Dos and Don’ts for Designing Home Cinema Rooms

If you love film, there is nothing quite like a home cinema space to truly immerse yourself into the sights, sounds and all round entertainment of a movie. Of course, designing home cinema rooms isn’t the most straightforward of home improvement projects. There are so many different factors to keep in mind when designing a room that will deliver the visual and sonic experience you design, complete with home comforts. 

To help you avoid some of the mistakes that are so often made during home cinema installation, we have a list of important do’s and don’ts to take note of.

Do look closely at the chosen room

The room that you choose to install your home cinema systems in influences every choice that you will make, so be careful to choose the best available space in your home. The size and shape of your room will determine:

• The size of screen you need – too large or too small a screen will detract from the cinematic experience.
• Projector or TV? – for a small room, a large TV monitor may be more suitable than a projector and screen.
• Seating – how many people do you wish to seat? You will need to choose seating solutions to suit the size of the room and how many people you want to cater for.

Don’t forget lighting

Whilst it may seem easy enough to just turn off the lights to make the most of the screen in front of you, it’s important to remember that you will need to move around the room at some point, so to do this with minimal disruption for those around you, it’s important to consider lighting solutions that help you move safely without detracting from the viewing experience. 

Consider wall mounted fixtures that emit a soft light, floor lights, or even table lamps. Lighting that is too bright will reflect off the screen and affect the picture quality. It’s always advisable to consult home cinema installation experts to choose suitable lighting.

Do invest in surround sound

A big screen isn’t the only element that provides a true cinematic feel. Surround sound is essential for a fully immersive home cinema setup, and whilst modern soundbars have improved considerably over the years and are perfect for a lounge area, to create a true cinema room, surround sound audio systems are a must. For help in choosing the best suited systems for your room size and shape, and advice in spatial distribution, consult home cinema specialists. 

Don’t use light colours and reflective surfaces

Whilst light colours are popular for modern interior decor, when it comes to decorating a home cinema room, darker colours with a matte finish are always best to limit the amount of light reflected from the screen and lights in the room. If you choose white or other light colours, or decide on a glass finish paint or wall covering, much more light from the screen will reflect back, somewhat negatively affecting the picture quality.

It’s also important to choose carpets and soft furnishings rather than hard laminate flooring or furniture. If sound bounces around the room before reaching your ear, it can make for a messy, echoey sonic experience, defeating the point of money spent on a great surround sound system.

Do budget carefully

When it comes to budgeting for the different elements that make up a home cinema room, it’s important to make sure the balance is right. If you spend thousands on the latest 4k projector screen but don’t leave enough money to spend on surround sound, or the many essential high quality cables and components needed, then you’ll be extremely disappointed with the finished results.

Don’t underestimate the benefits of professional home cinema installation

Given that there is so much to consider if you are designing and building a home cinema for the first time, it certainly makes sense to seek help from specialists that have completed the design, installation and programming of many home cinema rooms.

Veritais are experts in smart home integration, specialising in home cinema installation.