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 traditional 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 traditional 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 traditional 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!



Whether you want inspiration for planning a traditional home cinema renovation or are building a designer home cinema from scratch, Houzz has 702 images from the best designers, decorators, and architects in the country, including Lozano Jolas Interiors London Limited and Susan Venn Design. Look through home cinema photos in different colours and styles and when you find a traditional 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 traditional home cinema ideas photo gallery and find out exactly why Houzz is the best experience for home renovation and design.