It is always an honor to work with some of the best designers in the industry. From residential game rooms to photo shoots for magazine layouts, we’ve worked with some of the best! And when one of our favorite design duos are featured in a major news publication, for a room design that we participated in, well, we need to stand up and shout!


Recently, The Wall Street Journal, published an article, “Maximalism: The Lush New Décor Look That’s Vanquishing Minimalism”, featuring a Marks & Frantz designed Family Room! In a world of minimalist design, what is Maximalism, you might ask. According to The Wall Street Journal,
“…the controlled crazy that is maximalism, a layered décor style packed with delightfully disparate elements, is taking hold. Chinoiserie, tassels and zebra prints share space. Ornate inherited furniture is rehabilitated. Design websites help readers diagnose a state of excess.”
The maximalism family room that Marks & Franz designed, was no exception. When the duo was invited to design a room in New York City’s Holiday House Designer Showcase, in 2015, they knew that maximalism ruled. And to give the family room an extra pop, they went a step above the rest. According to Lisa Frantz, “For Holiday House, each designer is required to design their room around a holiday. We wanted to avoid any hallmark-type holidays and choose something that is really important to us and to our clients – comfortable and luxurious family rooms! So, we fabricated our own holiday: Family Game Night. We have witnessed a big trend among our clients for game rooms, and they are no longer relegated to children’s spaces and basements. They are family game rooms that cater to both adults and their growing families.”


When Venture Games got the call from Marks & Frantz, we went into action. Listening to the needs of the room and space, we knew our Williamsburg Shuffleboard Table would fit perfectly into the dramatic space that was being designed. We knew that Maximalism ruled! And anything less would not do.
When asked “Why a Venture Shuffleboard?”, Lisa stated, “…We have also discovered that not everyone is a pool player! We find that our clients are nostalgic for the games that they grew up playing….arcade style: shuffleboard, air hockey, foosball and ping pong. Since shuffleboard is making a huge comeback right now, especially in New York with the opening of The Royal Palm shuffleboard club in Brooklyn, we thought that it should be featured in our game room! We did an extensive internet search for stylish tables and Venture was hands above the rest in terms of style. They also had great enthusiasm for this project and went as far as to make a custom table that was sized for the space in the appropriate finishes! Chris and Lizz McKay went above and beyond to help us to create this luxe game room and the shuffleboard table made us the most popular room in the entire house!”


When stepping into the luxurious finished room, we could see why Marks & Frantz were invited to design this room. From the vibrant colors, textiles and finishes, this family room truly was a show stopper! Venture Games is proud and honored to have been a part of it!