If lockdown has got you dreaming of your ideal home design, or if you are a well-established film buff, you might be considering the luxury of a home cinema. As cinema chains continue to struggle amid the COVID pandemic and both high-quality projectors and television screens become more affordable, there is greater reason to dedicate more space within your home to visual entertainment.
Your living room may seem like an obvious choice to establish your cinema set up, however, there are many drawbacks. Primarily, natural light is a hindrance. This is because homes are typically designed to welcome plenty of natural light, or as much as possible, especially in frequently occupied and shared living spaces. A cinema screening, especially one with a projector, requires darkness for both quality and immersion. While it isn’t impossible to achieve appropriate darkness in living rooms, it is often limited to the evening.
However, if you want to create an immersive and impressive experience, here are three conversion projects for you to consider.
Attic
The attic as a cinema room has many benefits. Firstly, it meets the essential quality of being dark. Even those with windows installed are still much darker than other rooms within the home. Secondly, the room is often detached from neighbouring rooms and properties. This means that volume is less of a concern, which can be a limiting factor in living rooms and spare rooms.
Depending on the shape of your roof, you might find yourself and company occasionally hitting heads. Plus, entering and exiting down a ladder isn’t always the easiest thing to do, especially if it’s in the middle of a screening!
Cabin
Setting up garden structures, like log cabins, is the perfect way to create a private space, separate from your home, for hobbies and activities. They are also ideal for cinema rooms. Since they are separate from all other surrounding buildings, and because you have greater control over their insulation, noise is seldom an issue. Plus, they can easily be customised to prevent light leakages, as well as to be extremely cosy.
The only restrictions they tend to face are those of size. While cabins are now more frequently available in larger and luxurious sizes, they may not always be accommodating for a projector’s necessary range. They are, however, perfect for large screens and snug sofas.
Basement
Perhaps the most ideal room for a cinema space is the basement. It meets all essential criteria, especially that of having appropriate darkness. It also seldom has any issues with noise, meaning that neighbours and others within the home are unlikely to be disturbed by volume. One of the only restrictions that does require consideration is the room’s climate.
Basements tend to become cold more easily, since they don’t have the same insulation as the rest of the home, and they can also be prone to dampness, due to their lack of ventilation. While these may seem like minor issues, they can ultimately begin affecting your health and the equipment stored within the room.
