10 Tips to Make a Family Room Look Like a Home Theater

Not everyone has the luxury of dedicating a room solely for a Home Theater room. More often than not, that area is shared with another room such as a family room, den or perhaps a guest room.
That’s perfectly fine because your family room is already finished and furnished. Plus, it probably already has a decent-size TV and surround-sound system.

If your family room is like the majority of others, it may not look or feel much like a home theater. What it’s most likely lacking is in the environment of the room.  Changing things in the arrangement and design of the room can give it a better home theater vibe.

You can go as modest or as complex as you want to produce the desired cinematic effect for a home theater. Here are 10 ideas to consider.

1. Re-paint: Dark, rich colors like burgundy and navy blue scream home theater.   The video on your TV will look better with dark colors since light doesn’t reflect off dark colors as it does light ones.

2. Rearrange the Furniture: The screen at your local cinema sits directly in front of the seats; the TV in your Home Theater should as well.  This may require a slight adjustment of your furniture.

3. Add Architectural Details: There are many theater-inspired details such as decorative moldings or pillars at a home improvement store that will help to add detail to your Home Theater.

4. Incorporate New Lighting: Most of the pre-show lighting in a commercial theater is produced by sconces on the wall. Putting a few of these on the walls of your Home Theater room will add additional lighting that will look like the real thing.

5. Install Dimmers: If you don’t want to run new electrical wiring for the sconces in your Home Theater, we recommend swapping out your existing light switch for a dimmer. You will then be able to dim out the lights before the movie begins.

6. Hang Drapes: Nice, thick drapes like the ones that cover the screen at the movie theater will give you the look and feel you’re after for a Home Theater room. They will also block out incoming light and improve room acoustics.

7. Hide the Components: Remove all the audio and video components from the Home Theater room and place them somewhere else in the house, such as a closet or utility room. Replace your existing infrared remote control for a radio frequency-based remote. The new remote will then be able to broadcast commands to the equipment that is located in another room.

8. Build a Riser: You can enjoy the same stadium-style seating of your neighborhood cinema in your own Home Theater by having a riser built, as well as steps.

9. Pick New Seats: Invest in theater-style seating, especially if you’ve built risers in your Home Theater. These seats are available in a variety of colors to complement the new wall paint. They can also include features such as a reclining action and built-in cup holders.

10. Attach Fabric Wall Panels: The walls in most theaters are covered in fabric. You can do the same in your Home Theater, although the entire space does not have to be covered.