Inspiration for Home Theaters
Looking to create a lounge space for movie marathons or sports? Read on for our favorite home theater ideas. All you’ll need to top it all off is a stack of a few movies and bottomless popcorn and snacks.
Set the Mood
First thing’s first – to have the perfect home theater, good lighting is essential. Try low-lit path lighting like aisle lights in the theater. Soft overhead lights can create the right ambience if placed on a dimmer switch. Of course, you can’t forget about proper window treatments, either. If your home theater happens to be in a room with ample natural light, shades are a must. While that’s gorgeous on a crisp fall day, sometimes you just need a darker room for those mid-day showings of your favorite films.
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Put Comfort at the Forefront
One of the best things about a home theater as opposed to a traditional cinema is that comfort always takes top priority. No need to sit for hours on end in a creaky folding chair with barely-there upholstery. Instead, this space should be filled to the brim with plenty of ultra-comfy lounge chairs, recliners, or sofas so you can really kick back and enjoy your time. It’s an investment, but trust us, it will completely transform the entire experience.
Incorporate Extra Seating
Speaking of seating, a home theater isn’t complete without plenty of extra seating built in for extra guests or extended family members. Bar seating is convenient and stylish, offering a more casual space to rest, while built-in benches or ottomans are discreet and functional, doing double duty regardless of the number of people in attendance. Of course, you can always go all-out and do a complete theater re-creation with multi-tiered seating levels, too – it’s sure to be a winning setup for everyone with no shortage of plush and comfortable chairs.
Embrace the Nostalgia
Home theaters are all about embracing the nostalgia of a night at the movies. Something as simple as a snack bar is sure to please both adults and kids. A favorite home theater idea is to bring in a retro cinema sign or door. It’s a fun, unique and exciting way to welcome people into the space.
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If you have the space for a home theater, transform it into more than a game or movie viewing room. It deserves to be a true destination where entertainment comes to life. We hope you were inspired by our home theater ideas to get you started. Who knows? You might never want to go back to the real theater again.
By Megan Johansson, Contributor to Carla Bast Design
One Response
I really loved your suggestions on how to bring back some of the old cinema nostalgia in your home theater. Having things like a snack bar and fuzzy seats could help my kids really have a lot of fun in that room, especially since they love going back and watching old movies instead of the newer ones. I’ll make sure to shop for these things along with audio-visual equipment from appliance stores in the area.