Theater rooms allow you to enjoy all your favorite movies and shows from the comfort of your home. While most often associated with luxury homes, theater rooms can be added to many different types of homes. You can adjust the design and aesthetics and amenities of the space according to your budget and tastes. More and more people are seeing the appeal of having a family theater room as streaming services continue to expand and increase in popularity. A family theater room can save you money on going to movies and increase family bonding time, as you all gather around to watch an old classic or a binge-worthy favorite.
If you add a family theater room to your home, there are a few things you’ll want to consider. These involve the design of the space, as well as whether or not adding a family theater room will increase the value of your home. Should you add a family theater room? Here’s what you need to know about some of the factors involved with theater rooms so that you can determine whether or not adding a family theater room is the right choice for you and your family.
Location Matters
When it comes to home finishing, usually your goal is to increase the amount of light to any given room. When it comes to a theater room, though, the opposite is true. This is why your basement is a good place to put a theater room, as the basement tends to be darker than the rest of your home. If you put your theater room somewhere with plenty of light, you’ll want to consider blackout curtains that you can pull down whenever you want to watch something.
Location also matters with theater rooms because you want there to be enough space between you and the screen in order to be able to comfortably watch whatever’s playing. You also want there to be enough room for seating so that everyone can comfortably see the screen.
Consider The Lighting
In most areas of your home, you gravitate towards big open windows and bright walls, to allow as much light reflection throughout the space as possible. The opposite is true for your theater room. Light washes out a screen and makes it difficult to see what’s going on. You can reduce glare by painting the walls a dark, matte color. If there are windows in your theater room, consider adding blackout curtains that you can pull shut when it’s movie time.
You’ll also want to reduce ambient lighting as much as possible. If your theater room connects to other rooms in your home, you may consider putting up curtains to create more of an enclosed space for a more immersive experience.
For some theater-esque lighting, you may consider adding sconces, recessed lighting, floor lighting, and rope lights.
How’s The Sound?
Depending on where you’re thinking about having your personal cinema installed, you may need more soundproofing measures than others. You can make your movie room more soundproofed by using a thick, absorbent carpet, by adding another layer of drywall, by using solid doors instead of ones that are hollow, and by setting up curtains.
It’s not just ambient sound that you should consider. You also want to be able to hear what’s going on in your show well. Some people opt for more surround sound while others prefer sticking with the speakers that their TV comes with. Equipment for your theater room is something that you can either go crazy with or keep it simple.
Comfortable Seating Is A Must
You don’t want to be stuck in an uncomfortable chair for hours. A plush or leather couch and some armchairs are good additions to theater rooms. You may consider having raised areas, so that you can have multiple rows of seating and so that everyone can see the screen properly. You can opt for couches, movie theater chairs, or go more for beanbags for a most budget-friendly option.
Don’t Expect A Raise In Home Value
If you’re wondering whether you should add a family theater room because you want to increase the value of your home, real estate agents say that it can really vary. Depending on the appraiser, home theaters can be valued differently. Mostly, they just look at the square footage. It’s important to remember that a home theater is like a pool: while they’re excellent and a real draw from some people, for others, they can cause them to take your home out of the running because they just like to use the space in their home for different things.
Do You Want To Add A Family Theater Room?
Northern Utah Basements does completely customized home finishing services. Your home theater room can be as fancy or as laid-back as you like. If you want a concessions area, we can do that for you. If you want raised areas for seating, we can do that too. If you just want a place to watch movies with your family and don’t care about all those bells and whistles, we can do that too. Contact us today to learn more about our home finishing services.