25+ Incredible Home Theater Design Ideas & Decor (Pictures)

Having a home theater is one of the most satisfying entertainment experience for your home. Your family will love it, your guests will get very impressed. You can play video games, movies, watch your favorite sports matches. It is a quite pricey investment that will last for years.

A new trend tends to appear where all our house is full of technology ranging from speakers, flat monitors or screens, high fidelity audio systems, amplifiers but all of these cannot compete with owning a cinema right in the privacy of your home.

Here are 10 ideas to make your home theater magical:

1. Chose a dedicated room. It doesn’t matter if you buy or remodel the house, it’s important to allocate a room for the home theater. This is important because you want to isolate the noise when a movie is playing. Also, you can decorate as you prefer. The important part is to speak with an expert to isolate the acoustics.

2. A screen and a projector. This is the most important combo in order to have a true cinematic experience. Nothing beats up a high-quality projector in a dark room. It doesn’t matter how wide your TV might be, it doesn’t give the same experience of the cinema. And also imagine that you can buy a larger panoramic screen for a fraction of the cost of the TV.

3. Hide the elements. If you have a false ceiling it is possible to hide the projector with an electric elevator that keeps it inside the ceiling when not in use. If you can not do this maneuver, disguise it with creativity. The electric screen comes with its own cabinet where it is stored.

4. Lighting is the key. Let your imagination run or if your budget allows it, use a lighting designer. Although darkness will increase emotions, you will need accent lighting that falls on the seats or so that people can locate their popcorn or sushi. Perimeter LED strips behind the screen generate a wow factor. Do not forget that it is obligatory to have general lights that allow adequate cleaning.

5. Choose surround sound Atmos. The new codecs of the commercial cinemas are Dolby Atmos ™ and Auro-3D and both are already available in multi-channel audio processors and receivers for residential use. It is a new digital processing where the recreation of sound is based on “sound objects” and not properly on sound channels, which achieves a previously inconceivable spatial ambiance, on which now the effects and music are also located by over your head.

6. Use built-in speakers. Here it is important that you help yourself from your trusted integrator and from a good decorator (or at least from a creative carpenter). You will need speakers with a wide dynamic range and that preferably include their own soundboard. Then you will need to place them inside racks lined with acoustic cloth. For the roof, you must have a false ceiling that facilitates the maneuver. Even subwoofers can be recessed. Without boxes that are in the way and insight, it is possible to have a really beautiful home theater.

7. Do not skimp on subwoofers. The minimum you need is two subwoofers – built as we said; If your room is really big (100 square feet or more) it would be best to have four subwoofers. This generates a more homogeneous sound, greater dispersion, and coverage.

8. Buy comfortable seats. Today it is possible to have special seats for home theater, such as those in premium cinemas, which are spacious, with built-in coffee table and cup holders. There are reclinable with manual or electric movement. A good armchair brings you very close to the feeling of a true cinema.

9. Furniture or rack. Many times people forget that they need a place to house all the electronic equipment. Ask your integrator the option of a professional rack which includes the necessary ventilation, protection against current and voltage discharges, even has security doors. That rack can be located in the back of the cinema. If there is no way to hide it, buy yourself a nice piece of metal with wooden accents.

10. Automate it. You do not want to have 10 remote controls on a table. Ask your installer for a control and automation system -like Crestron- that will allow you to control all systems (air conditioning, lighting, audio, video) from a single remote control or better yet from your own iPhone or iPad. The feeling of control is unmatched.