What Must You Do to Have a Cinema Room at Home?

Thinking of adding a cinema room to your home?

In this guide, we’ll discuss what this entails and how to make the cinema room of your dreams.

Let’s begin!

Getting the Right TV

For starters, you’ll need to ensure you opt for a great TV for your cinema room. Obviously, you’ll want a large, flat-screen TV, but what else?

We’d recommend considering a 4K TV (or even one of greater quality if you have the budget). You’ll also want to look into TVs with internet connectivity (e.g., a smart TV with Netflix access) and 3D capabilities if this interests you.

Popular TVs that would suit a home cinema include:

• LG C3 OLED
• LG G1 OLED
• Sony X95K
• Sony XBR85Z9G Smart Master Series
• Hisense U8H
• TCL 5 Series/S555 2022 QLED
• TCL 6 Series/R646 2021 QLED
• Insignia F50 QLED
• LQ OLED55B9PUA B9 Series
• Samsung QN65Q900RBFXZA
• Samsung QN75Q60RAFXZA
• TCL 50S425

Thinking Sound Equipment

Moving on to sound equipment, you’ll want a sound system that really brings your home cinema room to life.

A soundbar or/and surround sound could work well to achieve your desired cinematic effect. Be sure to find a well-suited surround sound system or/and sound bar for your home to achieve the experience you’re after.

You’ll want to consider using the 5.1 surround sound system. This means using a subwoofer (to offer bass, i.e., low-pitched frequencies) and five satellite speakers. The satellite speakers can include three behind or surrounding the screen and two at the rear of the room.

Alternatively, a 6.1, 7.1 or even 7.2 sound system may suit you better. However, in general, it’s best to opt for a 5.1 surround sound, particularly if you’re on a budget and won’t gain much, if anything, from a larger system.

Seating Arrangement

Another key consideration is to get your seating arrangement right. You’d need your seating to face the TV directly; however, there are many ways to achieve this.

You may want to go with a seat arrangement such as:

• A large family sofa
• Several small sofas
• Sofa and chair(s)

There is, in fact, a geometrical equation you can follow to get the seat arrangement just right. You can achieve this by ‘drawing’ two lines from where you want to set up your seating to the estimated screen size edges. This, being your viewing angle, should be at least 33° to 35° and no greater than 40°.

Insulation and Soundproofing

Insulation and soundproofing are also key to ensuring you and your family get the ideal cinematic experience. This is not only because you’ll want to keep the sound in but to avoid noise pollution causing a disturbance elsewhere in the home or even with your neighbours.

Surfaces in the space must absorb sound. That is opposed to transmitting or reflecting it. There are several ways of achieving this. For example, consider adding lightweight acoustic boards. You may want to fit an additional insulation layer (e.g., using thick carpets).

What about Decorating?

Last but not least, decorating a cinema room well is important. This can complete the look and feel of a cinema room, bringing a high-quality movie experience to your home.

Decorating ideas include large comfortable seats, heavy lined curtains, dark painted walls, plush carpets, upholstered walls, wraparound couches, bold theatrical carpeting and blankets! It’s probably best to keep the glass to a minimum (e.g., glass coffee table) to avoid it reflecting the screen and removing the cinematic feel.

Consider Hiring a Professional

Since designing a cinema room can be a complex job, you may want to hire a decorator or designer to plan out your cinema room in detail (and likely with your input).

If you hire a professional, we’d recommend securing quotes from three or more professionals before deciding. The purpose of this is so that you can compare their pricing, experience, and more, to increase your chances of landing good value for money.

Building a home cinema room is not just about luxury; it's also an investment in your property. If you're curious about how such home improvements align with the broader trends in the UK's construction and home renovation sectors, our UK Construction Statistics page offers valuable insights.