Perhaps some of us are familiar with the feeling that the kids – and their toys – have taken over the house. And while the “man cave” is a great idea, women would surely love an inside-the-home retreat, too. So why not turn your home’s lower level into an all-encompassing adult playground?

In addition to a (perhaps tongue-in-cheek, perhaps not) sign that reads “No kids allowed,” here are some ideas for a grown-up recreation area.

Themes
If you’ve accumulated an abundance of Buckeye sports gear throughout the years, incorporate it into your overall décor and create a themed space. Do you have autographs, jerseys or collectibles from a favorite team or sport? The proper display cases and frames will allow you to show off your collection with class.

Choose a paint palette to complement your paraphernalia; add a Block “O” to the bar backsplash; and serve drinks out of glassware with your team’s logo. Pulling out all the stops to show off your team spirit creates a fun atmosphere for hosting game day parties.

If your tastes run a little more unique, you can still design around your collection. Frank and Diana Roberto, for example, own a Truberry Group-built home in Tartan West that they completed with a barbershop motif in the lower level. It includes a barber chair and sign to complement his collection of antique razors and clippers from a shop in Pittsburgh, where his dad cut hair for 60 years.

Westerville resident Doug Blegen’s beer can collection is displayed proudly throughout his home, including the basement, that he began finishing with the funds used from selling one of his cherished items. Now the space exhibits a variety of beer memorabilia, including international cans, advertisements and rare beer production items.

If you don’t have an actual collection or you’re not huge into sports, you can still create a fun atmosphere around a centralized theme. A 1950s diner motif complete with jukebox, a movie theater with medieval motif and a candy counter are all examples of local basements, although the latter might intrigue the kids and cause an invasion of your space!

Games
Your lower level can be all fun and games. A dart board, pinball machine, pool table, shuffleboard area and golf course simulator are just a few examples of activities homeowners have incorporated into their basements. Jim and Heather McKay’s Truberry Group home in Delaware County features an electronically-automated golf driving range.

John and Beth Fligner, who own a Bob Webb home in Tartan Fields, included a secluded poker room and a shuffle alley game – played with metal discs on a sand-slickened wood surface – into their lower level.

Bar
Include a beverage fridge to ease the congestion in your other refrigerators, and prevents you from traveling far when you need a refill.

How about a kegerator? Sure, you’ve evolved plenty since college, but there are plenty of sophisticated options for a kegerator to ensure the best single or double tap draft pour possible.

If you really want to play grown up, protect – and show off – your wine collection with a specified room or area. Since wines are best protected when they’re stored between 52 and 55 degrees Fahrenheit, the basement is the ideal location. Also, lower levels’ concrete floors tend to control vibrations (that can compromise the quality of the wine) more than other areas of the home, vibrations.

Entertainment
What adult playground would be complete without a supersized flat screen television complete with surround sound speakers mounted on the walls?

Nate and Porsha Sherman’s Truberry Group home in Tartan Fields features an overhead projector and 96-inch screen on which to show his extensive movie collection. Additionally, they raised the floor to elevate two comfortable, three-person leather couches. The only thing needed in this space is the popcorn.

Getaway
Maybe you simply want a place to retreat to for some peace and quiet. Why not add book shelves for a library feel, or a full den/office? Home gyms and bulky exercise equipment and accessories tend to fit well in lower levels. Paul Murley’s Bob Webb home in Westerville includes a large crafts and hobbies room.

Lower levels are increasingly used as adult retreats and social areas, and conveniently the space bodes well for creativity and risk-taking when it comes to decorating and accessorizing. Who says the kids should have all the fun?

- Alicia Kelso