Dens have significantly gained popularity over the past years due to their versatility. These bonus rooms, primarily used for informal activities, can be transformed into any unique family space.

The den can act as a family room, TV room, home cinema, sports room, gaming room, spare bedroom. The list is endless. It is pretty hard to decide on the size when you think about having such a space included in your house plan.

So how big should a den be?

The average size for a den is about 10 square feet in a typical family home. However, den sizes can vary depending on how you intend to use the room. If you intend to transform it into a simple reading area or use it for non-physical activities involving seating, then a space of about three by 7 feet is okay.

A den can also be dedicated to adult members of the families to host private occasions or as personal spaces. On such occasions, access is permanently restricted to children and other members of the family.

Examples of such rooms would be the man cave, a room dedicated to men to have some alone time and do the things they love or host their friends.

 A less unknown version of such a room would be the ladies’ layer necessitated by the need for women to take time out from the overwhelming responsibilities and social obligations they have to deal with ever so often.

Here, they can relax, unwind and do the things they love.

Popular Den Sizes

A den should not necessarily be an entire room in the house.  If you are short on space, consider carving out a corner for reading or transforming the garage or basement. Better yet, why not construct an entire shed in the backyard.

What this means is that a den can significantly vary in size. It can be a simple reading corner or the size of a warehouse to host a car collection. It will all depend on the kind of activity you want to do and the amount of space you have.

Here are some den size recommendations depending on the activities done.

Simple Reading Area

If you want to free up some space and demarcate an area where you can get some reading or wring done, you probably don’t need much space. A space of two-and-a-half feet by about 7 feet is enough to fit a study table, chair, and a sizable collection of books.

This area is also great for watching movies, playing videos games, and listening to music. It can easily fit a sizeable TV and a recliner chair. Generally, any non-physical activity that does not require much moving around can happen here.

However, you can make the room as big as you like if you have enough space or are claustrophobic.

A Sports Room

For a family that enjoys pub sports, this can be an excellent idea for a den. Pub sports are very diverse and involve different sports that require very different pieces of equipment to play. However, the most common games in family rooms would be foosball, pool, and darts.

You only need a free wall to install the dartboard and a distance of about 8 feet to throw the darts for the dart game. For the other pub sports, you only need to factor in equipment size and the general distance needed to move around to play comfortably.

A 4 by 8-foot pool table would require a room of about 13 feet by 17 feet.

On the other hand foosball table of 2.5 feet by 5 feet would need a room size of about 12 feet by 5.5 feet. It is because foosball requires a lot of extra space for players to move around and play comfortably.

If you want to get one room that can comfortably accommodate all these sports, a space of about 26 feet by 23 feet is the minimum requirement. But with some planning, you can easily overlap some of the spaces to include more activities.

A Home Theater Room

If you are looking to turn your den into a family theatre where you can host a movie night and hang out with your family and friends, there are two things you need to consider. The first thing is the size of the viewing screen.

The viewing screen dimension will affect the minimum distance required between you and the screen. It is called the suggested viewing distance. The second thing to consider would be the acoustics of the room.

Generally, rooms that are longer than they are wide would produce a better sound quality due to the sound’s inability to bounce off each other.

As you can guess, these two factors have a direct impact on the dimensions of the room. So if you have a huge screen or projector, a room that is 20 feet long and 15 feet wide with a high ceiling would be ideal for you.

However, if you have a standard family room of about 10 square feet, you can still transform it into a family cinema room and even use a large TV.

A Man Cave or Ladies Layer

Spouses must take time for themselves and unwind and reenergize in their personal space to build healthy relationships and homes.  A great way to do this is by using personal space dedicated to them where other family members have restricted access.

These personal spaces can vary in size and style depending on the individuals’ definition of alone time. The idea is to get away from your responsibilities and obligations. Some people like writing, watching, playing games, gardening, among other things.

Whatever your preference, the redefined personal space, in effect, gives you the freedom to be in the quiet and take that personal time out away from it all.

If you plan to construct a simple shade in your backyard to accomplish this purpose, you will need a structure of roughly 7 feet by three feet. An improvement would be getting a  pre-made unit or a shipping container to transform into your little respite.

The Importance of Having a Den

Below are some of the perks that come with having a den in your home.

A Den Can Increase The Home Value

In essence, having a bonus room would directly impact the overall square footage of a house.

In the same way, if the den is made from repurposed attics basements or sheds, it would mean that the previously abandoned or forgotten spaces that could plunge the value of a home were renovated and are regularly maintained.

Such type houses with more usable spaces have higher market values.

Increased Productivity

Because a characteristic den is highly private and tailored to what the individual likes, they can use the space to perfect their craft. A writer can use their writer nook to create away from destruction.

Anyone with any hobby can thrive in a private den taking time to sharpen their skills.

Maybe the thing you need to increase your productivity is good to rest and some time alone to come up with a to-do list.

Perhaps you need some space alone to get in the zone and develop great ideas to grow your business.

Unwind

Everybody needs some time in the quiet to be by themselves. According to a study conducted by IKEA, 45 percent of Americans re-treat to their parked cars to get some alone time.

A den is a great way to enhance this personal time that everybody highly needs. Customize it to what you love doing or just a relaxing area. 

Being able to block the world and just being by yourself is sure to decrease your anger and agitation, unnecessary energy drain, and improve your immunity.