Being able to entertain family and friends in your home is one of life’s greatest joys, but most people struggle to find the space to do so. In most cases, people will turn their kitchen, lounge, and/or dining room into an entertaining space by moving furniture around. This is probably sufficient if you rarely invite guests over, but if you are someone who likes to entertain (or would do more of it if you had the right space), it may be time to create a room especially for entertaining guests.
Whether you are transforming an existing room in your house, converting an internal garage or building a garden room, here are 5 steps to designing the perfect entertaining room.
1. Have a clear plan in mind
Before you start designing, decorating or moving furniture, you need to have a clear plan in your mind of what you are trying to achieve. You may want to create a space where your friends can watch films with drinks and snacks, or somewhere they can dance to music. Alternatively, you may want to create a space where friends and family can play board games, or simply have a conversation without distraction. Whatever your aim, search the Internet for images of entertaining spaces — with these for inspiration, you can pick the parts you like and decide on what is important to you.
It is also important to work out how much you can comfortably spend on your project. With a figure in mind, you can calculate what you can spend on each element. For example, paint, lighting, flooring, technology, games, etc.
2. Be creative
What will give your entertainment space an atmosphere? How will you entertain your guests? For example, you could install a bar with optics, a pool table, film projector, or modern or retro arcade machines UK. Decorate the walls to reflect your interests and the kind of entertainment that will be enjoyed in the room, such as posters of actors, film franchises, musicians, bands or logos from popular culture. Neon signs are an effective way to add some personality, colour and light to a room.
3. Prioritize comfort
In addition to games and technology, you also need somewhere for people to sit comfortably and relax. Consider including a variety of seating options to suit people of different ages and remember that some older relatives might not appreciate low sofas or high bar stools.
4. Think about scale
When choosing furniture for the room, think carefully about scale. While you might like the idea of a large corner sofa, a six-seater dining table and a bar, very few rooms are big enough to accommodate all of them. Choose furniture which still leaves enough room for several people to move around.
5. Consider sound-proofing the room
It can be difficult to relax when hosting guests if you are worried about the noise disturbing others in the home (e.g., sleeping children) or your neighbours. You can prevent noise from leaving the room with sound-proofing measures such as insulation in the floor, walls and ceiling, thick curtains, carpets, double or triple-glazed windows, and acoustic panelling.
