Media Rooms and Home Theater Ideas
My oh my, whether it’s a media room you create with room-darkening shades or a home theater center in the basement designed for weekend watching, big screen entertainment has become a national pastime. Here are some ideas and inspo if you’ve been thinking about creating your own binge-worthy home theater above or below ground!
Built-Ins and Movie Décor
My My DIY has 40 different DIY plans for entertainment centers for any media room vision. Whether it’s a corner, a room or a wall, contemporary or rustic, minimalist or expansive, the plans are ranked and described for a variety of TV sizes.
If you’re not as handy with power tools as, say, Bob Vila, Wayfair comes to the rescue with the Balla Floating Entertainment Center. It’s totally new-school, in engineered oak with an LED light system and shelving for electronics and items of décor.
Ashley Winn Designs showcases basement home theaters and media rooms ranging from cozy, comfortable binge-watching for two, to futuristic family rooms accommodating 10 or more.
Speaking of décor, DIY Joy has lots of ideas for designer accoutrément, from movie clapboards and oversized movie tickets, to an authentic popcorn machine that will fill your media room with that tantalizing just-popped aroma!
Check out the best looking designs for media room/home theater additions from HGTV, from recessed mounts that accommodate 65-inch screens, to automatic screens that raise and lower – along with projectors! We guarantee you’ll have media-room envy before you get through all 20 inspirational ideas.
The Screen, the Lighting, the Look
House Beautiful has additional design ideas for showcasing your big screen TV – just frame it. Or, if your living room is also your media room, create art panels that slide in front of the screen to keep it under wraps until you’re ready to watch it. And Consumer Reports says the Best Buy 60-inch TV – based on CR tests — boils down to the Sony XBR-65X900F. You might need a subscription to check out the other recommendations that top the list, but if you’re in the market for a telly, might be worth it.
For the ultimate big-screen movie experience, consider a projector. The latest models according to CNET have excellent color, brightness and top-notch contrast – and you don’t have to spend a lotta dough for good picture quality. And, with a home theater projector, you can get a HUGE image – remember movie theaters? It’s that kind of experience, for a fraction of the cost. And there are portable projectors that you can take outside once weather permits.
Check out more reviews for the projectors that are the best for the money, best value for 4K, best for HDR, best for bright-room gaming and best for portable use from $550 to $1099 at Amazon.
You’ll need a wall mounted or ceiling mounted screen and the DIY Network offers some timely tips for the best placement. The biggest takeaway: plan to install the screen wherever it will be easily viewable from your existing furniture arrangement, and not in front of a window that receives direct sunlight.
Home Theaters in Crystal Valley
The new homes in the master-planned community of Crystal Valley have lots of options for the perfect media room. And when you’re tired of being indoors, explore nature outdoors, just minutes away. Check one of the fastest-growing communities in Castle Rock with floor plans from Richmond American Homes, Kauffman Homes, Century Communities and D.R. Horton – ranch or two-story models –priced from the $400s. Away from it all, but close to everything you need!
