Baizewick guide
Turning a spare bedroom into a games room
A spare bedroom will not take every game, but it can make a very good games room if you choose for the space. Start with the length of the longest wall.
What a bedroom-sized room can take
Many UK spare bedrooms are somewhere around 3 × 3 m to 4 × 3.5 m. That is tight for a pool table with full cues on every side, but plenty for games that need less floor.
A dartboard needs a lane about 1 m wide and 3.5 m long, so it suits a room with one long wall. Table football and a 6ft air hockey table fit many bedrooms with room to play. Our room-by-room chart shows what fits common sizes.
Can you fit a pool table?
Sometimes. A 6ft table needs about 4.8 × 3.9 m with full-length cues on every side. A shorter cue, such as 48 inches, lets you play from a tight wall, so a smaller room can work if only one or two sides are short.
Try your exact room in the room size checker, which shows where a short cue would be needed.
Upstairs floors and heavy tables
Most bedrooms are upstairs, on a suspended timber floor. Slate pool tables can weigh several hundred kilograms on a few legs. If you want a slate table upstairs, ask a structural engineer to assess the floor first.
Lighter options, such as an MDF pool table, table football or air hockey, avoid most of the problem. Our loft and upstairs guide covers this in more detail.
Getting it up the stairs
Stairs, landings and bedroom doors are often the tightest part of the route. Measure the stair width, the headroom and any turn at the landing, then check them with the delivery route checker. Flat-packed tables are far easier to get upstairs than assembled ones.
Make it work as a room
- Floor: low-pile carpet tiles are quiet and warm, with an oche mat for darts. See games-room flooring.
- Light: a central bedroom light casts shadows across a table. Add a table light or a dartboard light.
- Noise: think about who sleeps next door or below. Our noise guide has practical fixes.
- Storage: wall racks for cues and darts keep the floor clear and safe.
Dual-use rooms
If the room still needs to be a guest room, choose games that fold or stand on end: a folding table tennis table, a wall-mounted dartboard cabinet that closes, or a table football table that pushes against a wall. A sofa bed keeps the floor free for play.
Common mistakes
- Buying a pool table before checking the room with full and short cues.
- Forgetting the door swing and the radiator.
- Putting a slate table upstairs without checking the floor.
- Hanging a dartboard where people walk past the oche.
Questions
Will a pool table fit in a spare bedroom?
A 6ft table needs about 4.8 × 3.9 m with full-length cues on every side. Smaller rooms can work with a short cue on one or two sides. Check your exact room with the room size checker.
What is the best game for a small bedroom?
Table football and a dartboard need the least floor. A dartboard needs a long wall, about 3.5 m of length for the throwing lane.
Can I put a slate pool table upstairs?
Sometimes, but slate tables are very heavy. Ask a structural engineer to assess the floor, and use the retailer’s delivery and installation team.