At a Glance:
How to Turn Your Small Room Into a Home Theater
Are you looking for small home theater room design ideas? Well, you've come to the right place! A home theater or cinema system is not limited to large, extravagant homes. You might not realize it, but any room can be transformed into a home theater system.
And who doesn't desire a home theater? After a hard day, a dedicated movie-watching room with theater equipment and a little popcorn machine in the corner is a terrific spot to retreat, rest, and decompress. Somewhere to catch up on the newest movies and series or host large gaming nights with friends and family. However, many of us just do not have the extra space. The TV and speakers alone take up a lot of room, and don't even get us started on all the theater seats!
With the help of this guide filled with small home theater room design ideas to spark your inspiration, you'll have your dream home theater in no time!
How to Turn Your Small Room Into a Home Theater
Before implementing your tiny home theater room design ideas, learn how to build one in a small area.
1. Measure your space: This is always a first, no matter how big or tiny. You must be aware of the situation. The distance between your intended seats, the screen, and the speakers is one of the most significant factors to consider. Then, using a handy TV viewing distance guide, determine your ideal viewing distance.
You should align your theater seating with the center viewing cone and position your speakers accordingly. This is much easier with a smaller home theater, and you don't have to worry about the speakers' sound filling the area.
2. Turn off the lights: True story! This will make it easy to see if your screen placement is correct or if you should move it to the other wall. Check for any lights that might reflect directly on the screen: these could be lights in neighboring rooms or lights on the street (i.e., any light through a window or cracked door).
Heavy blackout curtains should be used to cover windows. Oh, and if you haven't already, make sure your home theater lighting is in the form of recessed can lights. It avoids any light reflecting off the screen when they're turned on, and it also doesn't interfere with people getting up and down from movie theater seats, which is especially important if your home theater is in the basement.
3. Use vertical space: This entails mounting everything possible. Even if you're renting, hanging a TV and speakers is simple, and drywall can be readily patched if you decide to relocate. More floor space equals a more open atmosphere, which allows for more home theater equipment.
Mounting speakers and employing a theater riser for your rear row of chairs are two excellent methods to increase home theater seating capacity by utilizing the room's vertical area. That means extra space for movie nights or watching the big game on Saturday.
4. Find some solid home theater furniture: You require both comfort and space optimization, and you're in luck in this regard. We provide wall-hugging home theater seats like our gray leather loveseat, which allows you to accommodate more seating in tiny spaces. With our home theater equipment, you can comfortably put seats in a compact room without losing reclining or leg space!
We can also create a curved row of theater seats to optimize space and viewing angles in larger rows. Anyone coming over for movie night will be at ease, and no one will notice the modest size of the space.
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Small Home Theater Ideas
You may be wondering how to incorporate a tiny home theater into your favorite or previously underutilized room if you live in a small place. With these design ideas, you can make a home theater work regardless of your place’s square footage.
Small Home Theater Theme Ideas
If you are looking to truly transform your space, then using a themed room can be the way to go. You can tie in the decor, choose your seating, clear a pathway for your projection and audio equipment, and more by choosing a theme to start with.
Even if you avoid a complex theme in favor of a color scheme or incorporate your décor to complete your modern small home theater room ideas, or if you choose a classic, coastal, glam, or farmhouse design world, you will have a sense of direction that would otherwise be absent.
Here are a few theme ideas available you can choose from:
- Kids Home Theater Room. If you want to use the home theater as a playroom for your children, you may add kid-friendly design pieces that are also useful. Rather than providing a large "no" zone where your children may destroy your equipment, work with their curiosity by creating a "yes" or safe space for them to explore while you and your spouse watch a new movie.
- Drama Home Theater Room. You may add dramatic effects to your little home theater room if you enjoy drama. Incorporate colors, materials, and furnishings that evoke a night at the movies. When you invite visitors to your spectacular little home theater area, you will undoubtedly feel full of elegance.
- Sports Home Theater Room. Consider hanging jerseys and team memorabilia throughout your home cinema room if you and your roommates/family have a favorite sports team. Then, on game day, you'll be in the mood to enjoy your team's impending triumph.
Small Home Theater Seating Ideas
When designing an immersive experience, strive to imitate a real movie room on a smaller scale; anything close to this will suffice. The dark walls and individual chairs all facing the screen indicate this home theater setup.
Given the effort and time you will have invested in making this room useful and welcoming, completing it with appropriate and comfy seats is critical. There are several seating options for your home theater but combining raised or leveled seating will help you make the most of your limited space.
Whether you build a miniature stadium seating-styled pallet bed for your home cinema or choose to set some hanging chairs in conjunction with floor mats, integrating more than one sort of seating level will ensure that you maximize the square footage of your small home theater.
If you do not have the space in your small home theater for raised or leveled seating, consider functional furniture — this grey recliner, for example— rather than some of the more luxurious pieces that only provide minimal seating options. You might even go for a deluxe home theater recliner while keeping the rest of your seating selections more conventional.
Of course, you'll have to decide who gets the finest seat in the house, but at least you'll be able to seat all of your visitors or family members comfortably.
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Small Home Sound System Ideas
When dealing with a limited area, you want to use every nook and cranny accessible to you. This can sometimes entail just adding extra nooks and crannies.
You can optimize the space in your tiny home theater by including a concealed surround sound system and create a sleek and clean aesthetic that is easy on the eyes. Instead of proudly showing off your audio equipment, you may conceal it in the ceilings or walls to provide more room for additional design or seating alternatives.
However, you may need to undertake some construction work to use hidden surround sound. Your available space will determine this, so if construction is not in your budget, include an entertainment center or TV stand.
But, if you can hide your audio equipment in pre-existing spaces while still guaranteeing that the audio sounds well in your home theater, that's even better.
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Small Home Theater Lighting Ideas
Lighting is critical in every area of the house, but it is especially important in a home theater. You do not want to establish a setting that causes glare on the screen. Most homeowners choose dark walls and carpets in dark hues to create a homogeneous backdrop that does not reflect light. When the performance is over, and the lights are turned back on, the sconces usually give the home theater a realistic and cheery atmosphere.
Small Home Theater Bar Ideas
Whether you prefer sweet or savory snacks, you most certainly have a favorite item to bring or buy for your family movie night. By introducing a practical bar into your tiny home theater, you can add a few barstools to give additional seating and benefit from the structured space for eating and drinking. Instead of worrying about the snacks being publicly exhibited in the cracks of your couch cushions, you can relax knowing that they are all being enjoyed at the adjacent bar.
Alternatively, if you don't mind cleaning up the crumbs afterward, you can allow your family and friends to devour their snacks while watching the movie (after all, that's the idea of movie theater popcorn, right?) Utilize the bar as the perfect spot to lay out food for the taking.
When it comes to realizing your tiny home theater design ideas, we aim to provide you with the necessary tools and knowledge. Our experts at Bob Mills Furniture will happily help our residents turn their home theater design ideas into reality at a steal with our deals and promos on stunning entertainment centers, sofas, recliners, and more!
Home Theater FAQs
We know we've given you a lot to think about for your small home theater room design ideas and that it may feel like an information overload. Even with the overwhelming amount of information, you may still have questions. See below for some of the frequently asked questions from our other customers looking to transform their spaces into a home theater.
Q: What is a good size for a home theater room?
Although the average small home theater room is about 10 ft. x 10 ft., the general rule of thumb is the bigger the room (15 ft. x 20 ft.), the better since you will have more space to work with.
Q: How much does a home theater cost?
Homeowners can expect to spend anywhere from $2,000 to $63,000 for a home theater.
Q: What is the difference between a media room and a theater room?
Home theaters are meant to provide a movie theater-like experience with a personalized touch. Media rooms are the main hangout spot to watch sports, shows, or listen to music at home. Additionally, media rooms aren't restricted in location by factors like functionality and outside noise that could ruin the home theater experience.
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Whether your home theater is big or small, Bob Mills has the home theater furniture you need to make the perfect cinematic retreat.
Home Theater SeatingWhy Trust Bob Mills Furniture?
At Bob Mills Furniture, we believe that everyone is family. Since 1971, we have delivered beautiful furniture for 50 years (and counting), with ten sprawling locations in the U.S. — from our flagship store in Oklahoma City to San Antonio in Texas to Wichita in Kansas. Our friendly staff aims to offer the greatest comfort and value, with elegant styles to match your taste, décor, and design. In addition to coziness and style, we also stock furniture and mattress brands with strong reputations and track records of durability so that you can enjoy your investment for years to come.
Shop Home Theater Furniture at Bob Mills
Start reveling in endless comfort and shop living room furniture online for unbeatable prices at Bob Mills. Our friendly experts are always happy to help you find more small home theater room design ideas — whether you call the Bob Mills Furniture store nearest you or use our online chat feature. Better yet, stop by one our showrooms throughout Oklahoma, Texas, and Kansas to discover why we are everyone's favorite local furniture store. Visit us today!
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