Bespoke Home Cinema Design and Installation

With the advent of HD technology, on-demand streaming services, and amazing soundscapes; the silver screen has moved from Hollywood into the home. Services like Amazon Prime, BBC iPlayer, and Netflix are incredibly cost-effective, especially when compared to traditional cinemas, and offer more choice to boot.

 Modern homes have shifted to suit these tastes too, with more homeowners creating bespoke media rooms or full-blown Home Cinemas for movie nights with friends and family. When it comes to deciding what to include in your home cinema design, you’ll need to consider your choice of screen, sound system, seating, and lighting. Allow us to enlighten you and set you on your way to incredible home entertainment with the following insights.

First, and foremost, you’ll want to decide what type of display you need. Projectors and televisions offer different benefits.

Modern 4K televisions offer the latest advancements (including 3D technology) with incredibly high resolution, up to a point, but if you want crystal clarity on a large screen, then a projector is the way to go.

With their backlit design, televisions are a viable option even in quite bright rooms, so if you plan on using your media room as a regular living space, a TV is probably more suitable. However, if you want a specialised home cinema room for special occasions or viewings, with dimmed lighting like at the movies. then a projector may be the better option for you.

Overall, both types of screens have their strengths and weaknesses. Our team at Design Innovation have the insight and expertise to help you decide on the best screen for your media room or home cinema. We specialise in tailoring the home to your lifestyle. To this end, we’ll use our full complement of skills to understand your perspective, budget, and needs and design a space fit for Cannes. From custom screens to wall-mounted TVs and projectors, we can bring your vision to life. 

Here’s a quick look at the pros and cons of each:

Projectors:

Pros –

• Larger screen size
• Higher quality picture at large screen size
• A more traditional cinema experience

Cons –

• Require low levels of ambient light
• No built-in sound capability
• Lamps need replacing
• Fan noise – although not significant, there is a fan that you may notice during silent scenes

Televisions:

Pros –

• High definition
• The bright screen makes it easier to see contrast and colours
• Built-in sound
• Easy installation

Cons –

• Higher price point
• Screen size limitations

Another core factor to consider is the soundscape you create in your media room or home cinema. Mastering sound isn’t about big speakers, it’s about speaker placement and high-quality sound equipment that create accurate directional sounds. Dolby has been a pioneer in this industry for decades, inspiring us to design media room & home cinema sound systems that incorporate everything from ceiling speakers to wall speakers, sub-bass, and even built-in seat speakers.

Dolby’s numbering system is one used to identify the number and types of speakers in a particular set-up. For example, a 5.1.2 system consists of five channels (at ear level), a subwoofer (for low bass reproduction), and two additional speakers for overhead sound production. Surround Sound is often a baseline requirement for most media room projects with 5.1 the entry point – five ear-level channels plus a subwoofer. 

Our teams can create various sound systems depending on budget and needs. From a baseline 5.1 system, up to a full Dolby Atmos 9.1.4 system, we can assist with design and installation.

Once you have your screen and sound sorted, then it’s time to consider the seating.  Different options allow you to express yourself and choose seating that fits your lifestyle.

You can go traditional with theatre-style seats set in rows to recreate nights out at the cinema. Features include cup holders, headrest speakers, footrests and any other accessories for added luxury.

Or you could turn a smaller room into a private screening room with one or two luxurious sofas. This setup is great if you want a room to use as an escape. Just imagine curling up with your favourite film on a rainy day in your very own personal cinema.

If you plan to use your living space as a mixed-use space for living as well as entertaining, then going with a bespoke wraparound couch or L-shaped sofa are good ways to use the space effectively. 

Whatever you choose, keep in mind that visibility is key. If you want more than one row of seating, a stepped layout will ensure no one’s view of the screen is impeded by the back of the seats in front of them.

Last, but not least, is lighting. One of the defining features of a cinema experience is the excitement as the lights slowly dim. This feature is key to recreating this experience and one we can easily incorporate into the design, installing smart lighting at wall, ceiling, or floor level. Our lighting can be controlled from a smart device or automated to give you a complete cinema experience.

Want something magical that “wows” every time – then a starscape ceiling is what you’re looking for. A starscape ceiling creates an amazing atmosphere, with a galaxy of twinkling, constellation-style lights ideal for a home entertainment environment. Every starscape is unique and we’re more than happy to help you design your very own starry night sky for entertaining friends and family.

Consider mixing and matching a few different lighting options. Perhaps you want some classic sconce lighting, or strip lighting along the floor to make negotiating steps easier in a dark environment? You could even use ceiling spotlights that can be controlled individually to give the perfect light for the perfect occasion. The sky really is the limit.

All home cinema designs require a careful mix of science & art. Every room has issues that need to be dealt with at the design stage and the best rooms are always those that have had the best application of intelligent compromises applied.

Before deciding on screens, speakers and seating, we always look at how the experience can be optimised for all viewers. For sound, we take into account the room dimensions and acoustics, specifying acoustic treatments for absorption, reflection & dispersion of the sound in the room in such a way that it offers crisp, clear surround sound.

We carefully measure the perspective points in your room, consider the viewing angles and calculate the ideal position for the screen and the seating to create an environment that optimises both the visual experience and comfort.

Finally, recreating this experience in your home would all be for nothing if the room is stuffy and uncomfortable. Many home cinemas are tucked away in the basement or some other corner of the home and careful attention needs to be paid to ventilation and temperature control. Heating and cooling systems are often part of the design. 

As you can see, we are incredibly passionate about media rooms and home cinema. If you’d like to speak to us about your dreams for a media room or home cinema, then contact us today. We’re ready to bring Hollywood to your home.