What is the Best Location for Your Home Theater?
Make Sure You’re Giving Your Equipment the Right Space to Shine
When it comes to home theater design, like in real estate, it’s all about location, location, location. All of your high-end equipment needs the right environment to thrive in your Barrington, IL home. From the type of flooring to the room dimensions, the space you choose will all affect the quality of the sound and images as well as the kind of equipment you’ll need. Read on to see the room characteristics that could affect your theater’s performance:
SEE MORE: What is the Best Surround Sound Setup for Your Home Theater?
Size: There's no rule as to how big a room has to be. As with most entertainment spaces, you want to strike a delicate balance: if a room is too big it may be hard to hear well and see images clearly while a small one will be cluttered and likely lead to muffled sound.
Room Dimensions: Your room’s dimensions are much more important than its size. You want to make sure you’re not placing your theater in a square room as that will lead to distorted sound and an awkward home theater design. For one, choosing the size of your screen will not only come down to whether it fits in the room. You also have to be able to sit far enough from it to view the screen comfortably while leaving space for all the rows of seats that you want.
Windows: Ideally, you want your theater in a room that has no windows to eliminate ambient lighting. If you have no choice, we can install blackout shades that can reduce the amount of light entering the room. We can also give you smart control of those shades, so you can use your universal remote to open and close them instead of having to get up from your seat.
Walls: In most situations, drywall is enough to insulate the sound in your theater but we can also add acoustic wall panels to keep sound from bouncing around the room. You can also break up longer walls with furniture or drapes, but avoid hanging anything with glass frames which will reflect sound and light.
Floor: The best option for your theater is to have wall-to-wall carpet. The carpet keeps sound from bouncing around the room, and it’s also more comfortable for the family. If you’re building your theater from scratch, you can also create tiered flooring to ensure everyone in the room has a good view of the screen.
Ceiling: If you’re going to have a screen and projector, we recommend using a room with high ceilings. By mounting the projector on a high ceiling, you can reduce the amount of noise in the room and keep the projector from imposing on your theater’s décor.
If you’re not sure which of your rooms would work best for a home theater, don’t hesitate to reach out. We help you find the best space and equipment for your theater.
