25 Home Theaters Perfect For Watching Blockbusters At Home
A great way to enjoy movie nights with friends or family is by having a striking home theater. Whether you set up a blanket fort with inflatable mattresses scattered on the floor in your living room or have a separate space with various plush couches, a projector, and a snack bar, the experience can be magical. If you don't have a home theater and have been thinking about turning an empty room into one, there are some things to consider, such as equipment and costs. The standard kit in most home theaters includes a surround sound system, DVD or CD player, furniture, carpet flooring, projector or television, and ambient lighting, according to Lifewire.
Other smaller details that go into designing your dream home theater are determining the location of the sound system speakers, the kind of furniture to buy, and the number of source components you need. It all comes at a price as well; the national average to install a home theater can be anywhere between $4,000 to $8,000, which includes the equipment and professional installation, claims Fixr. But higher-end gear can bump the price to $10,000. There are a variety of styles on how to set up your home theater, and the cost will vary. Here are a few to inspire you!
1. Massive plush sofas
Incorporating cloud-like sofas in your home theater will make it look cozy and increase your comfort levels, unlike some theater seats with a hard cushion. You can buy two separate sofas or one that connects to host multiple people. Place both seats facing the screen so that some folks aren't watching the movie at an angle.
2. Basement transformation
Using your basement as a home theater makes perfect use of the space. This basement theater is intimate with a beautiful white interior that has many cabinets to hide any source components you don't want to be shown. It only needs dimmer lighting to create the feel of a movie theater.
3. Nautical theme
Decorating your home theater with a nautical theme is a unique way to feel like you're watching movies underwater. The boat seats are only limited to one person, restricting the number of people in the theater, but you could scatter bean bags around to fit more people.
4. Have a cocktail bar
Installing a cocktail bar will prevent you from leaving the room to get more drinks and miss parts of the movie. It'll make your home theater classy and luxurious, especially with the stunning red chairs and ambient lighting. It'll be everyone's favorite room.
5. Massive TV screen
While the striking pillars with the illuminating light are an eye-catcher, the giant screen television steals the look of the theater. It's a perfect size for the space and will make you feel as though you're in the movie when you're watching it.
6. Reclining seats
For the ultimate cinema experience, you definitely want to have some reclining seats like this theater does. The couches' brown leather fits the theater's mood perfectly since it blends in with the walls and stands out against the carpet. It looks like an actual movie theater.
7. Neutral home theater
You can transform your living room into a home theater by installing the perfect dim lighting. Most theaters are designed with dark tones such as purple and black so that folks can see the movie clearly. If you have a neutral-themed living room, you can install adjustable lighting to make it darker and set the mood.
8. Install a fireplace for a cozy feel
While it's uncommon for a fireplace to be in a movie theater, you want yours to feel extremely cozy, so go ahead and install one. You'll be able to keep the room completely dark but still have the ambient lighting from the fire and the TV screen.
9. Farmhouse-style theater
A unique way to design your home theater is selecting a farmhouse style, where you would have wood paneling, wooden cabinets, and a shiplap ceiling. This theater has its speakers on display under the television, so they don't always have to be hidden. There's even a private wine cellar to elevate the experience.
10. Incorporate purple wall panels
The purple wall panels are illuminated by the lighting behind the wall, making the home theater look like the real deal. It's just missing some long heavy curtains to complete the look. Regardless, the giant screen and comfy white couches tie everything together.
11. Use a projector
You don't have to buy a 90-inch television for your home theater; you can simply use a wall or a pull-down screen and use a projector to display your movies. This home theater has its projector hung above the black leather theater seats, facing a white screen, and it also doesn't take up any space.
12. Cottage-style theater
Like the idea of the farmhouse style, a cottage style can be used in your home theater. Using a brick accent wall as your background for your projector screen can elevate a dull, white room. The light fixtures on the wall will illuminate the entire space perfectly when the ceiling lights are off.
13. Blue LED ceiling
This opulent home theater has an intense blue light outlining the ceiling with smaller lights in the center that look like stars. It makes the space feel like it's outside, even though it's not. Instead of granite flooring, there should be carpet, so the light doesn't reflect on the floor.
14. Accent carpet walls
This modern home theater is gorgeous with the gray carpet and white cushioned couches. There's a black projector hung above one of the couches next to the carpeted wall, which is excellent if you want the best sound. You don't want any echoes from the movie bouncing throughout the room.
15. Large fluffy pillows on couches
You want to have the most comfortable seats in your home theater. If you're using your living room as your home theater, you'll want some big fluffy pillows, as pictured above. They can be used as extra cushion seats on the floor or to boost your comfort levels.
16. Kitchenette for snacks
Nothing beats having your living room next to your kitchen so you can have easier access to snacks. The setup of this living room is perfect for a movie night, with the L-shaped gray couch being able to seat multiple people, a projector screen, and a kitchenette close by for snacks.
17. Gray interior
The gray interior of this living room theater sets the mood perfectly, especially with the giant screen television. There's no harsh glow on the flooring because there's carpet, and the L-shaped gray couch looks super comfortable to sit on.
18. Two-in-one theater
This home theater has more than the projector, speakers, and lounge chairs; it has a spot for instruments, which is great for band practice. It's big enough to where it doesn't look cramped, but it could use different couches to elevate comfort levels.
19. Wraparound couch
Using a wraparound couch as your seating area is great for your home theater. Every part of it sits in front of the screen, so guests aren't watching the movie from a weird angle. This blue velvet couch looks cozy and has multiple pillows for more comfort.
20. Install heavy theater curtains
This elegant home theater resembles a real movie theater with its red walls, light fixtures, multiple red reclining chairs, and projector screen. It also has a curtain that displays the screen, a home theater must-have. You can keep them closed until you use the theater and draw back the curtains dramatically every time.
21. Consider multiple projector screens
While this home theater is beautiful, it has one too many leather beds that extend too far out of sight of the screen. A second screen would come in handy so that everyone can see it, or remove the screen altogether and use the blank wall to display the movie.
22. Have a popcorn machine
A simple popcorn machine can go a long way instead of having a snack bar. There's always fresh popcorn waiting to be eaten, and it won't disrupt the movie with loud sounds like a microwave would. The location is perfect, hidden behind the couches and not in anyone's way.
23. Keep it simple
Possibly the coziest home theater set up with the mattress sprawled on the floor with a few fluffy pillows in front of a big projector screen. The string lights add a touch of unique glow to the space, and the bean bag and yellow chair come in handy for extra seating.
24. Vintage style
This vintage-style home theater is gorgeous, with green and pale yellow curtains lining the entire interior behind the wraparound beige tufted sofa. The soft light chandelier creates the perfect dim throughout, and the mahogany wood television stand balances the lighter tones.
25. Use floor-to-ceiling curtains
This home theater is the epitome of what a movie theater looks like with its massive projector screen and carpeted flooring. The long curtains lining the walls make a difference when it comes to the sound in the room, and they prevent vibrations from occurring when the movie is playing.