their entertainment rooms according to Super Bowl Colors. That’s right, ever year.
However you define your entertainment room, know that it can add value to your home. It can also add value to your family; consider it a place where everyone can hang out together and unwind. So, it doesn’t just end with watching games, there’s also the music and audio element and then the gaming element. Yes, we may not be big on the gaming element, but we want to include everyone, yes? Of course! And that’s just technology, a really cool entertainment room may even include game tables like ping pong tables.
Now, some of this may get techy, but we will start with the non-techy elements first. You may be updating an existing entertainment room, or creating one for the first time. The first thing you want to do is choose a color that gives your entertainment room the vibe you want. If you know that this room will be mainly for watching movies, consider darker hues. If you are a family filled with kids and you know that the gaming element will be its biggest function, consider a fun color. If you are really into the Super Bowl, choose those colors. Glidden has made it very easy. If you already have a room, make sure you pain tit every couple of years. It’s the cheapest and most significant upgrade you can make aesthetically.
Our favorite Home Interior Decorator based out of Westfield, Karen Temple, turned us on to Houzz.com. It’s filled with ideas for all types of room, including entertainment rooms. Check it out and peruse the different styles and vibes that are posted on Entertainment Rooms-there are so many possibilities! It’s exciting. You can even go on the forums and ask about the different elements of the rooms that you love!
Just remember with your entertainment room that you keep it updated. Make sure you keep the paint fresh. If the couches are worn or stained and you don’t have the money to replace, consider couch covers.
So what will you need accessory-wise? According to Home Enthusiast here are the accessories you will need:
What to consider for your entertainment room:
• Go DVD-Less. Consider storing your movie collection to a media center hard drive or network hard drive. Once there, Blu-ray players, TVs, DVRs, etc. with network media playback features can access your movie library (plus photos, home videos, music, etc.) over your home network. Set-top media players like WDTV Live and AppleTV will also do the trick. Not having DVDs laying around does wonders for any room.
• Chances are your TV, DVR or Blu-ray player lets you stream movies from popular services like Netflix, Amazon, Vudu and the like. Set up accounts and link your devices ahead of time so you’re ready to browse and rent on the spot with no hassle.
• PC’s are just as at home in the family room as the office. With a few accessories you can make your own media center or DVR. You’ll need free media center software like XBMC or Boxee, an HDTV tuner card, DVR software and a large external hard drive.
• Game tables can be found for less at garage sales, or on sites like Craigslist, or Ebay. If you are willing to do the leg work, you can save a lot. It doesn’t have to be expensive! Dart boards and other fun entertainment items would work as well. The key to great home entertainment rooms is to showcase an inviting, lively atmosphere that people of all ages will enjoy.
• Consider adding light and shade control to your entertainment room. It’s is an easy way to transform your family room into a home theater (and back) at the touch of a button. A number of lighting control and automation solutions let you dim lights and lower shades from the comfort of your couch. If you don’t want to go that high end, it’s amazing what old school shades can do.
• Today’s HD and 3D flat-panel displays not only look great hung on your wall, but doing so frees up space! We like space-you can fill it out with cool things to store gaming equipment, cords, controllers etc.!
And one last tip – make this a family effort! Design your entertainment room together with your family, in whatever shape that may take. If you do go all out and paint it for the Super Bowl, paint it together. Make it a fun project that you all can do together. After all, it is a place designed to enjoy together. At the end of the day, and at the end of the Super Bowl, that’s what it’s all about … being together as a family.
And of course, if you aren’t up for painting yourselves, call us at CertaPro Mountainside and we’ll be happy to help you!
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