12 gaming room ideas for the ultimate entertainment space

Think of gaming room ideas to include in your self build or renovation plans and it's possible your first thoughts will be of large screens, gaming chairs, consoles and enough LED lighting to be seen from space. And while there's a place for rooms designed this way, gaming rooms can equally be sleek and sophisticated spaces that are geared towards entertaining as a whole.

From bespoke interior designed games rooms, gaming-themed bedrooms to purpose built garden rooms, we've rounded up a selection of gaming room ideas to suit a variety of ages and hobbies.

And of course, ideas are always more valuable when they're backed up with advice from those in the know, so we've included expert tips to help you create the perfect gaming room idea for your home.

Gaming room ideas are an opportunity for creative interior decor

If you're creating a gaming room idea that's solely contained within one room, "Feel free to go for it," says Cathy Dean, founder and CEO of Studio Dean. 

"It's for you to enjoy, rather than being an every day room that needs to function in many different ways. You can be bold with colour. If the space is usually used at night," adds Cathy,  "apply evening lighting and wash the room in deep colours. We recently washed a games room in Benjamin Moore's Midsummer Night, a deep, dark brown for gentleman's club vibes."

The good news is, even if you can't dedicate one space to the cause, as we've discovered, there are still plenty of ways of including gaming room ideas in your home. 

Cathy Dean

Cathy has made it her life’s mission to dispel the myth that functional cannot be beautiful. She has been creating stunning interior designs that work with everyday life for 14 years, with breathtaking results.

1. Create a whole family experience with clever spatial layout

"The best games rooms are multi-functional so many people can spend time together," says Cathy Dean, designer of this stunning games room.

"This project's owner loves snooker, and the daughter and wife like to play computer games, so we used a screen partition to create bar seating, and on the other side we added a TV screen. 

"This is where snooker space ends, away from the space, but still connected," explains Cathy. "The nook is dedicated to video gaming and movies, and is dark and  comfy. It works in isolation to snooker but everyone is still together. 

"The clients also love entertaining outside, so we turned a window, into  french doors and made the perfect place for a BBQ," she adds. "Outdoors becomes connected to indoors, and they can  serve drinks from the home bar. Their next step is a hot tub!"

For more swoonworthy interior design ideas, put aside some time to take a tour of this Seaside Sophistication project on Cathy's website. We're sure you'll love them all.

2. Disguise your gaming tech with dual purpose sofas

“To create a combined living room and games room, choose comfortable furniture that has discreet, built-in gaming or viewing functionalities," says Shelley Cochrane, Accessories Buyer at Furniture Village. 

"Sofas and chairs that offer easy connectivity to phone or TV via Bluetooth are ideal, or choose a sofa with discreet built-in speakers for an immersive gaming experience.

"I’d recommend opting for neutral colours," says Shelley, "so that when the furniture isn’t being used for gaming, it will blend in with the rest of the interiors scheme. 

"Comfort is also key whether the sofa is being used for gaming or everyday living, so opt for cushioned upholstery, power recliners and power headrests.”

So while you'd be forgiven for thinking living room ideas such as the one shown don't offer a solution, you'd be surprised. Check out the Cinemax range from Furniture Village where you'll find dual identity sofas that can bring gaming to life in a discreet and grown-up way.

Shelley Cochrane

Shelley Cochrane is an accessories buyer at Furniture Village and has spent over a decade spent working in homewares and furniture. Her keen eye for trends helps her identify products that make your home functional and stylish.

3. Indulge in a gaming room den

I knew I'd hit the jackpot with this idea when I showed it to my nearly 12 year old son and his jaw hit the floor. While I created a gaming corner in his bedroom when we moved home, this room is on a whole other level and one he'd love if we had the space.

It's industrial decor combined with tech and neon in such a way that it could appeal to anyone with a love of gaming, regardless of age or gender. The only real constraints you face are space and budget - but if you've got both then this might just be the room for you.

For similar neon wall lights, try these hexagon lights from Amazon that can be operated by remote control, and if you're looking for beanbag style seating that can be tucked away when not in use, this Classic Bean Bag from Game Over has an integrated side pocket for storing controls.

4. Or, opt for a more subtle gaming bedroom idea

Personally, I think it's always easy to identify when the clever touch of an interior designer has been involved in designing a room, and none more so than this beautifully designed child's bedroom from Susan Venn. 

Playful, colourful and curated with decor that references the child's hobbies and likes, including gaming, it still however exudes a sense of considered design that is the delicate touch of someone clearly trained in creating interiors. 

Neon lighting is reserved for fun wall lights, a TV and gaming storage are wall mounted on a coloured panel that provides a great contrast to the timeless wallpaper design behind, and a denim beanbag to the side creates the perfect lounging spot for friends.

If you like this room, be sure to check out the other rooms too in Susan's Hampshire Happy House project which include a stunning games room with pool table and seating area. 

5. Opt for a sleek and sophisticated bar and pool table combo

If you're looking at ways of designing a sociable home, and the purpose of your gaming room is to create an entertainment zone where you can enjoy your favourite game of pool, relax at a bar or enjoy a film - all within the comfort of your own home, don't assume your only option is a traditional wooden and green biaze covered pool table. 

As well as being beautifully designed by Daval, this bar and games room is also extremely practical and features a fully functioning sink area and below-counter refrigeration, in addition to plenty of storage.

So, if sleek and sophisticated is your style, create a sleek grey, gold and black entertainment room and use wall panelling as a feature wall idea with a TV recess. And if the pool table has piqued your interest, check out this range of luxury and modern pool tables at Home Leisure Direct. 

6. Pick a favourite film to theme your decor around

If you're struggling to tie together a children's bedroom idea where they can spend time gaming, a good starting point is to pick a favourite film or character. And while some may involve bright colours, we think this Star Wars themed range of decor from Dunelm, is a great solution for tweens who aren't quite ready to let go of their favourite characters, but are seeking something less childlike.

Start with this Starwars Blueprint wallpaper, colour drench the rest of your walls and ceiling in navy blue and choose wood and metal shelving for a New York loft style approach that will be easy to adapt once they need a new bedroom design.

7. Indulge in a double tiered space for cinema and gaming

Whether it's movie night or gaming night, you couldn't fail to be the most popular of your friends if you included a dedicated screening room in your renovation plans.  

Indulgent yes, beautiful yes, would you like one? Who wouldn't? If you do have the space then be sure to take heed of this scheme from Susan Venn who has not only included double tiered seating for maximum viewing numbers, but also drenched the room in soft, sumptuous fabrics, padded panels around the screen and curtain clad walls, all of which will help to soundproof the room from the outside, as well as providing the best sound experience inside.

8. Pretty in pink? We think so for sure

Think pink and yellow for a retro inspired games room that's coated in ice-cream tones and bursting with sugar-coated sweetness. It's a great use of space if you're considering a lean-to extension idea that will add an extra dimension to your renovation.

Pick checkerboard wallpaper and mimic the style below with simple wall panelling painted in similar shades. Maximise on natural light with a series of rooflights, add sliding patio doors to take the tournaments outside when the sun shines but keep separate doors between the extension and rest of your house to help block gaming sessions that get a little out of hand.

Find this Checkmate wallpaper at Sorbet Dreams.

9. Pick a bed with integrated TV for comfy gaming

Although it may not be to everyone's taste, for some, gaming room ideas are centred around bedroom ideas. If this is you, but you're keen to disguise your habit, the trick is to shop for furniture that performs more than one duty.

This Drift Gaming Ottoman TV Bed Frame from Dreams is a great example of a bed that fulfils its primary purpose of providing somewhere to sleep, but has clever integrated and hidden solutions such as the TV which hides in the foot of the bed, a headphone hook on the headboard, space for your gaming console and built in LED lights. 

This allows you to centralise your gaming kit, freeing up the rest of your bedroom decor ideas to be more subtle and conducive to sleep.

10. Create a gaming room hideaway

If your gaming requirements simply can't be squeezed into your rear extension design ideas, consider garden room ideas as an alternative location for your hobbies.

"Creating a space away from the home comes with so many advantages, especially for a games room where things might get competitive," says Roy Weatherall, managing director of Green Retreats.

"Whether it be for adults or kids, the users can be free to make as much noise as they like without disturbing the rest of your household. Great to get energetic kids out of the house and allows you to host late into the evenings without the risk of waking up younger children in bed.

"If you’re going to be concerned about noise or disturbing your neighbours then there are soundproofing options to consider," adds Roy. "Acoustic packs are a popular choice in games rooms, and while not completely soundproof, it is designed to reduce noise pollution by 45 decibels.

"Most traditional UK homes also aren’t the right shape, size, or location for larger games room furniture too, like snooker tables and arcade games," explains Roy, "so creating a bespoke garden games room is ideal." 

Be sure however to think about all the services you will need in your room to make sure it functions as required says Roy. And check if your planned size fits within garden room planning rules.

"Having a garden room with power is very important if you’re a looking to create a gamer space," says Roy, "but even in a more traditional games room, there’s things like music streaming to consider.

"Electrical power is needed for anything to run, and this is quoted separately by us at the free design consultation we carry out. This is because every site is different. Typically, the further away the garden room is from your house the more electrical connection is going to cost, but it can vary if you already have power in your garden too." 

Concerned about not getting connection to the internet? Roy says this isn't an issue.

"There are lots of options for getting connected to the internet too, again this depends on the location of your garden room to how much it is going to cost. A hard wired connection can be added, home plug-ins to extend your existing WIFI network or a mesh network can be created throughout your home and garden using nodes."

Roy Weatherall

As Managing Director of Green Retreats, Roy holds a wealth of knowledge about the garden room and construction market, and even uses a Green Retreats building himself as a home gym.

11. Add shelving to a gaming zone to display your treasured collections

If you've got multiple hobbies and collections to display, opt for a less is more approach and create a simple gaming set up using muted neutrals or even black and white.

Fit simple shelving to your walls for displays so that the items on show take centre stage, rather than the furniture or decor. Add colour through green leafy plants which will also help to oxygenate the air if you find yourself spending a little more time at your desk than you should.

12. Let your teen run riot with LED lighting

If a pink neon gaming bedroom is top of the list for your teen, take inspiration from this bedroom design and follow some simple rooms for an aesthetic that's simple and fresh.

• Recess LED strips into the ceiling and furniture doors for a streamlined lighting scheme
• Stick to a simple colour palette of white, grey and black 
• Place a desk in front of the window to benefit from natural light during the daytime
• Minimise clutter with fitted wardrobes and make the bed space more cosy by creating an alcove space with storage

Keen to add a pool room to your wish list but worried about how you can make it work in your gaming room ideas? We asked Cathy Dean what she does if she's asked to design a room that will still functions effectively, even when there's a large item such as a snooker table taking centre stage.

"If the client's dream is to have a full sized snooker table, there's no point thinking about anything else until it goes in. 

"Then you have to think function first - think about cue room, bending and playing space. The area around is quite limited so you can't place an armchair in the way of a shot. 

"To get around this we create alcoves and areas to lean, like a snooker hall," says Cathy, "and make perching spots between shots.  Then think about what else does my family like? If you like to have drinks and play games - add a bar, and work from there."

Or, if you think you'd still prefer to entertain away from the home, take a look at our round-up of garden bar ideas that are perfect for summer socialising.