My mother always had the best ideas for making a house feel like a home. One memory that stands out is how often we had a game table in our living spaces.
Just as meals bring people together around a dining table, a dedicated spot for puzzles, board games or card games encourages relaxed conversation and creates lasting memories with family and friends.
At our family beach house there was always a table with a chessboard ready for a match whenever someone felt inspired. Years ago my mom gifted us one of her game tables, with a checker and chess board inlaid in the wood.
Our children used that table for games growing up, and it often served as the puzzle station in the living room. We still keep it downstairs, and my husband and I sometimes head down there in the evening to work on a puzzle together.
So here’s my thinking: if we can tuck a table into the corner I mentioned in yesterday’s post, it would get a lot of use.
When the idea of a game or library table in the living room first crossed my mind, I assumed it was unnecessary. We already had the game table downstairs and the dining table was nearby, so it felt redundant.
Lately I’ve changed my mind. I like keeping the dining table available for sit-down meals, and having a puzzle permanently set up downstairs means we don’t want to clear it away every time we want to start a different game.
Beyond the simple pleasure of gathering to play, an upstairs game table can serve as extra dining space when family and friends come together for holidays and celebrations.
While I’m thoroughly enjoying summer and puttering outside, I can already imagine cozy fall evenings spent around a table playing games or piecing together puzzles.
I’m planning to try this idea soon. I may experiment by converting our current dining table into a round setup to see how it feels as a dual-purpose surface. I’ll share what works and what doesn’t.
Hope you enjoyed this inspiration for adding a game table to the living room
