Hollywood at Home: Create Your Own Media Room

The overhead lights dim as the credits roll on the screen at the front of the room. The couple seated in front of you wraps up their conversation in anticipation of the film. You're only missing one thing to complete the movie experience: a bag of buttery popcorn. No big deal - just hit the pause button. After all, you're at home.

Once only the luxury of movie producers or the very rich, home movie theaters and media rooms are starting to find their ways into suburbia. Lower prices of projection equipment and high definition televisions have helped make home theaters more affordable for homeowners seeking a new standard in entertainment. For the movie buff, sports fan, or video game enthusiast there is nothing quite like having a private media sanctuary at home.

Types of home theaters

Cinephiles and audio/video purists may dispute the application of the term "home theater", but essentially there are three types commonly found today.

Family Room 2.0 - The best option for those movie lovers who lack the funds, space or dedication to create a full-fledged theater at home is to simply upgrade their existing family room. The variety of high definition and flat panel televisions on the market means that you can transform your existing family room into an entertainment haven without knocking out any walls. Add a nice base level audio system and sun-blocking window shades. Your existing furniture should be arranged with sightlines and foot traffic in mind.

Media Room - There was a time not so long ago when the TV was the center for entertainment at home, the undisputed champion of weeknights. While our love for movies and television hasn't diminished, TV now competes with the internet, increasingly-realistic video games and the digital music experience for our attention. A media room is a space in your home dedicated to all of your technological entertainment. A true media center is a place where you can watch movies, browse the internet, watch TV, play video games and plug in your portable music player.

Full Home Theater - The true home theater is a room designed to mimic the movie theater experience. Screens are larger than life, and seating is typically in rows to focus on viewing rather than interaction. The home theater is generally a less-frequently used room than either a family room or a media room, and is therefore considered more of a luxury than the others.

Should you get professional help?

Creating a home theater is far more complicated than simply buying components and hooking up wires. Depending on your plan, you may require electrical work, flooring, painting and the installation of the actual components themselves. Once you've decided what you want out of your media room, you have to decide if you will hire a contractor, perform the work yourself, or some combination of the two.

Contractors that specialize in home theater design can be expensive ($30,000 and up), but are perfect for high-end homes looking for a custom, professional home theater. If you're focusing on practicality, contractors that specialize in integrated home audio/video systems are typically less expensive.

Doing the work on your own can be economical but challenging. You may choose to do most of the work while hiring contractors to tackle specific tasks (the lighting, for example). Store technicians can often be hired to perform installation of components at a fairly low price.

Pick your room

The basement makes an ideal location for a home theater because of its lack of natural sunlight. Any room you choose should be wide enough to fit comfortable seating and long enough to place that seating at some depth from the screen. If you aren't doing a complete remodel, you will want to choose a room with adequate insulation to minimize sound leakage.

Components

Plasma and other flat-screen televisions are a popular choice for family rooms and media rooms. Home theater purists usually turn to high-quality projectors due to the larger screen size that they afford.

Audio can be just as important as picture when it comes to the home theater experience. Most of us are used to two-channel sound - left and right speakers to either side of the TV. Surround sound adds a center speaker above the picture and (at least) two speakers behind on either side of the room. Depending on the type of speakers you buy, you may want to also incorporate a subwoofer to handle all bass frequencies. Speakers that are wall mounted or on stands will provide the best quality of sound.

If you're on a budget, you should plan to spend between $7,500 and $12,000 for audio and video components. For those with looser strings and larger eyes, the system itself can easily cost $50,000 or more.

Walls

Wood paneling is especially popular, particularly medium to dark woods that can help create an inviting viewing atmosphere. Wood paneling may not be the best selection for basement home theaters, as it can have a certain 1970's rec. room connotation. If wood paneling doesn't suit your tastes, paint the walls a color that suits you without being distracting.

Adding movie posters is a nice way to push the "at the movies" ambience, and they also provide an easy way to personalize the space by placing posters of your favorite film genre or era.

Seating

The type and arrangement of your home theater furniture will be largely determined by how you intend to use the space. Should you see the room as a true home theater, you'll likely want several rows of theater-style seating. Theater-style recliners are more comfortable than standard theater seats. Consider placing small tables between the seats.

If you plan on using the room for a variety of entertainment purposes (watching movies, playing video games, watching sports) you'd be better served with a more typical living room layout. Thick couches placed with good sightlines to the screen should do the trick. Whatever furniture or layout you choose, make sure there is adequate walking room.

Lighting

Lighting is critical to forming a true movie theater setting. If you're using an aboveground room for your home theater, invest in blackout curtains to help seal the room from outdoor light. Wall sconces are good if you're looking to set a laid-back tone. Recessed lighting is also popular in home theaters. Some homeowners go so far as to install floor lighting (track lighting or basic rope lights). Any lighting should compliment the screen at all light levels.