Owning your home usually means you can add various cool features and have a chance to design it just the way you always wanted. That is until the lack of money stops you. Most people spend all their money on redecorating and furnishing so there’s little money left for the entertaining features, such as media rooms. However, this is no reason to give up – an amazing media room can be created without breaking the bank.
Bring in the acoustics
It’s not just enough to bring the TV, a couch, and some snacks in a random room and call it a media room. If you want to get real and make it as enjoyable as possible, improving the acoustics of a room is a must. Also, whatever type of audio-video system you have – it will work better in a room that’s covered top to bottom.
Use fiberglass tiles to cover your ceiling, while for the walls you can use inexpensive acoustic boards and wall carpeting. As for the floors, keep them carpeted and avoid materials such as wood, tile, or concrete. All of these covers will help absorb the sound and turn your media room into a mini theater. When it comes to colors, think dark – to control reflections of the light off the screen and have a real theater experience in your own home.
Make it comfy
As you and your loved ones will spend countless hours in this room, you sure want to make this experience comfortable. Simple solutions include regular furniture and armchairs, accompanied with plenty of small cushions.
However, if you want to invest a bit more, you can now get a custom home theatre seating lounge with ergonomically designed wall-hugging designs. The so-called cinema recliners are meticulously designed to give you the best possible value for money owing to the use of quality parts, as well as a long, comprehensive warranty period.
Light it right
When it comes to lighting up your media room, the key word is balance. You don’t want too much light while watching the movie but you still want some of it, especially if your media room is without windows. If you do have windows, make sure cover them with curtains or shades so you can be in control of the daylight.
Dimmable lighting might be the perfect option but make sure you opt for those with a remote control to avoid stumbling in the dark. Where you are going to put the lights also matters. Put them on the floors and walls and avoid ceiling lighting since keeping it dark can make your media room appear larger.
Set up a video system
When it comes to setting up video, there’s always a great dilemma – should I get a big TV or a projector? The truth is that a projector might be less expensive than a huge LED TV, but then you need a projector screen as well. If you opt for a TV, then you’ll have a lot of video sources to choose from – you can watch cable, play your DVDs, or connect it to your mobile, laptop, or iPad. This way you can watch whatever you want in your precious media room.
Cables needed to connect the whole thing are also inexpensive. Keep in mind that the best quality signal is transmitted through HDMI or DVI cables so put that on your shopping list for equipping the media room.
Don’t forget about audio
The most important thing to remember is that you don’t need a large and expensive audio system in your media room, especially if the space you have is not big. Half of the job is done by improving the acoustics and then all you need to do is to set up your speakers and a receiver. If possible, always opt for a surround system (the so-called 5.1 channel speaker system) to get the best listening experience possible.
A receiver is needed to amplify the signal sent to your speakers and be allowed to accept audio from all of your sources. Finally, head to the hardware store to purchase some wires to connect the whole thing et voilà – your sound system is ready to be used.
And just like that, you can build a home theater without completely emptying your pockets. All is left to do is sit back and relax, enjoying the countless hours of pure, unadulterated family fun.