With the recent trending-up of flat screen TVs to humongous sizes, many of us feel like we’ve already got something of a cinema system in our homes. Of course, nothing can quite replace the thrill of the authentic cinema experience – something the movie buffs amongst us know keenly. But, if afforded the spare room to create a cinema space of your own, what could you do to get the closest to that unique theatre experience?
The Equipment
Before you make any design decisions relating to your cinema space, you’ll need to settle on the essentials – the bones of your cinema set-up. Whatever your budget, there are ways to make your cinema room work. You’ll need a screen and a speaker system at the very least, as well as media players such as Blu-Ray, DVD and (depending on your interests) VHS players.
Consumer retailers like HMV have many of these on hand at not-too-expensive price-points; if you are an NHS worker, you can use HMV discount codes to bring these costs down even further. But if money is less of an object, you might plump for a proper projector set up with embedded surround sound.
The Atmosphere
This brings us to atmosphere. A cinema room should be a comfortable and inviting space, something which is largely achieved with the décor. For the traditional cinema experience – and to benefit the sound of the room – you might be looking at carpeting the walls and installing insulation to isolate and dissipate sound reflections. This is a great opportunity to design the aesthetic of the space, as well as to hide cables and speakers in the fabric of the room itself.
The Seating
Atmosphere is undoubtedly enhanced by your choice of furniture. There are many directions you can go down in search of the perfect seating arrangement for your home cinema. If it is more of a multi-purpose space, and you have intentions of indulging in a spot of video-gaming here too, a more casual sofa set-up might be preferable.
However, movie buffs after the cinema experience are much more likely to want proper cinema chairs with adjustable footrests and back support. This cost can be well worth it when you’re reclined, popcorn in hand, at the end of your project!
The Lighting
Last but certainly not least, we come to lighting. Granted, your lights will likely be off for most of the time you’re using the space, but putting the effort into installing the right lights can make all the difference. Ambient lighting in the sides of the room can help set the mood, and remote-control dimmers allow you to settle in for a film without having to move an inch.