Because of streaming, Blu-ray, and other technological advances, more and more people are looking for modern home theater design ideas to take their viewing to the next level. In today’s blog, the interior design experts at Star Furniture discuss how to design a home theater your whole family will love.
Consider Your Space
Generally speaking, home theaters have one distinct purpose: screening TV and movies. Having a space dedicated to that sole purpose enables you to make smart home theater design choices that will make the experience of watching even more enjoyable. While you may have to make some concessions based on the size and layout of your home, you’ll want to make the following considerations when choosing a space for your home theater.
The Placement of the Room
In a perfect world, your home theater would be in an isolated location. While open floor plans are incredibly popular, it’s best if your home theater is in a room with four walls and a door to prevent distractions and to optimize sound.
The Shape of the Room
Because square-shaped rooms tend to produce harmonic distortions, it’s best to house a home theater in a rectangular room, with speakers placed along one of the shorter walls.
Flooring
Sound bounces off hard, flat surfaces. That’s why you may want to consider carpeting for your home theater. Not only does it absorb ambient sound and add to the sound quality, but it can also make the room feel cozier. If the room you choose has hardwood floors, you can use area rugs to help regulate the sound.
Windows
When it comes to windows in your home theater; the fewer, the better. Not only do their hard surfaces reflect sound, which can cause audio distortion, but they can also reflect light, which can cause glares on your screen. That said, if you do have windows in your home theater, you can use heavy curtains and blackout shades for better sound and to help seal out light.
Walls
The walls in your home theater can affect your viewing experience. While well-insulated walls should be enough when it comes to soundproofing, if your walls don’t have drywall or if you’re having other sound issues, you can install acoustic boards, carpet, or thick curtains to help absorb sound bounce. You might also consider painting the walls and ceiling a dark color to prevent light reflection.
Choose Your Home Theater Seating Wisely
While the television and speakers can end up getting most of the credit, we can’t discuss how to design a home theater without spending some time on the importance of seating. The right home theater seating can make a huge difference in your viewing experience. In fact, having soft, cozy furniture taking up space in the room can even improve the sound quality.
Sectionals
One of our favorite home theater seating ideas involves purchasing the right sectional for your space. Power reclining sectionals, for example, allow multiple people to comfortably customize their position for their viewing pleasure. Plus, they often have other features, including massage capabilities, USB charging capabilities, and lighted cup holders to prevent spills. Because sectionals come in a wide range of shapes and sizes, you can arrange the room according to its layout quirks for the most optimal viewing experience.
Recliners
If you’re dealing with a smaller or awkwardly-shaped home theater, or if you want a more individualized experience, power recliners work great as home theater seating. Like power reclining sectionals, recliners offer individuals the chance to lean back to their exact specifications to enhance their personal viewing experience. Plus, many power recliners come with the same luxury features to enhance your viewing experience.
Be Precise with Décor
When decorating your home theater, you’ll want to be very precise about the decorations you choose. Throw pillows, blankets, and wall tapestries, for example, work great in a home theater. In addition to adding a cozy feeling to the room, which can be important to the watching experience, they can also help with the sound quality in the room. That said, you may want to avoid mirrors, bright wall art with glass coverings, and shiny hardware, because these items can catch light and cause a glare. Whatever you choose, consider how it will affect the viewing experience, and save anything that reflects light for the other rooms in your house.
Pay Attention to Layout
The layout of your home theater is important. In addition to finding a home theater layout that accommodates your seating needs, you’ll need to pay attention to the distance from the seating to your television and speakers. The optimal distance from your seating to your television depends on the size of the screen, so take that into account when placing your furniture. For the best sound, speakers should be along the shorter wall, and they should be at least four feet away from your seats. Your seating should also be away from the walls, as seats too close to the wall end up with booming bass.
Now that you know how to design a home theater, it’s time to get started! Visit a Star Furniture store near you to browse our huge selection of sectionals, recliners, entertainment centers, and more. In the meantime, check out our home inspiration blog, where we cover everything from man cave essentials for your home to how to choose a sectional.