With the breakneck pace of modern life, we need a place to kick back and recharge our batteries. That’s where the rec room comes in. It’s a space that tells us it’s OK to slow down and have a little fun.

No matter how you like to spend your leisure time, there are rec room ideas to accommodate it. Whether you’re into watching sports, playing cards or pursuing a hobby, your rec room design should have your favorite activity in mind. Not that it needs to serve one purpose and one purpose only, but there will generally be a theme that reflects the way the room is used most often.

What kind of flooring will you have? What rec room furniture will be featured? What kind of art will festoon the walls? What will the colors be? Here are the most popular uses for a rec room and some ways to make your space suitable for each one.

Media Room

If relaxing with sports and movies or binge-watching a TV series is your idea of a good time, you might set up your rec room as an entertainment and viewing palace. That means a dedicated wall or a media unit for the screen. There will be plenty of plush seating, with an emphasis on reclining chairs and sofas that allow multiple adjustments. You’ll need an abundance of tables for drinks and snacks: side tables convenient to the seating plus a larger area to lay out the spread. Your wall art might be classic movie photos or framed logos of your favorite team.

Social Room

Maybe you like nothing better than to spend an evening throwing a party for a few friends, or even more than a few. In that case you might want a bar and a room laid out for people to mingle and interact. The ambiance can be anything from neighborhood bar to swank lounge.

In the elegant case, you might deploy chairs, sofas and sectionals in a way that encourages people to form small groups and chat. Wingback chairs and overstuffed seating would not be out of place. Coffee tables and side tables might fill in the space. Indirect lighting such as table and chair lamps and sconces could set the tone.

On the other hand, you might prefer a more rollicking setting with both high-top and low-top tables. Guests would stand, sit, mingle and pull their barstools up to the bar. Wall decor could include retro signs and framed photographs.

Game Room

There are different types of game rooms. Some revolve around a pool, ping-pong or Foosball table. Others are set up for cards and board games. There might be a large, round center table for poker night or dominoes extravaganzas, or several smaller surfaces for cribbage or gin rummy players. This room will need plenty of storage space to keep cards, chips and game boards at the ready. A strategically placed storage trunk could add to the atmosphere.

For an unforgettable game night, consider the Foosball coffee table. It has a glass top and functions as a regular table until you clear off the drinks and start a game. There are also reversible game tables, ordinary side tables until you flip over the top to reveal a checker and chessboard.

Multipurpose Rec Room

There are other ways to enjoy your rec room. You can dedicate all or part of it to a favorite activity.

A reading niche might include an agreeable recliner, a side table and a floor lamp. If more than one person likes to read, set up a couple niches with a bookcase in between.

A hobby area could reside in a corner or on a long table on one wall. Whether your hobby is scrapbooking, crocheting or putting ships into bottles, you’ll need good direct overhead light and perhaps some under-table storage.

A music room, whether it’s for refined strings, a piano singalong or a rock band, needs a place to keep instruments and music and perhaps some wall paneling or a noise barrier. You might have a few pictures of musical heroes on the walls.

A fitness or meditation nook would work best with a solid floor covered with a mat or indoor/outdoor rug. You might want to separate it from the rest of the room with a curtain or bookcase.

No matter how you furnish your rec room, set it up to help you do the things you love the most. Let the seating, the lighting and the decor reflect who you are when you leave the workaday world outside.