A big screen, a cosy space and your favourites queued up…
We stream, we download, we binge. We invite friends, we host parties. The big screen and the big sound, colour, music, sport – it’s all popping in our modern homes. Gone are the days of waiting to go to the cinema for that immersive big screen experience and blow-your-socks-off surround sound. Even if space is at a premium you don’t have to miss out – we have plenty of tricks up our sleeve that will give you the media room of your dreams while keeping the whole family happy.
As one of the most respected home cinema, smart home and lighting companies in business, we’re passionate about delivering epic cinematic experiences and finding functionality in every space we create – tailored to you. So, sit back and enjoy our tips on designing your perfect multipurpose media room at home that is sure to get your corn popping.
An integrated screen for our client to comfortably watch in their Dorset family home
Considered Lighting
Nothing kills the vibe of trying to get into a film more than glare bouncing across the screen like a sugar-fuelled toddler. Unless you’re setting up in a basement, then before anything else it’s time to block that sucker (aka, the sun) out. For the ultimate in luxury, opt for the world’s smoothest and quietest automated blinds.
You’ll want some light, of course, so amp up the ambience and fit out your home cinema with subtle, dimmable lighting that will set the scene and have you reaching for the remote.
Even better, why not utilise our own control app and lighting design. We incorporate patented technologies into our lighting designs. So that every inch of your space shines in it’ most favourable light, we love using suppliers like Orluna and Lighting of London.
Having all lighting controls in one simple app means you can easily change between cinema mode and family room at the touch of a button, saving your energy for important things, like deciding what to watch!
Illuminate with clarity - Orluna LED natural colour technology
Divide and conquer
If your cinema shares a room permanently and you have the space to delineate the two, why not consider some screening? Creating a room divider can give both areas a sense of separation. A shelving unit featuring plants will divide without encroaching on light or the feeling of space, whereas a pull out, fitted room divider complete with acoustic panels will further elevate the cinema experience - and not distract others in the home as much if they’re not part of movie night.
Experience studio-quality sound with Artcoustic speakers
And so, to acoustics
It’s a fine balancing act. Too little attenuation and the echoes from your speakers will bounce off the walls and ceiling, muddying the sound landscape. Equally, too little and you’ll sap all the energy out of your sound, at once dulling your efforts and sound in the process. No, great acoustics are the goldilocks of this story, and nothing but ‘just right’ will do.
To reach this utopian soundscape, aim to have sound absorption on around 60% of your room’s surfaces. While this could take the form of acoustic panelling, if the room is multipurpose this could also include books and soft furnishings such as carpeting, rugs, cushions, throws, and window drapes.
And where would talk of acoustics be without the main event: the speakers themselves. Nothing beats the hair-raising tension of watching a horror film with speakers so well set up that the villain could have just literally crept into your room, snapping a twig behind your shoulder.
Watching Hamilton tear up the hill away from Monoco’s Sainte Devote with Max hot on his tail, and you want to hear those engines roar. The perfect speakers create a detailed soundscape, but it’s important to be sympathetic to the architecture of your space.
Not keen on the look of speakers jutting out at various angles? Well, hidden speakers could be just the thing for your clean-lines environment!
Top of the range kit is only as good as its configuration. If you’d like to hear what we can do, book a demonstration, and experience the latest Dolby Atmos Home Cinema system, as well as testing all associated technologies such as those from our tried and tested partners, Artcoustic, Amina, Steinway Lyngdorf, Sony, Samsung, JVC, Control4, Clipsal C-Bus, and our own, unique self-designed control systems - to name but a few!
Positioning is everything in acoustics and surround sound
The big reveal
You might yearn for a wall-filling screen and beautiful display speakers that stand to attention, but to be boringly practical, they may be too precious to leave to the elements once your kids, friend’s children, or worse - drunk adults - come into the mix. Fortunately, there are countless options for protecting and disguising your kit.
Perhaps your screen becomes a work of art by day, TV by night. Or a mirror when not in use. Alternatively, your TV and speakers could be housed in bespoke storage, or you could opt for a projector screen - that way, can take an entire wall and no one will know it’s there until it’s showtime.
Our creative customer agreed that screens can be art too!
Sumptuous fabrics aligned to your room for added cosiness
Furnishing your marathon
Any marathon requires adequate preparation and sustenance, even if it’s the kind of marathon that means bingeing a box set rather than running 26 miles!
In planning the cinema room of your dreams, don’t overlook the simple side table to keep your food and drink conveniently to hand. A nest of tables provides an elegant solution that caters for when you’ve lots of people over, that can tuck away neatly when not needed. If watching movies is a marathon, then your seating is akin to the runner’s trainer.
It needs to fit perfectly and provide comfort throughout. And what could be more multifunctional than a sofa that doubles as a daybed. Heck, it could even be a golf room or kid’s playroom the rest of the time - all you need is a little creativity, and anything is possible.
Where do you start with fabric? Durability, finish, colour? Seat design? If choosing fabrics or cinema seating makes your mind boggle, we have access to quite simply the widest range. Personal choice leads to some pretty vibrant designs! It’s your space, picking a cream velvet might not be great with tiny paws and children around, but many luxurious fabrics can be stain resistant and withstand even the darkest or merlots… choose what suits your lifestyle and more importantly - brings you joy!
Recline in bespoke fabrics to match your personality just like our local client!
Put the theatre back into movies
When we watch films, or our favourite programme, we buy into a fantasy. Even with the big game, we want to immerse ourselves in and feel as though we are a part of that world.
Production teams have taken hundreds, nay thousands of hours crafting their art for our enjoyment and we owe it to them, to ourselves, to consume it in the right setting. We need a home setup that puts the theatre back into movies, that delivers a great cinematic experience from the comfort of your own home. To enjoy with friends, with family, or even (dare I say it) to get away from all the above and just totally unwind with a drink in front of a great big screen.
It can all be achieved with a little ingenuity and imagination 😉
Ferrari fine tuning - for every little detail
With exceptional craftsmanship and design in every home cinema we create, let us look after you in the design of your perfect media room and leave the drama for the movies.
Client confidentiality assured. Call to arrange a consultation, NDAs available. https://www.livinghometech.co.uk/
A client’s unique gamer’s setup in a rural hideaway
#thehomecinemabrothers #livinghometech #immersivecinema #cinematicexperience #multipurposemediaroom #craftsmanship #luxurydesign