Personalize Your Home Movie Theater to Your Lifestyle & Tastes

Maybe you’ve thought about it for years or only just recently. But is it time to finally have your own world class home theater? If so, you’ll need a few guidelines to get started and have it done right.

A home theater is much more than a room with a large screen. There are many design and equipment elements to consider. For instance, what will your space look like? What kind of projector should you use, and what screen is right for your home? At Frangioni Media, home theater design is our expertise. We’ve rounded up the latest theater trends and ideas to inspire your Collier County, FL home’s project.

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Transitional Spaces

Some people love the idea of an area dedicated to only their home theater. But maybe you’d also like to use the room to gather with friends and family. If so, we can design a multipurpose media room that doubles as a livable space while capable of transitioning into a private cinema when the lights go dark.

A wall of windows will let in daylight when you’re in living room mode, but one press of a button can lower black-out motorized shades to shift into movie time. Similarly, your projector and movie screen can descend from the ceiling and retract when not in use. Instead of home theater seats, plush seating around a coffee table will feel more natural. You can also include a ping pong table, darts, or a pool table that people can enjoy, even when a movie or game is on the big screen.  Additional screens, flat screens, can be added around the theater screen and/or around the theater room itself!

Smart Lighting

LED lighting is customizable in colors, brightness, and lasts up to 50,000 hours. Why not have fun with it in your home theater? Just like in your local megaplex, illuminate pathways with small track lights that let you navigate the dark room while a film is playing. LED lighting strips can accentuate the architecture of the room, and if you have a cocktail bar in the back, can highlight counters and cabinets, even in different colors. Recessed ceiling lights can all slowly dim with one touch of a button from a smart system app or as soon as the movie starts, just like in a commercial movie theater. Create custom scenes to transition your room into movie mode automatically.

Projectors & Screens

Projector technology has developed rapidly in recent years, and now not only are 4K projectors available but so is 8K definition.  The light engine also has dramatically improved.  Laser offers incredible performance and has a life expectancy into the tens of thousands of hours.  4k or 8k resolution means there are more pixels on your screen, resulting in an incredibly clear image no matter how close you sit. Another popular new trend is the short-throw projector, which emits an image not from your ceiling above the seats, but one or two feet away from the screen on a table or stand, even behind the screen. This is convenient for home theaters or spaces where people will be walking in front of the screen. 

Ambient Light Rejecting (ALR) screens prevent ambient light from various directions to wash out the video quality. This means the image can look as bright and clear as a TV would, even if lamps are on or there is light from outdoors, infiltrating the room. Screens are available in more colors than the standard white—black, silver, and gray screens are an option to absorb unwanted ambient light.  There are curved models that follow the same look and experience as commercial theater or IMAX.  In fact, IMAX offers private home theaters available today!

Design Themes

There are infinite ways to customize your home theater design. Would you prefer a modern and minimal theme, or perhaps a vintage Hollywood vibe? Maybe you’d like to deck out the room with sports memorabilia, or a rustic barn door that slides open to reveal your screen. And what about an outdoor home theater? Staying in doesn’t mean you have to stay indoors. Weatherproof speakers and screens make movies under the stars a possibility.

 

To get started on your home theater installation, contact Frangioni Media here to discuss your project.