Home cinemas are becoming increasingly popular features of luxury custom homes nowadays – and why wouldn’t they be? They offer you the chance to feel like you’re in a cinema without leaving the comfort of your home or having to deal with strangers talking in the background. What’s best, is that you can design it specifically to your liking for the ultimate luxury experience. It can be a daunting undertaking, however, especially if you’re not very experienced in the home theatre department. But, have no fear because our experts have crafted this guide detailing the elements that make up a perfect home cinema.
A dedicated room
Nominating a dedicated room to base your home cinema in is essential to the whole experience. This also ensures you can take advantage of the furnishings and layout – allocating every bit of space to the cinema. If you’re looking at building a two-story home then we recommend placing the cinema on the ground floor or even underground because a second-floor cinema won’t contain noise as effectively, even with the appropriate soundproofing in place. Ideally – a basement cinema is your best bet.
Another element to consider is the shape of the room. For the best viewing experience, you’re going to want the seating arrangements to rise higher each row behind the first – that way the people occupying those seats can have a good view. Home cinemas tend to be rectangularly shaped with high ceilings, but there are no set dimensions.
The appropriate soundproofing
The last thing you’ll want is to enjoy your home cinema and get complaints from the neighbours that it’s too loud. The solution? Soundproofing. That means the ceiling, walls, doors, floors and even windows if you have them. It’s recommended that soundproofing be installed during the building phase as it’s much pricier and more difficult to retrofit afterwards.
A popular soundproofing method known as decoupling is quite effective and acts similarly to double-glazed windows. Essentially, you hang two pieces of drywall, for example, on separate studs so there’s a gap between them. This stops vibrations from passing through the walls. Alternatively, there are specific soundproofing materials such as mass loaded vinyl that you can lay behind your walls/ceiling/floor that will work effectively (in fact, placing this dedicated material between your two drywall panels will further increase effectiveness).
Fitting out the room
Now comes the fun part as you get to go really all out in what we’d call a fitout. A fitout is where you occupy a space with furniture and appliances. This can be a very personal thing so let’s take a look at some of the essential options for a home cinema fitout.
TV/projector
There are two routes you can take with a home cinema – a television or a projector. A projector is generally more favourable as it’s a bit more flexible with its size – but it’s also something that will need to be appropriately placed. The further back they’re positioned, the larger the screen will be. Projectors also work much more effectively when there’s little to no natural light disrupting the picture (which is why they’re perfect for dedicated cinema rooms).
Televisions are coming in larger and larger sizes nowadays and whilst some can be quite pricy, it’s not always the case. We’re also currently at a turning point where 4k TV’s are beginning to reach their peak with impressive high dynamic range (HDR) capabilities. This one really comes down to personal preference, but a high-quality projector is generally the favourable option due to its authentic cinema feel.
Audio setup
If you’re looking to go all out, installing speakers inside your walls is one of the more authentic and immersive options you can go for. You will also require the necessary amplifier(s) with enough power and inputs to drive said speakers and subwoofers which will be placed all around the room for a true surround sound experience. You may also choose to purchase free-standing speakers at the front if you have the room and suspended speakers offering surround – or even a combination of the two. How many speakers you think you’ll need and their configuration is entirely up to you.
Seating
There is a myriad of options for chairs or even couches available exclusively for home cinemas so do your research and pick what you want. Is reclining important to you? Maybe you don’t want just a cup holder, but a little table attached to each chair as well like in Gold Class? Leather is a popular and luxurious material that is also easier to clean.
Lighting
Being a home cinema, you won’t be having the lights on whilst it’s in use – but it’s still important to install a series of downlights for when you’re not watching something.
Extras
If you have space for it – installing a mini bar on the side or at the back is great as it will save you from going to the kitchen for refreshments. Or, if you really want to go all out, you can purchase a popcorn machine.
Looking to build a luxury custom home?
S & B Lamble Builders are masters of luxury custom homes and have over 35 years of experience in the sector. We’ll be able to help build you a custom and high-end home cinema room for your new home or help renovate your existing home to facilitate one.
If you’d like to learn more, then please don’t hesitate to contact us via the enquiry form on our website or by calling (03) 5941 8135.