Table tennis: How to add fun to your home while keeping your décor coordinated

As the home becomes more of a residential retreat, a space that can replace a restaurant, gym, or spa, there is a growing interest in integrating sports into the interior spaces of residences, which may be the living area or the dining room…

If one of your sons or daughters plays table tennis professionally, or if you were a child and would like to practice again, especially since the game tests patience, helps strengthen concentration, or even share the game with guests for entertainment, here are some decorating ideas related to table tennis.

A Brief History of Table Tennis

Tennis table

Table tennis emerged in England in the late 19th century; its first players were middle-class Victorians who were inspired by the game of tennis on grass courts. The tools of the early game were a wine bottle stopper as a ball, cigar boxes as rackets, and books as a net. At the time, table tennis was seen as a distraction. In 1890, Englishman David Foster, attracted by the popularity of table tennis, introduced the first table tennis game.

In 1897, the first national tournament was organized in Hungary. In 1901, after a trip to the United States, James Gibb created the first celluloid ball, which was much lighter than rubber balls. A year later, in 1902, E.C. Gould, a British enthusiast of the game, introduced the first rubber-covered rackets. And that was the beginning of table tennis!

How much space to play table tennis at home?

Part of a home room, the walls of which are wallpapered. The ping pong table looks like this (image from unsplash)

Do you have enough space in your home to accommodate a tennis table?

The full-size tennis table is 2.74 meters long and 1.525 meters wide. However, you obviously need more space behind the table, and on both sides of the table, to be able to play. Therefore, there should be about 2 meters (4 feet) of space behind each end of the table, and about 1 meter on each side of the table. This is still a bit tight, but you will definitely have enough space to play.

Ideally, a table tennis table requires a room that is at least 6.74 meters long and 3.525 meters wide. However, if you have less space, you still have some options.

Playing in a smaller space

You can play in less space if your living room, for example, is not spacious: It is possible to move away from the table, only two or three steps away, instead of four. In this case, you will have to play close to the table all the time, because if you move too far away from the table, your racket will hit the wall.

Buy a smaller table

It is possible to purchase a smaller, three-quarter sized table, compared to the size of a full-sized table. This option is acceptable when playing for fun with friends and family, not for serious training.

Dining table

Some people have a large enough room, but it’s occupied by a dining table. In this case, you can consider buying a table tennis table top, and placing the latter on top of the dining table when playing. Table tops come in different sizes, some are smaller (to fit smaller dining tables), and others are full-size.

If you want to play, for fun, with family and friends, a tabletop may be a favorite choice. However, this solution is not compatible with serious training, as the height of a dining table may differ from a ping-pong table.

Table type

It’s important to consider the quality of the table; some ping pong tables are inexpensive, while others are expensive. To know if a table is good or bad, pay attention to the thickness of the wood top; the latter ranges from 12 (poor quality) to 25 millimeters (excellent quality), the thicker the wood top, the better the quality. Note that the ball does not bounce well on thin table tops. At a minimum, you should look for a table with a surface thickness of at least 16 millimeters.

Important decorating factors to consider

Tennis table in the living area (photo from unsplash)

There are other factors to consider, in terms of home décor, before purchasing a tennis table: It’s best if the flooring in the rooms where the table is to be placed is wooden/laminate, which makes it easier to move around. In addition to durability, you can play on carpeted floors, but the latter will seriously wear out if you play a lot, especially if the carpeting is thick. On the other hand, a thin carpet would be better, but it too will wear out after a while.

A tile floor is fine, but it can become slippery if too much moisture accumulates in the room.

A concrete floor is also good, but it’s not as comfortable for the body. If your ankles, knees or hips are weak, it’s best to avoid playing on a concrete floor.

Taking care of the table is easy, it requires very low maintenance. All you need to do is occasionally clean the table surface with a slightly damp cloth.