A home cinema is one of those luxuries that film lovers dream about, but if you are fortunate enough to have a spare room, basement or garage that’s sitting empty, a cinema room conversion with a home entertainment system may be easier to install than you think. And the great news is, a home theatre experience isn’t a reality reserved solely for homeowners with the space to turn a whole room into a home cinema. Replicating the experience of a cinema at home is an attainable goal even for those of us with a regular old living room, but of course, the more realistic cinema experience you want, the more changes and commitments you’ll need to make. Take a look through home cinema photos to get some ideas.

How do I turn my living room into a home cinema?

Sound is the most important element for transforming a TV room into a home theatre. Invest in a quality surround sound system – this can comprise of a number of small speakers dotted around your makeshift home theatre with a subwoofer for boosting the sound. Wireless speakers are ideal for placing around the home cinema without the worry of tripping over cables in the dark. If you’re not working with a large space, a big, widescreen TV could be overbearing, especially if you want to use the room for more purposes than just TV watching, so consider a projector and foldaway screen that will hide your home entertainment system when not needed. With a quality home cinema sound system installed, it won’t matter that you don’t have the built-in speakers of a TV in your new, pop-up cinema room.

Good insulation is equally important to fortify sound quality in a home cinema; without the right flooring, door and window protection, your superior sound good might just sound sub-par. Carpeted floors are ideal for absorbing sound, but if your living room has wooden floorboards cover them with a large rug to minimise reverberations. Heavy curtains will do a similar job on windows and if you can, replace flimsy doors with heavier alternatives such as fire proof doors. It might sound extreme, but we did say a home theatre would require commitment!

What furniture does my home cinema need?

Furniture for a cinema room should be minimal, comfortable and functional. Chairs and sofas you can sink into are a must, and the beauty of this room is that you can introduce home comforts such as throws and cushions to the cinematic experience of your home theatre. Or, you can go the whole hog and invest in some real cinema chairs so it will really feel like you’ve stepped out of your own home and into the cinema – either revamp some original cinema seating, buy new ones, commission your own design or adapt some regular chairs to become your chosen comfy home cinema seats.

You may want to keep the room free of distractions if you’re choosing a full home cinema system and installing it in a dedicated home theatre room, with only TV stands or media cabinets to house your DVDs, DVD players and sound systems. If you choose to wall-mount your TV or projector screen, avoid giving yourself a crick in the neck by keeping it at roughly eye height (when seated) – unless your sofas are particularly high, this may rule out a TV above the fireplace.

How should I decorate my home cinema?

The thing about sitting in the dark is that, well, you can’t see much! In a dedicated cinema room or home theatre, decor can be kept minimalistic. Opt for black-out curtains on windows and keep colour schemes muted and neutral. If your living room is doubling as a home cinema, be aware of glass or shiny surfaces around the room such as picture frames, mirrors and coffee tables that can reflect the screen and create a distraction.

If you’re struggling to work out how to put together your perfect home theatre room or space, consider contacting home cinema specialists who can design and install bespoke home cinemas. Even if you don’t want to go for a full renovation, they’ll be able to give you advice on acoustics, projectors and how to create the right feel for a home cinema.

Whether you want inspiration for planning a home cinema renovation or are building a designer home cinema from scratch, Houzz has 8,564 images from the best designers, decorators, and architects in the country, including Studio 28 Interiors Ltd and Adept Integrated Systems Ltd. Look through home cinema photos in different colours and styles and when you find a home cinema design that inspires you, save it to an Ideabook or contact the Pro who made it happen to see what kind of design ideas they have for your home. Explore the beautiful home cinema ideas photo gallery and find out exactly why Houzz is the best experience for home renovation and design.