Crisp packets crinkling, seven year olds sniffling, or phones ring ring ringing, how do you possibly stop these pesky cinema nuisances from ruining your experience of the latest blockbusters? Well, the answer is… to create your own cinema!
We know this sounds like a mammoth task and cinema rooms may seem like the stuff of million-pound house dreams, but they don’t need to be difficult to do. In fact, with just a few home cinema room ideas, you’ll be watching the latest flicks from the comfort of your own home in no time.
From sourcing strategic light options to choosing those all-important cinema chairs, we’ve got plenty of cinema room ideas for you, below.
The best place to start is with sorting out your colour scheme, after all no cinema is complete without the perfect dark setting to help you fully immerse.
Opt for dark colours on the walls, as this will absorb any unwanted light, keeping yours and your guests’ eyes laser-focused on the brightly lit screen ahead. And to really ramp up the cinema screen quality, instead of a projector screen, you can use a lick of white paint to create a screen sized rectangle on the wall, so your projector has the perfect backdrop to cast all those movies onto.
While white really is the best colour for your projector wall, you can get a bit more experimental with the rest of the wall colours. Of course, matte black is the best colour for absorbing light, but deep navy blues and charcoal greys are fantastic, fresh alternatives.
Dark walls help keep the light low, but they won’t stop it from coming in through your windows. So, next on the cinema room décor list is a lovely pair of curtains.
While a regular pair may do, what you really need are blackout blinds, as these are deliberately designed to block out more natural light! You’ll want to be sure these cover the whole window frame, as even a small slither of light sneaking in can ruin the family movie night.
Looking to make it really dark? Well, one theatre room idea is to get window films as well. These are thin sticky plastic sheets that you fit across your window to help to stop the harsh glare of sunlight. So, even if there are any cracks in the blinds, then the window film should stop the light wreaking havoc.
What would a cinema room be without plush, luxurious, sink-in soft cinema sofas? They’re the be-all and end-all for cinema rooms, so you’ll want to get your choice spot on.
The beauty of cinema is inviting the whole family round to enjoy it together, and a corner sofa’s grandiose nature means you can do that in total comfort. But for a small cinema room idea, our 2 seater sofas are just as cosy for the quieter movie night.
With the cinema room décor basics taken care of, let’s take a look at some furniture pieces to bring comfort and ease to the space.
So, our first theatre room idea is as simple as picking up a coffee table. Of course, no movie night is complete without snacks, and a coffee table gives you a convenient place to pop them down – say goodbye to trying to balance the popcorn and the sweets in your lap! But a coffee table with storage also helps you emulate that crisp, minimalist feel of a cinema, by offering space to stash away bits and bobs - so you can fully focus on your film.
But the joy of a home cinema room is that you’re able to completely relax, and you’ll want your furniture to help you do that. That’s where footstools are a great small cinema room idea, as these can double – or even triple – up as a footrest, extra seating, and even a tiny table!
With your cinema room décor now coming nicely together, all that’s left to sort is the finishing touches like a spot of cinema lighting.
While cinema rooms need to be dark for the movie, you may want to use your new theatre space to do other things like gaming. So, grabbing a couple of lamps and lamp tables to house them means you’ll have enough light to see the controllers (or your snacks) without the glare of the big light.
But if you do need a bit more light coming into the room, then one cosy cinema room idea we love is installing dimmable lights! Whether you opt for dimmable ceiling lights or remote controlled smart bulbs, these are great as they let you control the exact amount of light coming into the room, seamlessly taking you from a bright gaming session to dimmed and chilled in an instant.
Now you’ve sorted out your brand new home cinema with our cinema room ideas, you may be thinking of sprucing up other areas of your home too. Whether you’re thinking of a maximalist décor in your living room or you’re after something a bit more quaint and cosy, head over to our inspiration page for more style guides.