Get the gear for your home game room, then play on.
When your friends are calling shots on the billiards table in your home, they may not be thinking about the fragility of their surroundings – especially if they’re already five martinis in on a Friday night. That’s why space should be the foremost consideration when designing a home game room, according to Sherry Hauser, ASID, of Valley-based Hauser Designs (hauserdesigns.com).
“The pool cue is four feet, and you have to have room to pull back and hit the ball… people won’t be thinking about hitting the glass cabinets behind you,” says Hauser, who’s been doing luxury residential interior design for more than 30 years and previously had a game room in her own home. There should be at least 10 feet of space around the table, she says, in a room that’s ideally at least 15 by 20 feet. “If you’re going to have parties with lots of people, they need space around the pool table to sit down and hang out.”
Location matters, too. Hauser says she’s seen a lot of dining rooms reinvented as game rooms, but “The thing about a dining room is… it often has adjoining spaces that are open,” and again, a billiards table needs a buffer around it. Hauser suggests space-saving bumper pool tables. “The measurements are so important to the function when you move in the space,” she says.
There’s a lot more proverbial room when it comes to aesthetics. “Depending on the style of the home and the table, you can either have a very contemporary, clean-lined table, or something more traditional, with dark wood paneling like a men’s room or an old office,” Hauser says. “It can be one extreme or the other.”
For additional design tips for game rooms, including pool table measurements, Hauser recommends luxespecs.com, a site she designed as a reference point for residential remodelers and builders.
| Billiard ball table light This ballsy lamp – one of several game-themed lighting options at City Billiards – measures 16 inches high and 55 inches long, and makes the perfect accoutrement for hanging above a pool table. $379 City Billiards 255 S. Sirrine, Mesa 480-644-1866, citybilliardsaz.com |
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Bob’s Big Boy neon sign Fans of the now-closed classic outpost of Bob’s Big Boy on Central Avenue and Thomas Road will wax nostalgic for this neon replica sign, which measures 50 inches high by 23 inches wide and 5 inches deep, and comes with a one-year warranty on labor and parts (does not include neon glass breakage from mishandling). $500 Signs of the Times 1801 N. 25th Dr., Phoenix 602-269-6887, signsofthetimesaz.com |
| Olhausen pool table “Geometry in Motion” is the official aesthetic of this customizable billiard table, which boasts leather pockets, brass rail sights, a custom felt top, and a natural finish on maple wood. Available in sizes ranging from 7 feet to 9 feet. Prices vary by customization. Diamondback Billiards 1705 W. Ruby Dr., Tempe 480-792-1115, diamondbackbilliards.com |
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Shuffleboard table This Grand Hudson shuffleboard table features a 3-inch-thick, kiln-dried maple playfield with a polymer finish, an 18-inch solid wood scoreboard with electronic scoring, climate adjusters, and a built-in cabinet. Comes with one set of playing weights with a wooden storage case. $3,999-$5,999 Billiards Gallery 2949 W. Bell Rd., Phoenix 602-206-8959, pooltablesaz.com |
