Ever dreamed of owning your own home cinema? Imagine cosying up in a darkened room to watch your favourite movies with family and friends or in complete peace and quiet, in your very own home. Read our guide below on how to create the ultimate home cinema experience for you and your family.
Pick a room
The first thing you need to do when planning a home cinema is to pick a room. You will need a reasonably sized room, not a box room. Keep noise in consideration – situating your home cinema next to the kids’ bedrooms might be unwise, to say the least. A basement is a great spot for a home cinema if you have one. Usually windowless, far enough away from the rest of the house and with good sound absorption. Of course, if you don’t have a room to spare, you can easily transform your living room into a convenient home cinema.
Cinema style
Choosing the right style is important for your home cinema. Below are a few design tips to consider.
- If possible, decorate with darker colours.
For a real cinema feel, choose darker colours such as navy or grey for your walls and ceiling. You could also use warm tones such as orange to evoke a classic theatre feel. Use matte paint, as gloss will reflect light, which you don’t want in a home cinema.
- Use blackout curtains or blinds.
A cinema should be dark, so use blackout blinds or curtains to block out light from outside. Plus, it’ll feel extra cosy and will help insulate the room.
- Soft lighting.
In any cinema, you’ll notice soft lighting to help guide people when they need to get up to use the toilet for example. Invest in some soft lighting such as ceiling downlights, wall uplights and cosy lamps to create a cinema atmosphere.
- Choose carpet over wood flooring.
Wood flooring is noisy and will echo. Opt for soft carpet or rugs to absorb sound and to make it extra cosy. It will also stop light reflecting on the floor.
- Cosy furnishings.
Bring in some cosy cushions, blankets and throws to make your home cinema extra snug. There’s nothing better than cosying up under a blanket with snacks and a great movie. You can store them in a handy basket to bring out when needed.
- What’s your style?
Consider what kind of style you want your home cinema to have. Do you prefer more sleek, sophisticated and modern design? Or do you want your home cinema to look a little retro like the movie theatres of old? This will influence your choice of seating, furnishings and colour, so it is important.
Check out these examples of media rooms and home theatres from House Beautiful.
Space for snacks
A key feature of any cinema experience is the snacks. Popcorn, hotdogs, nachos, you name it. So, of course, it’s a must to find suitable space for your movie snacks. Get some small side tables to hold your drinks and snacks that are easily accessible during the movie.
Prefer a cold drink? You can pick up a mini-fridge for under £100 to store your cold drinks and snacks. Place it under some low shelves so you can quickly grab your snack/beverage of choice and not miss the action. A snack drawer/cupboard at the very least is a must for any self-respecting home cinema owner.
Shelving and storage
With the rise in popularity of streaming services, DVDs and Blu-Ray seem to be on their way out. However, if you are still own your fair share of DVDs (and, dare we say it, VHS tapes!), you’ll want somewhere to store them. Built-in shelves can proudly display your collection and make for easy access when movie night comes around.
With enough shelving, you could even consider doubling up your home cinema as a home library, perfect for book lovers.
Seating arrangements
You don’t need cinema seats to create your ultimate home cinema, complete with cup and snack holders. Choose some stylish, comfy seating that you and the family can lounge in for hours. Recliner chairs are perfect for home cinemas if you want your own space. Or, if you’d rather all snuggle up together, consider a large corner sofa with space for stretching out.
Surround sound
A home cinema needs the right speakers. This is possibly the toughest part of designing and installing a home cinema. Remember, when it comes to choosing speakers, bigger isn’t always better. Choose the best speakers for your space. Surround sound is a good option for a home cinema feel. Most home cinemas use the 5.2.1 surround system. Ultimately, it is important that you do your research before buying and speak to a specialist if you need help.
The big screen
Of course, the focal point of your home cinema is the TV. When looking for a TV for your home cinema you’ll want one that can support 4K and HDR. Size is also important. Standard cinema screen sizes vary, but most come in at around 50 feet wide and 30 feet tall. For your home cinema, however, you’ll want a screen that is at least 55 inches to get the full cinematic effect.
Finally, you’ll want to wall mount your flat screen to get the best view in the house. For quick, professional wall mounting services in the South West, contact The Aerial Man today.
