So, you’ve bought the big screen TV, the surround sound speakers and various home theater equipment and you have them installed and ready to go. But what’s missing?
If you’re installing a home theater, you need to think beyond the system components and consider the furniture and accessories you want to add to the room to create a really cool environment for your entertainment pleasure.
Just like decorating any other room, the accessories are what will make your home theater stand out from the crowd. Here’s some things to think about when considering your home theater decor:
1. Think about what kind of look you want in your home theater. If the room is a dedicated home theater, you can pretty much pick whatever look you want. If you want to go with a movie theme, you can do that. If you want Old World elegant with a big screen and speakers thrown in, you can do that too. If the room is serving a double purpose, such as an office/home theater or living room/home theater, then you need to keep that in mind when decorating. Most people wouldn’t want giant, framed movie posters for horror flicks within eyesight of their dining room. And if the room is also used for children’s play, safety considerations might dictate decorating.
2. Choose your theme first – maybe you already have a collection of old movie posters and you want to work around that. Or perhaps, you always wanted an indoor garden of sorts. Either way, picking your theme should be the first thing you do before you rush out to the store to buy accessories. Knowing the theme in advance will help guide the rest of your decisions from colors and wall hangings to furniture and lighting.
3. Start a collection. A popular theme for decorating home theaters is to fill it with old movie memorabilia. This can be really fun to collect and it could even be considered an investment as the items you use may well go up in value. Some things you can collect for your home theater include: movie posters, autographed photos of movie stars, an old fashioned movie popcorn maker, movie props and other memorabilia from old movie ticket stubs to real movie theater seats. One thing to keep in mind when collecting anything is that condition is of the utmost importance so buy the best condition items you can afford. It is better to get 1 item in excellent condition, then to get 10 that are in fair condition.
4. Don’t forget the rooms real purpose when selecting furniture and lighting. Make sure lighting enhances the movie experience. If the room is used for another purpose too, think about a combination of lights to make it work for both instances. Low lighting is ideal for movies, but it’s not so hot for kids trying to do homework on a coffee table. You also want your furniture to be of the utmost in comfort. It wouldn’t be much fun to watch a movie on your expensive new home theater system if you are not comfortable, would it? Luckily, with the selections today, you can get both comfort and style in your home theater furniture.
5. Make your home theater feng shui friendly. Keeping some basic principals of feng shui in mind when designing your room can help you attain a relaxing atmosphere. Don’t put seating with the backs to the doors. Try to set the room up with a nice flow and workable space for walking. Don’t try to cram things into the room that won’t fit properly. Make sure to keep your home theater organized, a room that is filled with piles of junk and a mess will not create a relaxing atmosphere. Instead, it will serve to remind viewers who live in the home of any and all work and projects they need to do. Keep the room decorated and nice, but don’t over pack it with junk. Make sure you hide the wires and have plenty of storage cabinets to put your DVD’s in.
Lee Dobbins writes for home-theater.home-webzonedotcom where you can find out more about home theater design and installation.