There was a time when only a few could afford a large screen television. The resolution was clunky, the sound poor and the cost high. But over the past decade, technology has advanced so remarkably fast that today a 60-inch television with unbelievably crisp resolution is within many people's budget.
Add to this the fact that tickets for movie theaters are more expensive than ever, and it makes sense why more people are building a home theater in their house. With some planning and amazing electronic toys, it's possible to create a media room for your Keller home that delivers theater-quality sound and visuals. And you can enjoy it in more comfortable seats and without obnoxious strangers interrupting the show.
But 4K televisions, surround-sound speakers and bass cannons are only part of the overall experience.
To compliment these electronics features, you need the right setting to amplify the experience. This means taking the time to design a proper media room that enables your equipment. These five indispensable tips will help you do just that.
1. A great media room begins with the right walls. Incredibly strong drywall is able to hold up to 30 pounds on a single screw. This drywall does away with wall mounts and the need to find a stud, allowing you to mount your speakers, television or screen exactly where you want them to go.
2. Paint wisely. While what color you choose for your room will be based off personal preference, aim for earthy, neutral colors that minimize glare. To help draw the focus of the room toward the screen, many paint the wall a burgundy or maroon.
3. Great sound is a result of more than speakers. Designing your room with acoustics in mind is key. Hard surfaces create a sharp, echoing quality to the sound. To avoid this, your media room should be carpeted and instead of hard blinds, use sound dampening curtains to help enhance the sound and keep out the sun. The density of drywall also contributes to reduced sound transmission between rooms, helping to create separation between your media room and the living area of the home.
4. Think about speakers, walls and storage. Though most people's attention will be drawn to the wall with the television on it, the surrounding walls are equally important. Here is where you mount speakers for the 360-degree sound effect, sconce lighting and floating shelves for design and storage. To properly achieve this, you need a durable wall, such as Habito drywall, that can both hold the needed weight and is strong enough to make it easy to redesign and remount fixtures as needed.
5. Create lighting to accommodate a variety of moods. A media room is meant to be used in a number of ways. Even when you're watching a movie, you'll probably turn the lights up then down before it's over. For this reason, be sure to install dimmable lights that can easily be controlled. This way, you can keep it dark for the dramatic scenes, and when the pizza arrives, have just enough light to see your food but not detract from the picture quality.
It's easy to only focus on the big "toys" when building a media room. But the secret to a truly great home-theater experience begins in the construction phase, well before anything is plugged in. These tips can help Keller homeowners start planning their own media room.
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