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Mini media rooms

Home theatre ideas for small spaces

by MALI ANDERSON

Though your family may love movie nights and a space for teenagers to play video games, you likely don’t want these activities to take up your whole living room all the time. Thankfully, you can transform an underutilized space in your home, such as a spare bedroom, into a designated media room. Any room that is self-contained and isn’t in the path of daily activities could be a possibility.

“You can achieve an amazing home theatre in a small space,” says Melissa Tossell, a registered interior designer and owner of Sanura Design in Toronto. “To save space, mount your TV on the wall. When you choose a high-definition TV, you will enjoy much blacker blacks and get a great picture.”

Sound is a key part of the home theatre experience, but when choosing speakers recognize that technology will change over time. A soundbar is a great start for your sound system. Then, you can add a subwoofer or other components as your needs grow and new advancements are introduced.

When selecting seating, remember that watching shows and playing games requires everyone in the group to have a clear view of the screen. Costco member Breegan Jane, a Los Angeles–based interior designer and lifestyle expert, suggests a chaise lounge as your main theatre seating, which “can be a grand seating space for one person or a nice place for a couple to cuddle.”

Then, if you are hosting a game day celebration or a movie-themed birthday party, arrange bar seats in stadium style behind your chaise lounge to maximize seating without obstructing anyone’s view.

The next step is to decorate the room. Jane uses shades of deep royal blue, purple and red because they remind her of rebuilt theatres. Add these hues and movie posters to bring cinema style to the space.

And if you want to improve the sound in your media room, consider sound-absorbing acoustic panels that can double as artwork. Sound panels will enhance your audio experience when you are in your media room and reduce the likelihood of sound effects spilling into other areas of your home.