Thursday, January 28, 2010

Help with Planning a Wargaming Room

I'm planning on redoing my wargaming space, which you can see a picture of to the left.  The total space I've been allocated by executive management is roughly 12' by 20' and it also has a 4' by 20' closet (just to the right of the photo).  The closet is crammed full of sh.., oops I mean "stuff", that can be cleaned out and used for game related storage.

What I'd like to have in the room are the following:

(1) 4'x8' Game / Project Table w/ 4 stools
(2) A small painting station
(3) a few glass display cabinets for mini's
(4) a flat screen TV for game day appropriate entertainment
(5) book cases

By the way, I recommend Craftsman brand workshop stools from Sears - they are very comfortable, high quality and a good value.

I'd like to do this as cheaply as possible but I do have a directive from the top that my space can't look cheap.

Here's where you come in - I'd like to get suggestions or links to other game rooms that can be used as inspiration, especially efficient and small painting spaces.  Please be aware that I will either take personal credit for any ideas my wife likes or disavow any involvement and throw you under the bus in one fluid motion at the merest hint of any disapproval.  Any readers who are married will understand this behavior is a normal survival strategy and isn't meant to be anything personal.

11 comments:

Broeders said...

I use our top bedroom (3rd floor) which is esentially a converted attic. I paint at a small desk with a small bookshelf at the side where I keep all paints, brushes etc. and a plastic draw set where all my scenery stuff is kept (talus, flock, PVA etc.).

There is also some storage at the back of the room where I keep all my painted models. It needs a big clearout which I'll one day get around to. I have a load of 28mm figures which I'm unlikely to use (cyberpunk and Pulp mainly) so I may ebay those to make way for the ancient and Naps armies.

Your room looks great as is, to be fair!

BigRedBat said...

Looks like a fantastic space! The battle looks very striking. Wish I could fit in such a big table...

Kasper said...

Impressive room - what kind of mat is that? A homemade one or did you buy it, and if so wherefrom?
Best regards,
Kasper

jmilesr said...

The mat is from "The Terrain Guy" - it's been very durable.

Monty said...

Nice room, Miles - you are very lucky to have such space - I am jealous! I like the matt too, mate very nice.

Best wishes,

Monty

tidders2 said...

Wow a palace for a gaming room :)

My room is a bit narrower and have an 8'x3' table.

I've just finished reworking my gaming room. Have look, may get some ideas, piccies at

http://tidders-kingdomofwittenberg.blogspot.com/2009/12/gaming-room-changes-3-ready-for-action.html

-- Allan

Doc Smith said...

Miles - really man, you have the tacit permission of the Minister for War and Finance, She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed, who has donated a superb room to your most worthy cause. What's not to like?

Have a look at the Lord Ashram's blog: http://lordashramshouseofwar.blogspot.com/ - I can't believe its not on that ever-growing list of yours! - but he has a beautiful set-up. And he has a post/poll on their where others share their room designs. There's one in Japan that's just mind-blowing.

Re suggestions - have you considered the Ikea shelving along one wall? The Perrys' use it in their famous gameroom in the UK - it looks OK, displays the figures nicely and is quite affordable. Considering it myself for my games room.

Lovely terrain table BTW - thought about shelving underneath to store terrain boards? Have a look on the Garage Gamers blog to see how they built theirs (the earliest posts on it I think).

Anyway, just a few ideas. Best of luck with the project and future negotiations with the Minister! Hint - make it look nice, throw in a candle-lit dinner and you'll win her approval!

Cheers,
Doc

jmilesr said...

Thanks for the tips. I do have Lord Ashram's blog in the list but never saw the game room thread -thanks!

john de terre neuve said...

Very nice Miles, I concur that it would be helpful to have storage under the table.

I can recommend the Ikea glass fronted cases that hang on the walls, not the free standing ones.

You are lucky that you have a regular ceiling, I have a crick in my neck from the attic ceiling of my game room.

John

Chris Cornwell said...

I spend a rather worryingly large amount of my life fantasising - sorry- I mean PLANNING a wargames room...Looks like you have a tidy space there. One thing I would pay attention to is good lighting, makes a massive difference.
Under the table storage seems a big feature of most set-ups I've seen.
As for figure storage it partly depends on how many you have, and how much you want to make their presence a decorative feature in the room. If you are not massively bothered about the visuals then very shallow - say 5 or 6" high shelves about 18" deep can allow an awful lot of figures to be stored in a small space. The figures can be placed on thin plywood trays which can be pulled out as reguired. Obviously one still sees the front figures and the shallowness of the shelves keeps dust to a minimum. I know about half a dozen people who use this method. It means that a shelf system say 3 feet wide, and 4 feet high with say 8 shelves can easily store about 10,000 25mm infantry figures.

jmilesr said...

John / Christot
Thanks for the suggestions. I am going to go with glass cabinets that are affixed to the walls - they are a bit more stable than the free standing ones. As for lighting the room currently has 6 standard flood lights which provide good general lighting. I am thinking about adding some additional track lighting for mood effects like "early dawn missions". I've found that there is a bit of theatrical staging while hosting a game. The game may be the main event but period music / food and thoughtful lighting can really add to the experience.

I think I'll pop over to the IKEA website to see what's available

Miles