John's Arcade Forum - Classic Arcade and Pinball Collecting and Restoring Discussion Forum - RETRO MAME - Nintendo Vs Forum

Just look at all that cement and unpainted drywall!

(http://i.imgur.com/FjAzjZw.jpg)

More:
http://imgur.com/a/RDta3

cool. just needs a few gallons of paint!

Great space! A blank canvas!

Sweet area! What are you going to have there?

Thanks! It has been a slow going project for almost a year now. We're just slowly chipping away at it as money becomes available.

We're planning a TV area, and then a "game" side. There is a small room for an office/guest room plus the utility side which is unfinished.

For games that we currently have that will go in:
-Ms. Pacman
-Final Lap 2-seater cockpit
-Capcom's Avengers in a Tutankhamen cab
-Space Invaders cocktail
-DK cocktail (if I ever figure out the monitor situation)

Perhaps a billiards table. I'm torn...more arcade games or a billiards able? If we did the billiards table it would be a 7' table to maximize the space.

Any ideas on wall colors other than the standard beige/tan?

Maybe a darker color? I'd say something like dark purple / plum color but it probably doesn't sound too appealing. Light light green? Blue?

i agree with Otaku, a darker color for sure that way people focus on the wall decor and not your wall

What did you do to the electrical if anything to accommodate your machines?

I've always been curious what the optimal electrical setup would be if one was able to start from scratch.

ie, extra circuits, more plugs, plugs in the floor, plugs on the walls (neon) etc etc

I half finished wiring up my barn from scratch.  I ran individual boxes for each pair of games with about 8 games per circuit. I have outlets set up but unconnected to do under floor wiring using te office wiring.  I haven't added any extra wiring for neon or anything of the sort but I would do the wiring separate if I want to lights.

I thought it was 8 games per 20 amp breaker. I only have 1 slot available in my panel right now. If I ever get that many machines I plant on repurposing the breaking for my generator. :)

I think I'm with you too, Otaku, on the darker color. Although, perhaps not the purple. We also get a fair amount of natural light down there too for a basement.  

For electrical, the basement is divided into 3 sections. A game area, TV area, and an Office area (it's own room).  Each area is on its own circuit with 12/2 wiring and a 20amp circuit if I recall correctly. The lights for the entire finished basement are also on their own 15amp circuit and those are planned to be recessed lights utilizing LED bulbs. Electric heat is on 2 appropriate circuits.

From what I understand, it's overkill for a traditional basement, but I'd rather be on the safe side. At first the electrician was going to do the main area on 1 circuit and then I said I wanted it on 2 for all of the power!

For outlets, I just did standard height from the floor. I thought about doing higher mounted ones but I just wasn't sure where things would be. The only consideration was a higher mounted one for a TV but I opted not to as we weren't 100% positive if we were wall mounting or not. With every coax for TV is Cat5e for internet (I know...I should have done Cat6 but I had like 800ft of the stuff already). There are TV/Internet jacks in every area (TV, Game, Office). Also in the place for speaker jacks with conduit going through the wall up to the ceiling so I can wire the basement for speakers. I have the wire...the plan was to do it before the ceiling grid went in...that just never happened. Ideally there will be surround sound in the TV area and speakers for music in the 4 main corners.

Since this original drawing more games have been acquired...hehehe.... Hence the concern about the space with a billiards table. I also need to update it with the Lally columns....stupid things doing their job holding the house up! Psh..   An engineered beam isn't in the budget.


Here it a tentative layout though. The walls are in the correct spots though (closet underneath the stairs).
(http://i.imgur.com/zzAg9gc.jpg)

http://imgur.com/zzAg9gc

Love the bed area in the Office! Wonder what kind of work that will be done in that room!!

Looks awesome.

It's where I get to sleep when the wife gets mad at me...shucks! ;D

The lights and electrical are done! LED Flood lights on a dimmer. Plus some poor mockups

The wife has said she is ok not doing a pool table but I'm still torn. Not to mention that saving for a nice one is still a few years out. In the mean time she said, "arcade machines would be cooler."

http://imgur.com/a/MSGbp
Thoughts? Ideas? I can't layout a room to save my life.

Your wife is right.  Pool tables are great if you have the space but think how many games you could get down there instead.  How about, instead of a pool table, you opt for a shuffle puck bowler?  Much less space required, just as fun, and the leftover room can be used for pins and vids.

That's a thought... I've even see a few pop up lately in the $300 range.

Anyway, some paint is up:

(http://i.imgur.com/S21EMCD.jpg)

Dark colors give the illusion of more space.

I have a dark blood red game room.

We're making progress...carpet should be all installed within the next week!  It has been over year since we started now.

To do list:
- Finish wiring TV & Ethernet
- Get carpet installed
- Get couch delivered
- Run wiring for speakers (and setup that whole ordeal)
- MOVE IN GAMES!

(http://i.imgur.com/b5eWHuW.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/9UMynqd.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/QA71Gl3.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/0I2E0T2.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/iKmgUaA.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/56M72Rf.jpg)

We have moved some stuff in!
(http://i.imgur.com/TZ4K7nr.jpg)