So maybe you've upgraded to a larger home, or it's just the sports nut in you that must always dedicate a section of your home to your favorite teams, players and traditions. Whatever the case may be for you, decorating is an important part of displaying your team loyalty throughout your sports sanctuary. Whether you revamp your entire basement and rename it "Blue Heaven" if you're a New York Rangers fan, or call that spare bedroom "The Big House" if you're a UMich alum, it all takes careful planning.
Read on for tips on turning that drab empty room into a sport-lover's getaway.
Big screen TV and other electronics
You can't really have a sports den without a TV to watch all the games on, now can you? Though it may not be considered a "decoration," you'll have to put some thought into what kind of TV you want, the size, and where it will be placed amongst everything else in your den. Will you get an entertainment center or mount a flat screen on the wall? Will you have more than one TV for multiple program watching? Will you go big with a projection screen that takes up an entire wall?
The answers to these questions will eventually play a role in how you will decorate the rest of your space once the TV is installed. The same goes for any other bulkier electronic items like large system stereos. If you have any gaming consoles, you may want to go with an entertainment system or a TV stand that has cabinets or adjustable shelving underneath. Don't worry if your consoles only take up a small area of shelving - you can use the rest of the space to display sports collectibles as they accrue.
Couches and chairs
You'll need some comfortable seating options if you plan on spending a considerable amount of time in this area. Many recreation rooms are furnished with leather recliners and couches, which are both comfortable and spill-resistant in many cases. This can come in handy when you're so busy shouting at the TV you forget about the beer in your hand and end up spilling it all over the place. If you know you get a little rowdy while watching, but prefer softer materials like microfiber and chenille, you are probably better off investing in a spill-proof slipcover.
You may also want to invest in an inexpensive area rug to go beneath your sitting area to avoid any spills on carpet or hardwood floors. Though easy to clean up on hardwood, spills can cause your guests to slip if unnoticed.
If you're the type of person who enjoys items with "bells and whistles," you can look into stock and custom-made recliners that have power heating, massagers and beverage coolers built right into the chair. Some also come equipped with adjustable LED reading lights if you need to check up on stat sheets or your fantasy team. Usually your team's website will have a completely tricked-out recliner complete with its logo stitched into the back.
These chairs aren't cheap, however, so if you're on a stricter budget, you can always go with a simple chair and place a mini fridge next to it as an end table substitute. You can also look into beanbag chairs with your team logo on them as a cheaper alternative to the higher end recliners.
Foosball, pool tables and other games
You'll need something to do during commercials, halftime or the seventh-inning stretch (or maybe you just need a distraction from your team blowing a 21-point lead late in second half). In this case, table games are a sports den favorite. The two most iconic are pool tables and foosball tables, but depending on your tastes and budget, you can get a variety of different gaming options.
Maybe a classic pinball machine or arcade game is part of your collectibles, which could fit nicely in the corner of your room. There are also air hockey, poker, beer pong/Beirut tables, and shuffleboard tables, as well as darts and bean bag toss games.
Sports collectibles, wall decals and other paraphernalia
You may have a few different players, teams or sports you want to show off in this area of your home, so decide how you want to go about decorating before you actually start. If you already have boxes full of signed baseball cards, pennants, hockey pucks, trophies, jerseys, etc., you'll need to figure out where you want each of them to go so they are highly visible throughout the room.
Sometimes, the best way to begin a sports den or man cave is to start completely from scratch. If you want to dedicate the room to a particular team, a good way to start is by painting the walls. You can do simple solids, by alternating team colors on opposite sides of the room, or get some painters tape and tape off a design (team logo, maybe?) or pattern that best fits your sports-personality. You don't have to go with team colors if you plan on changing the room up once in awhile - in this case, go with a neutral color and maybe some brighter accent colors.
If you start your sports room from scratch, you can go as far as to get the dimensions of the empty room and sketch scale drawings of where potential furniture (and what kind) will go. Then, you can map out where your statues, footballs, posters, banners, etc. will go in relation to your bigger furniture items.
Does the room have windows? Many ecommerce websites sell sports-themed and team-related curtains and window treatments that will be sure to be a conversation starter in your room.
Wall decals are almost always a must. Fathead is probably the most popular site for ordering such items - you can even create your own customizable ones, too. If you have a signed football by your favorite player, get a wall decal and hang the encased football next to the decal.
Food and beverages are a big staple while you're watching the game, so you can invest in some team snack bowls and pint glasses to match the rest of your décor in the room. The possibilities are almost endless as far as team-related knickknacks and household items go. You can even get a mini grill that brands your burgers with your favorite team's logo.
Mini bars, mini fridges and kegerators
If you like the atmosphere of going to your favorite sports bar with friends to cheer on your team, you can also do it at home if you have a mini bar. These can range from collapsible tiki bars that can travel with you to your next tailgate, to expensive solid wood bars complete with wine racks and a beer tap. If your mini bar doesn't come with a beer tap, you can always purchase a kegerator to go behind the bar.
If you're not big into alcohol, a regular refrigerator or mini fridge should work well for any beverage or food item that needs to be kept cold. Mini fridges can double as end tables for all your Sports Illustrated issues, or display tops for framed pictures or trophies. Although, you won't want to put anything too valuable on top of the fridge - if your friends angrily (or excitedly) go grab a soda and slam the door shut with a little too much force, items can topple over.