Setting Up Your Room for the Ultimate Viewing Experience

Home Theater Design Steps for Getting the Most Out of Your Space 

A lot goes into professional home theater design. Zoom out from the essential AV components, and you'll see the intricate work that went into preparing the room. That's because a poorly designed room will waste even the best speakers, projectors, and AV receivers. 

Not only is setting up the room important, but, in fact, we often do it before deciding on the best components for your theater. We'll consider your room size, seating distance, and more during your initial design. This blog outlines our steps when installing theaters for our clients in Tampa, FL. 

SEE MORE: A Checklist for Planning Your Home Theater Installation

Planning for the Room You Have

Home theater designs need to be unique because your room size and shape significantly determine the ideal layout and components. While size will affect the screen size and the amount of seating (particularly rows), the room's shape is just as important. Rectangular rooms are ideal over square ones for better sound distribution and optimal sightlines. 

Adding the Best Seats in the House 

Before installing any AV components, we figure out the seating arrangement to ensure every person in your theater gets a great experience. How many rows do you want? Do you want to use recliners, sectionals, or both? The answers will help us understand how much space is available for your screen and where to place speakers. The ideal viewing distance and angle will help us find the best screen size—bigger is not always better. Various companies like THX offer viewing distance calculators to help find the best option. 

Address Any Room Issues 

Most rooms will have minor issues to address. During installation, we identify windows, doors, furnishings, and decorations that may impact the aesthetics and functionality of the space. For example, we may add blackout motorized shades to your windows to eliminate ambient lighting. Additionally, acoustic treatments will help with unwanted reverberations caused by decor or room shape (for example, square rooms have infamously poor sound).

Bringing It All Together 

Our AV experts also need to prepare the room for wiring infrastructure. With a professional home theater design, all cables should remain hidden from view both for aesthetics and improved performance. Is there enough room in the walls and ceilings to get the wiring to speakers and projectors? Is there space for a dedicated AV closet for receivers, media servers, and more? Based on the answers, we'll know if we need to keep components in a separate room or if to consider some wireless speakers. 

Keep your AV equipment performing at its best with the right home theater design. Each of our theaters is tailored to meet the needs of our clients. Reach out for a consultation by calling, filling out our contact form, or chatting with us below.