There are many things I relish about the fall – vibrant foliage, crisp clear days and football!!! Yes, I am a football fan! While my preference is to head to a stadium, enjoy a well catered tailgate party, and get energized by the spirit of the fans – the next best thing is to settle into a comfortable seat in a well designed home and enjoy the game with great food and drinks surrounded by family and friends.
A really important feature of watching the game indoors – is the quality and placement of the TV. With the advanced technology both on screen and how cameras are placed to capture the game, watching a football game at home is a great way to catch all the action. How and where to place a TV is a major factor for premium viewing. Here is a link to U Mount which explains – with easy to understand graphics – your flatscreen TV installation.
As a designer, the key is to find a balance between using this technical information and making sure the TV fits in and complements the decor without overwhelming the design of the room. There are some planning choices to consider. Do you want the TV to be visible when it is not in use? Do you want the furniture placement to have the TV as the focal point? In some rooms, I design custom cabinetry to hide the TV. Here are two rooms in which the TV is hidden. This feature gives you the advantage of having a TV in a room while not interfering with the design esthetic.
But in others, I let the TV take its place as a focal point in the room.
These spaces all work well to accommodate a crowd for Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Thursday night games. With the viewing area set, all we need is a great group of family and/or friends, great food, and a few good drinks. Which games do we watch? Well, my husband keeps his football allegiances in Pennsylvania – LOVES Penn State (as you probably guessed from the opening photos) and he stays loyal to the Eagles. I am not partial to any one team, but I am particular about the food and beverage choices.
Let’s start with the food. I like to organize my food selections according to the game sequence. The first half – good snacking: chips and guac, a bowl of mixed nuts (warm them up for an added touch) and a runny wheel of soft cheese with a sliced baguette (handy tip – have the bread sliced at the store). Half time – chili!! It’s the perfect thing to serve so you can enjoy watching the game too – make it ahead, keep it warm while the game is on and serve in bowls with corn bread on the side. Need some recipes – BuzzFeed has 24 variations for you to try. Second half – dessert!!! Okay – so here is my secret weapon – crowd pleaser, easy to make, loved by kids and adults alike – Magnolia Bakery’s Banana Pudding!!! Trust me, you will make this for every single football game for the rest of your life. Click for the recipe – I like to mix mini semi sweet chocolate chips into the pudding before assembling. Yes, you will thank me later.
I did not forget the drinks. For my husband, his football watching drink of choice these days is a Moscow Mule – a new one for me. An essential ingredient for this drink is the copper mug. And for me, I really like a winter Sangria – especially made with Solerno – a delicious blood orange liqueur exclusively from Sicily. Don’t panic – I will not leave you without passing on these delicious recipes.
You are all set to enjoy the football season in the comfort of your own home!
