Is a small home cinema room practical?

Small home cinema room

If you’re passionate about films, a home cinema room may feel like the ultimate luxury – a room that’s styled like a commercial movie theatre where you can go to enjoy the latest blockbusters and old favourites alike. But what if your home is fairly modest and you can only accommodate a small home cinema? Can you still enjoy the authentic cinema experience?

Optimum dimensions

Home cinema rooms are spaces dedicated to visual entertainment, so to get the most from them, there are guidelines for a minimum room size. A rule of thumb is that you allow at least one square metre (11 square feet) for every viewer. There also needs to be enough space between the screen and the viewers, and for the audio equipment to deliver optimum quality. Ideally, you will have a rectangular room of at least 6m (20ft) in length and 4.5m (15ft) in width.

Other considerations

A small home cinema room isn’t only about fitting in a screen, a sound system and a couple of seats. A good viewing experience requires comfy, ergonomic seating that leaves enough space for walkways. The furniture should also be arranged in a way that doesn’t block sightlines – and this can be a challenge with a small space.

You also need to consider acoustics. To get the most from your sound system and prevent too much reflection and distortion of sound, some acoustic treatments are required. You may also need to install sound insulation to prevent audio from carrying through walls. All this can impact the size of the original space, giving you less to work with.

Alternative options

If you don’t have a dedicated space that is large enough to accommodate a home cinema, you can consider turning your main living area into a media room. This will negate the need for a separate room to watch movies while enabling you to enjoy the benefits of the cinema experience. This option allows for flexibility; you can invest in a high quality television or install a projector and screen that can be hidden away when not in use.

A hidden home cinema

If your chosen dedicated space faces too many complications to become a small home cinema, why not invest instead in turning a larger space into a media room? These multi-function rooms enable you to use them for daily activities such as playing with the kids, hosting friends or simply relaxing with a good book. Then at the touch of a button they can be transformed into a cinema, with all the cutting-edge technology that comes with it.

Brands such as Future Automation create motorised furniture and other mechanisms that allow you to hide projectors and screens behind panels, in cabinets or in the ceiling, revealing them only when you want to indulge in the cinema experience. These can be customised to suit your chosen screen size and projector, and the mechanisms can be integrated into your home automation system, if you have one.

If you prefer not to have your sound system on show all the time, you can also invest in discreet speakers that are colour matched to your existing decor, or that can be disguised as artworks. Artcoustic is a leading brand that offers printed speaker covers that look like a favourite artwork or photograph while delivering high-quality audio that will enhance your viewing experience.

What we can achieve with a media room

Let’s say you were initially planning a small home cinema in a Kent countryside property, but that after consideration you’ve decided a media room is more suitable. How can this be executed in a way that maintains the original decor and function of your space?

The design experts at New Wave AV will take a look at your room and help you to decide which technology is best. We’ll then ensure it’s hidden accordingly, without unnecessary mess and construction work. Projectors and screens can be tucked away in the ceiling, dropping down only when you need them.  If a TV is better for your needs, we can provide a bespoke wall to hide your screen. We’ll also determine where your speakers should be placed and how they can be disguised. They can be concealed within the walls and ceiling or hidden with artwork, enabling you to enjoy seamless audio without detracting from your interior design.