If there’s one thing I’ve learned from being in quarantine, it’s that we don’t spend enough time together as a family. I’m sure lots of you feel the same way! You live in the same house, but you rarely get together and do things as a group anymore. So, being forced inside for weeks on end has brought this back. You’re spending more quality time with your family, and it’s great!
What happens when all of this is over? Will you go back to how things used to be? I don’t want this to happen, and I’m sure you feel the same way. So, why don’t you think of ways to keep your family closer together at home? For me, one idea is to create a family entertainment room. This can be your living area or a converted spare room/attic/basement. The idea is that it’s the place where the whole family comes together for activities. This can be game playing, watching films – you name it.
If you like this idea, here are a few tips to help you create your family entertainment room:
Tip 1: Install a good lighting system
Regular lighting just won’t cut it in this room. Instead, you want something that can alter the mood depending on the activities. If you’re playing board games, then you need bright light so everyone can see. If you’re watching a movie, you want the lights dimmed to create a cinema atmosphere.
Therefore, bulbs that can be dimmed are a fantastic idea. However, you can take this a step further with colored lightbulbs. That’s not all, you can use smart lightbulbs that change into various colors. For me, this is the best idea. You’re able to control the bulbs via an app, which lets you set the brightness, colors, and so on. This way, you can create the perfect lighting for your family activities.
Tip 2: Create a comfortable atmosphere
Comfort is everything in your entertainment room. Remember, you want to spend as much time as possible in this part of your home. It’s the place where all of your family comes together as one to enjoy loads of fun activities. So, it needs to be comfortable. The more comfortable the room is, the more inclined you are to spend time there. It’s not uncommon for a lot of families to avoid the living room purely because it doesn’t feel very cozy or inviting. You need to put a stop to this right away.
Begin by ensuring there’s adequate seating throughout the room. If you have enough space, then you ideally want one large sofa and perhaps a smaller one. Or, you could have armchairs for people to sit in on their own. The seating arrangements depend on the space available, but the point is that you have enough of them. Try and move them close together so you all feel nice and bunched up. I’m not personally a fan of leather sofas with regards to comfort. I think they’re cold and don’t feel that cozy. So, go for a material that makes you sink into the sofa and feel at ease.
Carpeted flooring is another must-have addition. It traps heat in the room, meaning it feels cozier instead of cold and vacant. If you really want to go all out, then think about installing a fireplace. It doesn’t have to be a traditional one – even an electric one adds a nice element of comfort to this room.
Tip 3: Invest in a good TV
If you already have a 4k of UHD TV, then you can skip this point. Unless your TV is really small, in which case you should stick around for a short while. One of the main purposes of this room is to have family movie nights. You can also watch Netflix together, play video games – the opportunities are endless. Still, you need a TV to do a lot of these things. Better yet, you need a good TV to make these activities more enjoyable.
Size matters. It should be big enough so everyone can see it clearly no matter where they sit. But, not too big that it hurts your eyes and just looks out of place in the room. 4k or UHD TV’s are the best because they offer incredible picture quality.
Tip 4: Mount your TV
Finding the ideal place for your TV can be a massive struggle. Does it go in this corner? Should it go over there? It’s often impossible to find a place where everyone can see the TV without craning their neck. Instead, you can solve this by mounting your TV to the wall. This creates more of the cinema experience and will actually free up some room that would otherwise be occupied by a TV stand.
The benefit of this is that everyone can see the TV from all different angles. Now, some people don’t like this idea as they think it means the TV is stuck there for life, and it ruins the wall. Neither of these things is true. If you bought a new TV, you can use a TV dismount service to take the old one from the wall. You can also very easily fill in any holes made by nails and restore a wall to its former glory. So, if these issues trouble you, then they shouldn’t!
Tip 5: Install a sound system
Next, you need a good sound system to play through your TV. This really brings the cinema vibes to your family entertainment room. There are plenty of great speaker systems you can install in your home with relative ease. It may require a few pairs of hands, but this is just another excuse for the family to get together as one!
It’s amazing how much of a difference a good TV and sound system makes to a room. This will go from an average TV room to a property entertainment hub. I almost feel sorry for all the nearby movie theatres in your area as they’re about to lose your business!
Tip 6: Get a Nintendo Switch
Most families went through a phase where they bought a Nintendo Wii. This was the first game console that the entire family could enjoy. Well, the Nintendo Switch is like this, but better. There are loads of amazing family games you can download and play on your TV screen. This includes digital versions of classic board games, racing games, party games, puzzle games, and so much more.
I promise you that adding one of these to your family room will ramp up the entertainment value. It’s also a great way of letting your kids play video games without going overboard. It’s much better to play with them than to have them stuck in their rooms for hours on end playing alone.
Tip 7: Place a nice coffee table in the middle
Ideally, you will have room for some extra furniture aside from the seating. I think a large coffee table is a perfect addition to this room. Why? Because it can serve so many purposes for a family entertainment hub.
For one, it acts as it’s supposed to act – as a coffee table. You can put all your mugs and bowls of treats on there while you’re watching films. It’s practical and stops people from balancing drinks on the arm of a sofa (which always, always, always ends in a spillage).
Secondly, it can be the center of attention if you want to play some family games. Try and get a table that’s large enough to fit a typical board game on it. Then, you can all gather around and play together as a family. It’s not technically essential, but it does beat playing games on the floor.
Tip 8: Get lots of cushions
Cushions are another staple accessory for this entertainment room. I toyed with the idea of including bean bags on this list but decided that was too much for some people. Cushions can be used as extra seating when you’re playing games or have more people over. They can be placed on the floor and sat on, making it slightly more comfortable for the individual.
Or, they can remain on sofas and chairs to give some added comfort. You can snuggle up on the sofa and use the cushions to rest your head. Place one on your lap so your family member can rest their feet or head on it, etc.
So, there you have it; eight tips to help you create a family entertainment room. As I mentioned at the start, these tips can be used to improve your current living room. But, if you have a spare room in your home that’s collecting dust, this makes an excellent home renovation idea as well. When all the alterations are made, you have to remember one more thing – your family! Try and get in the habit of arranging at least one night per week where you all get together and watch a film or play a game. It keeps the family bond strong!
