I’ve been gathering a few neat ideas for the games room.

It seems more designers are having fun designing games and game-friendly furniture and accessories for the home (perhaps this topic warrants a story in an upcoming issue of the magazine? Let me know if you’d like to see something like this).

I’ve been thinking about taking up ping-pong since seeing this amazing table designed by James DeWulf. His concrete and steel design turned heads at the recent International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) in NYC. It’s technically a dining table, but I’d rather use it for sport (plus, he made it ping-pong table regulation size [9’ by 5’ by 30’], so it’d be a sin to just eat on it).

The table features fade-resistant acid-etched lines and a smooth surface that makes for great “bounce.” Thanks to the table’s rugged construction, you can take it outside and the materials won’t be affected by moisture, salt air or cold.

I also like the Pile On game by Umbra. You can stack the hand-cut pieces of factory-waste wood in any arrangement you like. A fun alternative to boring coffee table games, it doubles as an eclectic centrepiece.

Umbra’s Wobble chess set is another playful option, which features a concave landscape and “freely quivering chess pieces” (that’s from their website). Definitely not your average chess set. Umbra products are widely available at home stores in Atlantic Canada.