Do you want to be able to watch movies at home without annoying crunching chip packets disturbing you? Are you a movie buff that values amazing quality graphics and sound with every movie you watch? A home theatre is the perfect addition to your home.
A home theatre room was often considered a luxury to have. Not any more though. With some good planning and budgeting, you can build a home theatre room for yourself. Movie night will take on a whole new meaning with a dedicated space that gives you a cinema-like experience.
You will need to bring in the professionals to help you build your home theatre space, but it is a good idea if you have at least a working knowledge of what is required. This will help you make good decisions when it comes to sounds, lighting, screen choice, seating and accessories. A bit of technical knowledge will also help you in basic maintenance once the work is complete and your home theatre is up and running.
Be realistic about your budget
It’s the easiest thing to get carried away with all the choices you have in terms of technology for your screen, sounds and lighting. The sky is the limit for luxury home theatre seating, technology and fit-out. You need have to consider the prepping of your space for the theatre room. You will need to get soundproofing and cabling work done. Flooring may have to change to ensure sounds carry well. Then you have furniture and accessories to consider too.
Each one of these elements can vary in price depending on several factors. It makes sense to have a budget in place, with at least 10% additional as a buffer for some unexpected expenses. Once you arrive at this figure, look for elements that fit within this budget. At the end of it, if you have money left over, you can always indulge in a party to inaugurate the opening.
Figure out the dimensions of your home theatre
This is perhaps the biggest pain point that you can have when conceptualising your home theatre space. Just how big should it be? Here are some basics to keep in mind:
- With a 40 inch TV, your seating will have to be at least 200cm away and for an 80 inch TV, around 400cm away. If you are using a projector with 16:40 aspect ratio and a screen size of 80 inches, then you will need to be around 240cm away and this increases proportionally with the size of your screen.
- Know on average, how many people you want to seat in your room. Two rows of four chairs will fit perfectly in a room that is 4m x 6.5m.
- Additional seating rows and features like a bar, will each need around 180-210cm.
- Look at the various Golden Ratio rules available that apply for rooms of specific dimensions and shapes. This can help a great deal in narrowing down on the right mix of elements. As a rule, square theatres are the worst shape in terms of sound quality.
L.W. Sepmeyer recommends one of three ratios for optimal sound and viewing quality:
- H 1: W 1.14: L 1.39
- H 1: W 1.28: L 1.54
- H 1: W 1.6: L 2.33
Research audio-visual equipment
Based on the size of your room, the next thing to look into is your audio-visual (AV) equipment. The size of the screen will be important. The wider your room, the larger your screen can be and the more space you will need to place seating. You will also have to make an informed choice between in-wall or ceiling speakers. For aesthetic reasons you can always bring in acoustic panels that will hide wall-mounted speakers from view, but this can diminish the quality of the sound.
Technology in AV is extremely advanced and what you bring into the space will all be dependent on how much you are willing to spend. Do your research on brands and their quality, make comparisons on prices and narrow down on your options.
Choose a design concept
Just like the interiors of your home, a home theatre can incorporate any concept you like. You can go traditional and recreate the inside of a regular theatre; or you can go quirky and bring in a space theme for those Star Wars marathons. The options are as wide as your imagination.
The one misconception that you can do away with immediately is that your home theatre room needs to match the rest of your interiors. Depending on the theme you choose, you can bring in customised seating options, wall art, food and beverage service options, storage and much more.
Always consult the professionals
The important thing to remember about building a home theatre room is that the DIY part of it largely ends at doing the research on what is needed. This is a job meant for the professionals. Once you have your basic ideas in place, speak with the experts who will give you a practical way in which your vision can be implemented. Our experts at Wavetrain will help you build and set up your home theatre just the way you like it, but with all the benefit of their knowledge, experience and skill. Give us a call today to get started on your dream home theatre.