Arranging your apartment so it would fit your love for cinema and evening before the TV screen is not always easy, especially if you have a small space or a small budget. Here are our tips for arranging your interior according to your cinematic hobby.
Optimize your space
The main drawback that one encounters when they wish to arrange their flat is, of course, the surface, or the lack of available space. Indeed, spacious flats in large cities are not only rare but also quite expensive. Thus, the average size of new housing is 747 sq ft against 870 sq ft for old housing. The closer you get to big cities, the smaller the accommodation. Living in New York, therefore, means living in smaller accommodation than in the countryside.
This is why many cinema lovers have to optimize their available space without breaking everything and transform their usual flats into large studios. To do this, there are several tips that can help one get a sense of space without expanding their home.
First, you can replace your classic doors with sliding or pocket doors to gain space and comfort.
Then, try to make the most of each space, even if it means diverting some of them from their main function: a cupboard that houses multimedia equipment (television, soundbar, TV box, etc.) or a desk, a pull-down bed that can be stored away to the ceiling, chairs that fit under the dining room table, a table that folds up against the wall, etc.
Finally, do not hesitate to break down partitions and thus make a kitchen open to the living room or to remove a hallway that was of little use to enlarge another room. Open and larger spaces will allow you to breathe better and move easily around your flat.
How to furnish your flat?
You can, of course, reuse your old furniture as long as it has the right dimensions. If this is your first home as an out-of-university student, or you just want to change the decor without spending too much money, take a tour of the second-hand stores and shops to find furniture at an attractive price. This is especially interesting if you like vintage furniture, which can be found on nyfurnitureoutlets.com.
Other possibilities include renting furniture to start furnishing your apartment without spending too much. More conventionally, furniture stores often offer items at low cost during sales periods or at slashed prices on exhibition models. Finally, think about collecting furniture from your family!
The work and fittings to be done
Before starting the work on your cinematic living room, we advise you to do as much work as possible, as well as a big cleaning session, so as not to have to do all that once you start with the process. Do not wait to do the electrical, carpentry, plumbing, and brushwork jobs either.
Take this opportunity to check if there is a need for energy renovations. Indeed, this would not only give you better thermal comfort, both in summer and winter but will also help reduce the amount of your heating and electricity bills.
To optimize space, opt for light tones, which give a feeling of space and prefer storage recessed in the wall. Choose multifunctional furniture like chests or ottomans that provide comfort and storage space. Consider using the entire height of the wall by choosing wall units or by fixing your shelves yourself.
In that special living room, opt for functional materials. Try to find items that do not clutter up the space. Avoid putting things on the floor and find a small side table to keep the living space airy.
Finally, try to make the most of natural light sources in order to have a bright home. To do this, you can position your mirrors strategically: this trick will help illuminate the room, thanks to the effect of reflecting surfaces. Use white color on walls, beams, doors, and ceilings.
Personalizing your home will make you feel good there, so choose colors that you like, that are in line with your aspirations and the different rooms of your house or flat. Do not hesitate to draw inspiration from the “Do It Yourself” practices that can be found everywhere on the internet, in order to give personality to your interior while limiting your expenses.
Now that we got to the most interesting part – where to install a home cinema?
In a perfect case scenario, the home cinema must be installed in a dedicated room. It can be a living room, basement, garage, or converted attic. In the absence of a dedicated room, it is also possible to install it in the bedroom or even the office. To save space, there are, for example, video projectors that can easily be hidden in a false ceiling or formwork.
In order to create a subdued atmosphere, try to make it possible to summarize the lighting in the home theater room to a few accent lamps cleverly set up along the walls or ceiling. Some people even opt for LED headbands, which provide quite a stunning ambiance.
Finally, to be able to fully enjoy a home cinema, it is recommended to bet on comfortable seats. This role can be assigned to a large corner sofa with chaise longue, armchairs with footrests, but also wraparound ottomans and other items.
Setting up the TV and seats
Regarding the television, the ideal scenario implies installing it on a dedicated piece of furniture and against a wall, or in a corner, preferably in a place without any lighting or reflection.
For the seats, whether it is a sofa or the like, they should be placed so that they can take full advantage of the screen. For example, for a screen of conventional size, i.e. 70 x 40 in, it must be installed on average at a distance of 100 in from spectators. It should be noted that the arrangement of the speakers intended for the home cinema will depend on where the seats are located.
If you enjoyed this article, but want to know more about technology and decor, feel free to take a look at this article about plants and how to fit them into your home.