A Guide to Home Theater Remodels

In Mountain Brook, home to the Birmingham Zoo and Botanical Gardens, many upscale homes are likely to have a space they call the home theater. Whether that’s more of a media room or a full-fledged dedicated home cinema, its purpose is to provide the best audiovisual entertainment experience in your home. But home theater technology is anything but static, and the home theater of a decade ago is likely to need an upgrade. And beyond AV technology, the newest seating and acoustics can also level up the experience. Keep reading for five ways a home theater remodel can elevate your entertainment. 

SEE ALSO: 3 Home Theater Remodel Ideas to Suit Your New Lifestyle

Determining Your Budget

Everyone has a budget, be it moderate or almost unlimited. Regardless of yours, the good news is that the latest equipment and accessories cater to a wide range of price points. When you think of sound, you should opt for a multichannel Dolby Atmos-capable system that can transport you right into the heart of the action. And for visuals? The crisp clarity of the latest 4K projectors or the convenience of ultra-short-throw projectors can redefine your movie-watching experience. The latest technology is set up to deliver many years of immersive entertainment pleasure.

Choosing Technology

Staying ahead of the tech curve ensures your home theater remains timeless. It's not just about picking the latest audio and visual equipment but also ensuring they harmonize together. That’s where smart home automation comes in. Today’s smart home systems are miles ahead of those from a decade ago, integrating your AV, lighting, temperature, and other functions in your theater for utterly simple operation. Imagine adjusting the room's temperature, dimming the lights, and locking the doors as soon as you hit play on your movie—magic!

Crafting a Sound Environment

Sound quality is critical in a home cinema. Your room's size, shape, and ceiling height heavily affect how your audio system performs. Beyond careful calibration of the sound system itself, almost all theater spaces benefit from acoustic treatment. These treatments help create a neutral response from the room so that bass is even, echoes are eradicated, and high frequencies are natural and not overly sibilant. Soundproofing, whether to keep sound out or in (or both), can also ensure the theater space is an acoustically isolated space in your home for the best experiences. 

Setting the Stage

You intuitively understand how lighting can set a mood and ambiance. In a home theater, it's no different. With automated lighting control systems, you can match the ambiance to the entertainment. Watching a movie? Dim the lights just right. For sports and other viewing, you might employ a more illuminated approach. To control outside light on those sunny Mountain Brook afternoons, motorized shades can create the perfect viewing environment. Lighting can set the stage for any entertaining experience in your theater, both for comfortable viewing and ambiance. It's all about crafting that immersive experience.

Elevating Seating Comfort

Your seating should never imitate the first-row experience at the local Cineplex, where you might hurt your neck craning up at the big screen. Careful attention should be paid to screen size, height, placement, and the type and number of seats. Plush recliners are always a hit, but they might need to be tiered to ensure good sightlines for everyone. Some cinemas combine couches, chaises, and tiered seating to accommodate different viewing experiences, from small families to larger entertaining purposes. Thinking carefully about how your home cinema is used will help in choosing the seating that will serve multiple purposes. 

Is your silver screen hinting at you for a home theater remodel? Contact us here or click the chat box below to connect with one of our experts quickly. We look forward to working with you!