The 2016 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) marks the beginning of the fall prestige season. The TIFF award winning movies generate much excitement amongst movie buffs as they anticipated the release of these select movies in the upcoming year. Are you one of these film enthusiast? Wouldn’t it be great if you had a home theater to enjoy these magnificent films? Just in time for TIFF, here are a few tips for transforming your family room into the perfect movie theater.
1.A (4K) HDTV or Projector Will Best Replicate the Movie Theater Experience
Ideally, a home theater should have an ultra high-definition (4K) HDTV or projector. A4K HDTV has four times the pixels of its predecessor, the standard HDTV (1080p) and the 4K offers viewers the vivid colors and details that rival those of a movie theater. The best seating arrangement for a how theater is to place the TV or projector and screen, so viewers look straight at the screen, without straining their necks looking up or down.
2. Put Viewers in the Middle of the Action by Creating Surround Sound in the Theater Room.
Create surround sound in the media room by placing the main speakers in front of the room and tweeters or treble speakers near ear level of seated viewers. Because a room’s acoustics are affected by the walls, ceiling, and floor, it is essential to place area rugs on non-carpeted floors, which will reduce echo, and hang sound absorbing curtains on windows, which will reflect the sound.
3. Create a Cozy Furniture Arrangement With Optimal Viewing
The main seating area should face the screen directly; this gives the room balance and provides the best viewing. Seating options for a home theater can fit any budget: from bean bag chairs to a cozy sectional sofa and even specially designed theater seats. The optimal viewing distance is dependent the width and type of TV.
- For a 50-inch HDTV, screen viewers should sit about 6 to 10 feet away from the screen.
- For a 60-inch HDTV, screen viewers should sit about 7.5 to 12.5 feet away from the screen.
- For a 70-inch screen, viewers should sit about 8.75 to 14.5 feet away from the screen
- If you have a 4K, take a few feet off of those recommendations as a general rule of thumb.
4. Lights Can Set the Mood in Your Private Home Movie Theater
Lights in your perfect family room movie theater should illuminate the room indirectly by shining primarily on the walls and the floor. Avoid ceiling lights, which will make the room feel larger and less intimate. To mimic a real movie theater feel, install sconces on the wall and rope lighting along the floor. A fun feature is to install dimmers wired to the scones so that you can dim the lights out before the movie starts.
5. Paint the Walls of your Theater Room in Rich, Dark Colors
To mimic an actual cinema, paint the walls in a dark, flat paint which reduces the reflection of light. The dark colors also create a welcoming and cozy mood in your home movie theater. The best options for colors include warm, earthy tones such as brown, cream or even red and burgundy.
A final tip for those that watch movies in the daytime, consider blackout curtains to get your family room as dark as possible. Visit Falconcrest Homes for more ideas on transforming your family room into the perfect movie theater.
Tags: Design tips, Falconcrest Homes, host a movie night, Movie night, Movies at home, TIFF, Tiff special