While most of us have been watching a lot of TV, movies, and other media for years, the recent global pandemic saw many of us appreciate our access to good entertainment even more. As such, you might think that it’s high time you designated a space in your property specifically for media watching.
A home theater space can be the perfect place to chill out with the family for movie night, snuggle up with a partner for some Netflix time, watch a sporting game with friends, or even learn new things on YouTube or other channels. Here are some steps to create a media room in your abode that you’ll love and get lots of use out of.
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Choose Somewhere to Set Aside for Media Viewing
Start by determining which part of your home you will set aside for your media viewing. It’s best to find a room with a door to close that you can dedicate to this kind of entertainment. That way, you and your family or housemates and friends can watch TV shows or films or play video games without disturbing others.
Also, you’ll enjoy your cinematic experience more if you don’t have to listen to other people in the house chatting, talking on the phone, cooking, or doing other things while you’re trying to watch a screen.
Ensure the Room is Comfortable
Once you’ve worked out which space will be used for media purposes, you need to ensure that this area will be comfortable enough for you and others to sit back, relax, and enjoy entertainment in. Start by considering if the room has enough insulation. Adequate insulation will make it more temperate (cooler in summer and warmer in winter) and help stop noise from surround-sound disturbing people in nearby parts of the property.
You should also find that you don’t have so many noises to deal with when watching media when the room has good insulation. As such, check to see if you can add extra insulation behind the walls and in the room’s ceiling. You may even want to put some special acoustic padding on the walls. This helps to muffle the sounds considerably. Another tip is to install thick carpeting in the room, as it also helps to reduce noise. You might also like to replace the glass in the room’s windows with double-glazed material to help block out sounds.
Furthermore, the room will be made more comfortable with the use of heating and cooling products. You might want to add some elegant ceiling fans in the space to help circulate hot air and avoid you having to open windows and let in the noise that comes with that. Plus, if you live somewhere that gets very hot or cold during the year, you could install a reverse-cycle air conditioning unit. For winter, you may like to add a gas or plug-in heater to keep you cozy while watching media, too.
Comfort also comes from having suitable seating. It pays to invest in high-quality reclining armchairs, specific cinema chairs, or an excellent couch you can chill out on in the space.
Consider Other Practicalities
There are numerous other practicalities to keep in mind. For example, you’ll want to block out light in the media room, so you don’t have trouble seeing the screen you watch content on. Choose some heavy blackout drapes or blinds to ensure you can watch shows even when it’s light outside.
You might also want to put in some mood lighting, so you have enough illumination to see by to move around the area, get a drink, find the door, etc., but the lighting won’t negatively impact your viewing pleasure. Many people use downlights with dimmers or LED strips for this purpose.
Plus, it’s helpful to remove reflective objects in the media room that could reflect light back at the viewer and make it harder to see TV or projector screens. For example, steer clear of glossy countertops, cupboards, shiny doorknobs, hinges, light trims and fixtures, and the like.
Matte or flat paint products also help.
Add a Concession Stand to the Space
Lastly, for the ultimate media experience, why not add your own concession stand to the room? Put in a kitchenette or small sink and bar area, and fill this with your favorite snacks and drinks. You might like to add a popcorn machine, candy storage unit, and compact fridge to store sodas, wine, ice cream, and other items. Doing this will help to give you more of a movie theater experience.
Creating a media room takes some time and money, but you’re sure to recoup this pretty quickly if you spend more time at home, enjoying entertainment in the dedicated space.
Also read: How To Watch Movies For Free: All You Need To Know
