Who doesn’t love movies? Whether it’s a quiet night in, a date night, or family night, movie nights are the best. With online streaming sites making movies and television shows available at any time we want, why not turn your home into your own theater? If you have been toying around with home theater design ideas for your home, WPL Interior Design is here to help!
Creating the Space
Before you start exploring home theater design ideas, it’s important to consider what space is available in your home. Whether you’re trying to seat four people, eight people, or twelve people, it’s important to not design a theater that is bigger than the room you have!
Make sure there is enough space for people to sit comfortably and that the seating isn’t too close to the screen. Have you ever had to sit in the very front row of an actual movie theater? It’s not fun! Prevent aches and pains in your neck by leaving an appropriate amount of room between the screen and the front row seats. This distance will ultimately be determined by the size and resolution of the screen.
Photos: Shutterstock
The Importance of Sound Proofing
The next thing to contemplate for your home theater design is the acoustics. Sound systems for home theaters will typically be louder than your average tv room. This has two major consequences: one, the acoustics will echo within the room, and two, the sounds could be disturbing throughout the rest of the house.
Sound bounces off hard surfaces, affecting audio clarity and turning sound into a headache. Therefore, hardwood and tile are not recommended for home theater flooring. If the room you are working with already has hard floors and adding carpet is not an option, strategically placed area rugs will help absorb the soundwaves and improve the quality of the sound.
Outside of the floors, it’s also important to soundproof your walls. Standard drywall simply isn’t enough to block out sound from traveling into the rest of the home, and you can’t block sound by putting up more drywall. Sound barriers, isolation clips, barrier blankets, and acoustic wall panels are all possible solutions to limit sound travel.
Photos: Shutterstock
Arranging Your Theater
Once you have a plan of the space and have soundproofed the room, it’s time to start bringing your home theater design idea to life! There are a lot of different ways to create your dream theater.
If you have a large space and plan on having many rows of seats, one thing to consider is steeping the floors, just like how real movie theaters have slanted flooring. Not only does it make your floors feel like an authentic theater, but it can also really help those in the back row see better when you host your movie parties.
What everyone loves to look at when arranging their theaters is the type of seats! You could furnish your home theater with armchairs, loveseats, or lounge chairs. Or, you could go the extra mile and get reclining seats to truly kick back and relax as you enjoy your shows.
Photos: Jay Greene Photography
Photos: Shutterstock
Lights, Camera, Accessories!
The best part about creating a home theater is making it feel like a real live movie theater. From popcorn machines to end tables, the possibilities are endless! It’s the perfect room for drama; find some striking wall sconces for lighting or line a wall with framed movie posters! If you have chairs that don’t recline, consider getting ottomans for propping your feet up. Serving trays and end tables are also great additions to a home theater in case you want to enjoy some refreshments or a meal while watching a film. There is no better way to transform unused space in your home than to turn it into a home theater.
Photos: Jay Greene Photography
Photos: Shutterstock
