Today’s television and sound equipment can transport you across continents and through time. To fully appreciate the home theater experience, choosing the furniture and seating for your home should be done with care. A home theater will bring many hours of enjoyment and increase the value of your home. With a vision in mind, and the right company to guide you, you can find furniture and seating that is comfortable, stylish and conducive to an exciting home theater experience.
When designing your home theater, consider the following things:
-How much space do you have to work with? Decide where you want the television and audio equipment to be placed. If necessary, choose a tower or entertainment unit that fits the location, and then select audio equipment to fit. When measuring the room for furniture and seating needs, remember to include adequate space between the seating area and the screen. Remember to also include any space you may need for tables, cabinets or speaker stands.
-What is your budget? Knowing how much money you can spend will make your furniture option choices easier. This will allow you to choose extra options and accessories up front rather than having to upgrade later.
-How many people on average will use your home theater? The amount and size of the seating will be limited by space. Once you decide how many seats you need, you can work with a professional company to help you make the best use of your space.
-What kind of seating is right for you? If space permits, you can toy with the many seating options available for comfort and pleasure. You can choose to line up the seating, connect it, or spread it out. You can choose a couch, recliner, or chairs with many varying options.
-How do you want the room to feel? If you want your home theater room to feel warm, you may need to add carpeting or purchase large, stuffed chairs. If you want the room to feel open, you may want to have many small pieces of furniture rather than a few large ones.
The options available for furniture and seating are numerous. Look for furniture that promises durability and that is made of quality materials. These features are key to long-lasting furniture. When looking for shelving or entertainment units, take into account the overall design of your room. There is furniture designed to hide all of your audio equipment and some meant to display them. You can use a tower, a wall unit, or an entertainment center for your equipment. For tight spaces, you can purchase a corner unit. Most units are equipped to accommodate flat panel plasma or LCD televisions, but will work with other styles as well. Tall skinny tower design holds all of your audio equipment, while taking up very little room. If height is an issue, you can purchase a short tower that is a bit longer than the rest. Towers and entertainment centers come in many colors, and you can choose from wood, glass, metal, or a combination to fit any décor. If space is very limited, consider wall mounting a flat-panel display and utilizing small shelving underneath to hold the DVD player and audio equipment.
Theater chairs are important elements in a home theater room. Comfort and practicality should take center stage when choosing your seating. Recliners are a popular option and can work well in most rooms. Leather seating provides extraordinary comfort and the practicality of a wipe clean surface. Some recliners can be arranged theater style or connected all together. Many recliners come with cup holders that resemble an actual movie theater seat. When choosing a recliner, keep in mind how much it reclines. If the chair fully reclined makes viewing your television screen impossible, you may need to either redesign the room or rethink your furniture choices. If your home theater will be used by kids, you may want to consider bean bags and some other low cost seating. These items are easy to clean and can be moved around depending on the size and number of kids watching television.
A home theater that you can enjoy may take time to design. If you need help deciding which furniture and seating to choose, visit a retailer that has in-store theaters. Seeing a fully designed room should help you get an idea of what possibilities await you.
-Ben Anton, 2007
