Blockbuster Entertainment: Create a Home Theater on Any Budget

An authentic experience starts with a space dedicated to viewing. You want to avoid, if at all possible, a living space or other open area where light, traffic, sounds, smells, and sights can detract from what’s on the screen. Another important consideration — one you should make before purchasing equipment — is the length and shape of your space. While distances vary by the size of your screen, a good guideline for optimal home theater viewing is to seat the audience at a distance of about 1.6 times the diagonal width of the screen. Because of the necessary distance, a rectangular room is recommended over a square one.

Studio Budget: Enclose a den or loft space, or finish a portion of your basement to your exact specifications, laying the foundation for a truly custom home theater.

Indie Budget: Utilize a spare bedroom, saving money on construction that you can put toward equipment, seating, and finishes in the space.

Just as important as the space you designate for your home theater is what you add in — and keep out. First, you want to eliminate all ambient sound and light from the rest of your home to allow for an immersive experience for you and your guests. Your space doesn’t need windows, although they can be covered easily enough if they already exist in the space. You’ll also want to think about additional insulation in the walls and flooring that both keeps the sounds outside the room out and the sounds inside the room in.

Studio Budget:

• Remove any windows already in the space.

• Use soundproof drywall to create your walls.

• Invest in a solid-core door for additional sound absorption.

• Lay a thick, sound-absorbing pad under wall-to-wall carpet.

Indie Budget:

• Add acoustic panels (make your own!), or even peel-and-stick carpet tiles to your walls to absorb sound and keep your audio from echoing in the space.

• Purchase and hang insulated, soundproofing blackout curtains over any windows or large areas of open wall space.

• If you can’t spring for new carpet, add some large, plush rugs to the floor.

Once your space is laid out and prepped, you can add a sound system and — the pièce de résistance — a screen. There are lots of in-depth debates online comparing and contrasting the benefits of a projector versus a TV. While there are many pros and cons to each, TVs tend to offer better value once all the features and benefits are laid out, side by side. Still, if you’re nostalgic about the theater or really want to create a projection screen experience, there are many options to choose from. But screens and projectors won’t be your only investment.

Studio Budget:

• When creating your space, add prewires for surround sound, lighting, and your TV, projector, and/or AV components, like a Blu-Ray player.

• If using a projector and screen, add a proscenium frame for an authentic look and feel to the central viewing space.

• Create a controlled lighting scheme with wall sconces or recessed ceiling lights.

Indie Budget:

• Opt for a TV, which offers far more bang for your buck than a projector and screen. Look for something in your budget that supports HDR and 4K, and is at least 55 inches (or larger), depending on your space.

• Mount your TV on the wall at the center of your viewing space, and frame it with curtains to simulate the theater experience.

• If surround sound is outside the budget, consider adding a sound bar and subwoofer combination to boost your home theater’s audio capabilities. Bonus: Many soundbar setups are wireless, making installation and placement a breeze.

Your home theater isn’t complete without cozy seating and finishing touches. When planning for seating, in addition to comfort, you want to ensure everyone in the space has a great view, which — depending on the number of seats you’re installing — means adding risers to the back row. As you finish your home theater, opt for a dark wall and ceiling paint color in a matte finish, as glossier options can reflect too much light and distract from viewing. Remember as well to keep any decorative elements, including tchotchkes, vintage movie posters, snack stations, etc., behind the seating to keep viewers focused on the screen during showtime.

Studio Budget:

• Have risers built into your space and invest in luxury theater seating — many options go beyond simply reclining and offer features like swivel trays, storage, and device charging.

• Add a wet bar to accommodate your guests’ preferences (and yours!) and keep people in the space through to the credits.

• Add a personalized, LED marquee to mount at the entrance and welcome guests into your theater.

Indie Budget:

• Skip the fancy seating and opt for a comfortable couch — or two! You can create a DIY riser with a little research and items from your local home improvement store.

• Make room in your space for a portable bar cart you stock with drinks, snacks, and supplies before each screening.

• Lean into the cozy vibe of your space with added blankets and pillows in your chosen theme or color scheme.