Planning or renovating your game room? Don't forget to think about lighting! Even more than other rooms in the house, the game room will be a space that is greatly effected by how bright or dark it is. Take your game room to the next level with these lighting tips for setting up different areas of your game space the right way.

Pick the Right Overhead Lighting

Overhead lighting is vital to many game rooms, because you need to see the games you are playing – and not everyone has the same quality of eyesight. In deference to your guests, use the right overhead lighting to keep focus and illuminate any cards, pieces, instructions or other necessities. However, just because you need overhead lighting doesn't mean that it needs to be boring. Try to get more inventive and find lighting that matches your passions when possible. There are some very clever options available on the market.

Go Traditional With Pool Lighting

If you want your game room to be as traditional as possible, trying using pool lights. These artful hanging lights are designed to illuminate pool tables and similar surfaces in your game room. They are great for that classic feel, but keep in mind that they have shortcomings: Pool lighting is typically used in otherwise darker rooms, so if you have a lot of bright colors to show off or need a lot of other lighting for different activities, it may not be the best bet.

Try Bar Lighting for a Lighter Atmosphere

Bar lighting is similar to pool lighting, but the hanging lights are positioned above bar tables instead of pool tables or gaming tables. This helps people see what they are eating or drinking or just creates a bright haven for people who want to take a break. This is a more utility-oriented option that can also work well even in a brighter room.

Find a Way to Mark the Time

While losing yourself in a game can be great fun, don't forget to include a clock or something similar in your game room that allows people to tell the time at a glance. Not only is this handy for knowing when to call it quits, it can also be useful if you need to time certain parts of a game. However, if you do have a clock, make sure it matches your style, and make sure that it is either illuminated or easily lit with spot lighting, so it's never too dark to read.

Use Track Lighting Appropriately

Track lighting is typically used to illuminate specific objects or corners of a room rather than large areas. A game room can use track lighting in many innovative ways. Maybe you have specific collectibles or rich pieces of art that you want to highlight without making the room too bright. Maybe you want to divide your game room into different areas with different activities but don't want to create any physical obstructions.

Keep Lights Away From Screens

It's natural to want to use your game room for both more traditional games as well as electronics. However, be careful with your lighting. Do not have lights aimed at your screen or use bright lights above or near TV screens. Glare can be a serious problem, especially in darker rooms. This is one reason direct, overhead pool and bar lights can prove so useful.

These tips will get you started, but if you need any additional help, pay us a visit!