Home theaters are becoming extremely popular in 2020, for many obvious reasons. There is a lot you need to know before you can get started on this crazy and exciting journey! Here are a few essential tips to help you get started.
1. Create Space
First and foremost, you need to find and choose a dedicated space in your home. So you might be wondering; how in the world can I create a theater area if I don’t own a 5,000 square foot house with a dedicated room to be converted to a movie theater!? It’s okay! There are so many ways you can create the space without a huge home and dedicated theater room, all you need is some inspiration and creativity! A lot of our clients have installed beautiful theater spaces in unique areas and listed below are just a few:
This last one might sound odd, but we have installed many theater areas in spaces originally intended for a dining room and have received amazing results. Many of our clients say that this area was rarely ever used before and is now their favorite spot in the house!
2. Envision Your Space
The next step, which is my personal favorite, is picking out the right furniture and design elements to maximize your theater experience. When it comes to this step, I like to tell people to close their eyes and picture their ideal home theater experience. Are you with one person? Two? Or your entire extended family and then some? What is the color and brightness of the room you're sitting in? Is it light and spacious? Or dark and cozy?
It might sound silly, but answering these questions will tell us a lot about what you're looking for and what you need to make this fantasy a reality! We’ll be able to tell if you need specialized window treatments to block the light out and whether or not you want this area to be a just a simple comfortable space or a full on movie theater room. In the case you want a full decked-out movie room, we suggest adding ambient lighting such as sconces, stair lights or an led lit screen.
3. Properly Store AV Equipment
Next we have to properly store your AV equipment and I’m sorry, but not just any old entertainment center will do. For a clean and well-functioning theater area, you will want to have a dedicated AV rack or furniture piece that is specifically made to hold AV equipment. Luckily, there are many furniture options for this available at https://www.salamanderdesigns.com. It is important to plan out where you will place your rack or equipment piece so you can avoid seeing tons of wires and buttons in the middle of your theater room.
4. Plan for Structured Wiring
Imagine you turn on your brand new theater and go to stream your favorite movie, and you can’t because it won’t load! This is a big no- no! Structured wiring is the answer and solution for this. With so many people on the wifi in the house it is best to run your video and data through cabling to your AV equipment rack.
5. When in Doubt, Call A Professional
And there you have it, the most important tips to keep in mind while building your home theater. Now I'm sure some of you may be like “easy I got this” and the other half of you are saying “nope, no way, it’s not gonna happen”. Luckily, there are so many professionals that do a variety of styles and price ranges for home theaters. They can remove most of the headache by helping you with the planning and doing a professional installation. Also, most home theater professionals should offer some guarantee or warranty of their work.
If you want more tips on building a home theater space call 813-575-Hive.
