Advice For Building A Fun Home Media Room

 

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Building a great home media room may seem like an intense and expensive task to begin with, but with some basic consumer goods and design know-how, you may curate a space much more worthwhile than you had initially assumed. That’s because you don’t need the latest and greatest 80-inch television to enjoy your moviegoing or home entertainment experience, just a nice atmosphere and the amenities for real comfort.

So, in this guide, we hope to provide some budget-friendly suggestions for building a home media room. No matter if you prefer lounging on a sofa playing video games, enjoying virtual chess, watching movies, or reading, we believe that the following options could be a good idea for you.

Consider Sight Lines & Comfort

It’s a good idea to ensure that everyone in the room has a clear view of the screen without having to strain or adjust too much. This can be achieved by arranging seating in a way that provides a good angle with the screen, possibly in a slight arc or with staggered seating if the room size allows.

Comfort is equally important of course. Investing in comfortable seating is a good way to feel more at home in your media room, though any nice sofas and armchairs you have are usually fine, but upholstered chairs with good back support can be great for longer viewing sessions. 

Adding some throw pillows and blankets can increase the coziness factor, especially during the winter, making the space inviting for family and friends to gather as well. If you can, having a separate dog or cat bed for them to relax with you (and to feel less inclined to jump on the sofa when you’re not there) will be helpful.

Natural Soft Lighting To Avoid Eye Strain

It’s tempting to go for complete darkness to emulate that cinema experience, having some natural soft lighting can prevent eye strain, especially during very long periods of screen time or if you have a bright screen. This doesn’t have to limit the colors on your display if you angle them behind the television so the glow doesn’t affect it, meaning that visual purists can still enjoy a great viewing session.

However, we’d recommend avoiding harsh, overhead lighting if you can - as this can also strain your eyes. Instead, you might use ambient light sources like floor lamps, table lamps, or wall sconces to give a more comfortable glow in the space, and even better, dimmer switches can also be a good investment because they help you get that perfect shade just right.

Blackout curtains or shades can also help you control natural light from windows, which can cause glare on the screen. This means that if you just want a day inside watching movies, you can feel like you’re in a theatre all day long.

Speaker Systems With Good Coverage

Sound quality is what turns a home TV space into a media room most of all, because few people really invest in it. Opting for a good speaker system can be a great improvement, especially if it’s 7.1 and surround sound around the space, as you can hear your content from almost any direction and these are no longer prohibitively expensive as they once were.

We’d recommend placing speakers at different points in the room to create an immersive sound environment, and reliable soundbars are also a budget-friendly option that can provide excellent audio quality without the need for multiple speakers either, should you prefer it.

TV Mounting (Not Too High!)

Mounting the TV at the right height is very important for a comfortable viewing session. A common mistake homeowners make is mounting the TV too high, especially over the top of a fireplace or mantle, which can cause neck strain over time and may prevent you from viewing content as well as you could. A good rule of thumb to follow is that the center of your screen should be at eye level when you are seated. Don’t have your media room featured on comical forums like r/TVTooHigh!

Of course, it’s not a mortal sin to place your TV above the fireplace, so if it works for you go for it. That said, if you are unsure about the correct height, sit in your preferred spot and have someone help you hold the TV at different heights until you find the most comfortable position. You can do this at various spots if it helps. Moreover, adjustable TV mounts are also a thing, and can help you adjust it based on who might be using the space or if you’re entertaining.

Cabinets & Storage Slots

Good storage is valuable in a media room, because it lets you keep all of your devices and physical media safe and presented well. Cabinets and storage slots are essential for keeping everything tidy and accessible too, because they can help you route cables more comfortably behind furniture instead of being out in the open.

If you choose cabinets that can hold your devices like gaming consoles, Blu-ray players, and streaming devices, they can be easy to access. Just make sure there is enough ventilation to prevent overheating of the electronic equipment - some space is often recommended.

Of course, if you enjoy physical media, then shelving units can be used to store DVDs, games, books, and other collectibles. Floating shelves are another option for a modern look and can be used to display decorative items or small speakers at the same time.

Coffee Tables & Portable Food/Snack Surfaces

Coffee tables and portable food surfaces are pretty helpful additions that not only make refreshments during movies easier to handle, but also help your children avoid spilling their snacks and drinks without the support they needed.

While you might not go “full TV dinner,” having a nice platform or surface trays you can use for a cheese board to share with a loved one, or even just a place to hold a wine glass, can be relaxing and let you relax knowing that cleanup won’t be as messy.

With this advice, you’re sure to enjoy a fantastic media room.