So you’ve decided you want to create your own media room. You‘ve picked the perfect spot in your home to set up your home entertainment hub and you’re ready to go. But wait! Before you start refurbishing, be sure to avoid the common mistakes people make when creating a media room. These relatively simple errors can make or break your home of home entertainment! Luckily most of these problems have easy solutions.
Screen glare
There is nothing worse than trying to watch a movie on a screen reflecting outdoor light. This is why it is vital your media room is in a fairly dark area (it’s a perfect way to convert a pokey dark space in your home into a popular family spot!) If you cannot find a room in your home devoid of light, consider having blackout shades installed on all windows in your new media room. New shades have been specifically designed to deflect light, giving your media room the perfect movie viewing atmosphere.
Tangled cables
Setting up a media room often involves a mess of cables. The more awesome your vision for your new entertainment area, the more cables and electrical outlets you’ll need. In a darkened room, cables can be a serious trip hazard. What can you do to avoid having your media room overrun with these eyesores and hazards? You have plenty of options! You can buy specially made tacks to bundle cords together into neat bunches. If you prefer your cords to be out of sight, you can hide them by tracking under carpet or furniture. If you want a sleek, modern look, consider hiding your cords inside the walls of your media room. If you deicde to handle it this way, keep in mind that media moves fast! You may be ready to add the next big thing in a year or two, and it may not be possible without extensive electrical work!
Unsuitable couches
A lot of thought needs to be put into the type of couches you want in your media room. Do you want a media room that replicates a gold class movie theatre? Consider buying theatre seats to deck out your media room. Keep in mind that you may need power access and if your couches are in the middle of the room, this can be a costly exercise. For a more casual atmosphere, consider outfitting your media room with comfy long sofas where you can lie down to watch a movie. Fold out sofas can make movie cuddles possible too – be it date night or late night with the kids.
Poor sound system choice
It’s important you get the right sound system for your new entertainment room. If the system isn’t powerful enough, sounds will distort. Mounted incorrectly, audio can resonate through walls (distorting the sound) or even “feedback” deafening your guests. The size of your room, the number of soft surfaces, the shape of your room and the number of speakers you choose will all play an important part in the movie experience. Talk to an experienced audio expert to get the most from your sound system.
Lack of Soundproofing
Soundproofing is an important aspect of media rooms. Without soundproofing, your media room could become a problem, especially with other family members and neighbours! Who has time to watch a movie before the kids are sound asleep? Waking a sleeping toddler or baby is a terribly dangerous thing to do – your partner may kill you! Some soundproofing solutions include fitting your walls with soundproofing materials, using insulated wall fillers, placing foam tape over doorway cracks and even just using headphones.
Need help getting your home theatre sorted? Contact us for all your audio and visual solutions. From cable concealment to finding you the perfect audio system, we will be there to help you create the media room you’ve always dreamed of!