How to Plan a Serious Home Theater
You've got the money. You've got the room. And you really, really want that amazing home theater, the one that gives you the fullest experience of your favorite movies and television shows
All you have to do is plan it.
When you have a dedicated room for home theater, one of your first considerations will be the equipment, such as the monitor, sound system and seating. But there's so much more.
Lighting matters. Most movies are made for watching in dark, dark theaters. There shouldn't be a lot of light around you to get the maximum effect. Think about dimmer switches and placing lights so that they will not hit the screen wrong when you do turn the lights all the way on.
Decorations can very much so be a matter of personal taste. If you're going for the movie theater look, keep it simple. On the other hand, if you're a serious fan of a particular series or genre, you may want to decorate your home theater to celebrate that. Just keep in mind that your decorations should not interfere with serious movie watching.
One of the delights of a great home theater setup is how much better you can have it than you do at the theaters. You can have recliners if you like, or furniture that will let you be close to your loved one. The main thing is to keep it comfortable for the times that you are enjoying your home theater.
You will also want to think about how many people you will have over sometimes for movie viewings. If you like having friends over for the big releases, you'll need more seating. It's no fun having to haul in kitchen chairs just because you don't have the seating to accommodate your usual crowd.
The layout of your furniture ideally will allow as many people as possible to have a really good view of the screen. This can be hard to accomplish, depending on the amount of space you have available. A piece of graph paper mapped out to your room, and cutouts that represent the furniture can help you to lay out the room without moving everything around all the time. Just be sure you know how much walking space is required, as well as allowing for the motion of recliners.
A well designed home theater will give you many years of comfort as you enjoy your favorite movies. Taking some extra time with the planning can help you to avoid the many issues that can limit your enjoyment.