It is all well and good to have the latest devices in your home theater: that massive LCD HDTV, a surround sound system, theater seating and great lighting. But what makes your home theater your own are the little things, the details, the finishing touches on a room that will make your guests go “oooooh…aaahhhh…” and then hush when the movie starts. You can design your home theater on your own, consult magazines and online design ideas, or hire a designer to create your entertainment space. However you approach it, there are certain guidelines that will ensure that your home theater has all the personality you want to give it.
A rule of thumb when designing your home theater is to plan ahead. You don’t have to get all the details down right away, and of course there is plenty of room for experimentation and changing your mind with your design. But you should have a general idea of where cabinets, speakers, ventilation and lighting are going to be placed before you being construction. As construction goes on, you will want to bring in more and more details. For instance, are you going to have in-ceiling lighting or sconce? You do not necessarily have to pick out the exact lighting fixtures right away, but you should have an idea of where and what category of lighting you are going to incorporate so that you can get the wiring done in the construction phase.
Once the room has all of the major elements in place (or at least it has been sectioned off for future incorporation of these elements), you can begin to think about the specifics. One of the first things people turn to at this point is the color scheme. You want the walls and ceilings to match the carpet and the chairs to blend in with the accents, right? The colors you choose can create a sophisticated theater experience, or a fun playroom feel. Whatever design you are going for, color will play a major part. One important thing to keep in mind when splashing your home theater with color is to keep visual enjoyment of the movie or TV show in the forefront of your mind. Bright colors and lights surrounding the actual TV can look stunning when nothing is playing, but it can greatly distract from the image on screen. Most home theater experts will tell you that a neutral grey should directly surround the screen in order to get the most out of your viewing experience. You can frame this with any color or style you like, but it is something to keep in mind when you are at this stage of designing your home theater.
Acoustic panels can be a great touch to not only fill out the sound in your room, but to enhance the design as well. They are thin acoustic fiberglass panels that are wrapped in acoustically transparent fabric, and you can customize these in nearly limitless possibilities. You can have red, blue, checkered, or zig-zag patterns, and some companies will even print an image of your choice on the fabric. You can make acoustic panels appear as windows to a Roman coliseum or as aquarium glass with swimming fish behind it.
Your home theater should reflect you, in everything from the seating to the lighting, from the color to the size of the room. You want to be surrounded by an atmosphere that is unique and appealing, and one that enhances your visual and audio experience. By paying attention to the details, your home theater will become a piece of art unto itself, and your next movie will be one to remember.
Lauren is a writer for the HD Envy blog. HD Envy works tirelessly to produce the latest LCD TV wall frame styles for you. The design experts have created a variety of LCD TV wall frame solutions in wood, leather and other materials, or you can custom create your own LCD TV wall frame to match your current home theater décor. The LCD TV wall frame solutions from HD Envy are built to last and built on years of engineering expertise to allow for easy installation. Their designs are inspired by some of the top casinos, hotels and corporate locations in the world that are equipped with LCD TV wall frame products, so you know you are getting only the best quality with HD Envy.
Tags: Design, Home Theater, Intel
