Coming up with clever ideas for allowing one room to serve many purposes is how homeowners utilize their living space. For those who don’t have the space to spare for a dedicated home theater, creating a multi-purpose media room is the popular choice – a media room that can be used for a range of functions while maintaining the attractiveness and efficiency of the space. Don’t limit your media room to a single purpose – transform it into a more social and enjoyable yet relaxing environment.
Lighting
Lighting can be tricky in media rooms – you want that space to mimic theater-like viewing, but you also plan for it to be the place where you can socialize with friends, play pool, or entertain guests. Generally, the room’s purpose is for viewing, so the lighting should be planned thoughtfully to diminish the amount of glare on the screen.
One of the most recommended lighting fixtures for a media room is recessed can lighting. This type of lighting won’t create a reflection on the screen – the way overhead ceiling lights might. It’s not recommended to put recessed lighting over seating areas; you want to put them around the perimeter of the room.
You can also include ambient and decorative lighting such as a chandelier in the center of the room. To brighten the area more and create a cozy ambiance without glare coming from the screen, you can use wall sconces. This type of home theater lighting fixture has a dark covering, an opaque front, and light that emanates from the sides, top, and bottom.
Wall sconces should be placed behind the main seating area of the room. Some media rooms have integrated a dimming system – this lighting control allows you to set certain light levels for different functions – all at the press of a single button.
Sound Control
Whether it’s sound proofing or acoustic treatment, you want to carefully manage the audio quality in your media room. You can install insulation batts and panels into your walls and ceilings to leave no air gaps for sound to pass through.
Additionally, you can double up on the layer of drywall to block out more noise. The floors of your home theatre should be carpeted. Use home theater rugs if you don’t want to install carpet. Home theater carpets and rugs can provide a layer of sound absorption to your media room.
Think Minimal and Stay Neutral
Clutter is the main thing you want to avoid in a multi-purpose media room. Since the space is functioning as a flexible room, chances are it’s already housing a number of equipment – from home theater systems to entertainment units to furniture.
Choose furniture pieces that are minimal yet multi-functional. To make the room less hectic, identify the traffic flow and focal point of the room. Usually, the TV is the center of a media room, so the main seating arrangement should be across from it. If you want to add extra seating, use lightweight chairs that can be easily repositioned to face the TV.
Any media room usually has a pathway through it, so it’s essential to direct the main traffic route at the back of the room so people don’t walk in front of the screen. Assign dedicated zones for each of the activity you will be doing in the room.
Use neutral hues on the walls, upholstery and fabrics to create a clean, cozy ambiance and create the illusion of a spacious room. Keep the space tidy at all times, so it will look attractive and relaxing.
Conceal the Components
Tucking away your home theatre systems is both a safety and a space-saving measure. A/V components and accessories, wires, cables, and other equipment should be properly organized and concealed.
You can acquire media cabinets that will house all your components. You can also secure an entertainment unit to the wall so that the wires and cords are hidden. Another simple way to organize cables and wires is to hide them under the carpet or lift them off the floor and affix them to surfaces.
Erika White is a content writer for a home theater supply store that offers professional home theater installation packages.