today’s entertainment rooms transcend the basics to become
all-encompassing recreation spaces
by debra mcgaughey
Bring on the fun, the games, the movies and the poker. That area that for years you’ve called a game room is morphing into a new species of house space.
It’s still a place for fun, mind you. But game rooms are becoming increasingly nostalgic and high-tech. They’re becoming more cozy and sports bar-like. And if that weren’t enough, game rooms are even spawning satellites of themselves: Consider moving your weekly games and competitions to…the dining room.
THE DINING/POKER ROOM
“Instead of paying $50,000 to $100,000 on a game room addition, you take the room you rarely use — the dining room — and turn it into your dining poker room,” says Paul Darafeev, owner of Mikhail Darafeev Inc., a California company that specializes in chairs, barstools and custom dining room-sized poker tables with special flip tops that can seat
10 to 12 people. Darafeev recently sold a dining room poker table to singer Barry Gibbs; the company’s products are available locally at Chairs & Tables.
“We’ve tried turning the living room into the game room, but it wasn’t very practical. People didn’t care to see a pool table right away when they first walked into a house. But a dining poker room is a big trend that we see happening across the country.”
Indeed, the game room is branching out and growing more sophisticated, experts say. The catch-all room is not just a place to send the kids with their toys. Today’s game room is more of a place for grown-up play, family-centered entertainment and the next best place outside a true movie theater to watch a DVD.
MOVIE TIME
“A lot of new homes are dedicating more importance to theater rooms than to traditional game rooms. It’s becoming quite commonplace,” says Jim Winkler, owner of Leather Furniture Shoppes. “When we bought our own home seven years ago, we used our game room as a traditional game room for many years. Then we turned it into a dedicated movie room and the kids loved it. They will bring their friends in it. A lot of people are spending a great deal of time at home, so it’s a nice thing to have.”
What does it take to put a theater room into an existing game room? First, your room needs to be about 16 feet deep, if you want to watch a screen measuring 100 to 120 inches diagonally. Otherwise, you’re too close to the screen.
If you don’t have this kind of space, Winkler can install a plasma screen or a series of smaller screens. The area also has to be rather dark in color with few windows. “We might portion a part of the room or use drapes. Truthfully, the theater room can accommodate games, a bar and a movie area. It can have different levels. You can take this room wherever your imagination and your budget can accommodate.”
Prices for theater room conversions aren’t child’s play. Prepare to spend $8,000 to $10,000 on the low end; $20,000 to $30,000 buys a midrange room; $100,000 is the cost for a theater room on the high end. Some clients ask for special soundproofing, which adds to the cost. Winkler says his company can handle all requests.
“We can do the entire space now — the wiring, the placement of speakers, the screens, the calibrating — and make everything look and sound properly,” he says.
The projector, which runs about $2,500, is a large portion of the price tag. The fancier the model, the higher the price. “We sell a lot of projectors in the $10,000 range,” Winkler says. “But you can watch everything there — play video games, movies, TV — it’s like a regular TV, just bigger.”
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RESOURCES
BARSTOOL ENCOUNTER
4019 Richmond Ave.
713.960.900
THE BILLIARD FACTORY
Four Houston locations
281.444.5740
www.billiardfactory.com
CHAIRS & TABLES
4019 Richmond Ave.
713.960.9000
www.chairsandtablesinc.com
CHEVILLOTTE BILLIARDS
www.chevillotte.com
HOOKER FURNITURE
Multiple locations
www.hookerfurniture.com
INTERNATIONAL BILLIARDS, INC.
2311 Washington Ave.
713.869.3237
JOYSTIX CLASSIC GAMES & PINBALLS
1820 Franklin St.
Suite B
713.224.2225
www.joystixgames.com
LEATHER FURNITURE SHOPPES
8900 Westheimer Road
713.781.6011
www.leatherfurnitureshoppes.com
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