Dec 6, 20183 min read

Top 5 Things Everyone should Have in Their Rec Room

Updated: Jan 21, 2023

Call it what you may, man cave, woman cave, games room, family room, sitting room, bar room, or meditation space. The most common name for it is a recreation room or ‘rec room’, and if your basement has one, there are so many elements you can add to make it a functional and ideal space for friends and family to gather, play and do whatever you like to do. This is my list of what I would consider to be the ‘must-haves’ for a basement rec room. Your list may be different and that’s quite alright

1 – Seating

My top priority for a rec room is adequate seating. This can be several different types of chairs depending on the uses of your rec room. I’m fond of a big, comfy sofa along with a couple of cushy armchairs. Folding chairs can be stored away until they are needed when more friends come over for the game or just to hang out. A futon is also a good item to have in a rec room. I always like to be covered up when I’m sitting down and I’m surely not the only one out there, so be sure to keep a couple fluffy blankets in reach for the snugglers.

2 – Tunes

What was that? I’m sorry, I couldn’t hear you over the music. Isn’t my new stereo system da bomb?!?! When it comes to your sound system, there’s no need to overextend your budget, but a good quality system that won’t break the bank would be ideal. Be sure to build your sound system so it can play CDs, cassette tapes, vinyl and whatever format you, your family and your friends like to listen to.

3 – TV

Speaking of sound systems, what better way to make full use of it than by hooking it up to a flat-screen TV? Not only will you enhance the sound of TV and movies, if you can afford a big enough flat screen, your rec room will become the place of choice for watching all the important games. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been toured through someone’s house and they gave me a full breakdown of what kind of TV they had (Not that I understood any of it). Afterall, who doesn’t enjoy watching TV? Even if it’s just every now and again.

4 – Fridge

You knew I was going to get to this eventually, right? What use is a basement rec room if you don’t have a place to stash the refreshments? The last thing you want is a steady stream of people going upstairs and helping themselves to your refrigerator. The best way to bring a halt to that is to have a small one in the rec room and marking the upstairs one out of bounds.

5 – Games

Regardless of the weather, a basement rec room is a great place to get together with family and friends for games nights. You can have an assortment of board and card games stored on shelves and if the room is large enough, a combination ping pong/table tennis game is great fun. If you can swing it, a pool table is even more fun.