How to Turn Your Basement into a Home Theater

Guest Blog #228, Entry #725, October 26, 2011

Who wouldn’t love to have a home theater like the ones you see in posh celebrity pads on MTV Cribs?  The giant screens and plush seating are the height of luxury, but with the price of attending movies in the actual theater chains these days, it may be worth the expense.  Plus, you might be surprised what you can do yourself or get at a discounted rate (although you’ll certainly have to pay out for some items).  So if you’re interested in converting your basement space from mostly unused storage into a room the whole family will love to hang out in, here are a few tips for creating your very own home theater.

Turn your basement into the perfect home theater

Image via: Interior Design and Style Ideas

Flooring

You don’t exactly need to roll out the red carpet, but getting the right flooring is an important part of creating the look and feel of your room, and carpeting is definitely the way to go.  You’ve probably noticed that most theaters use a pretty busy color scheme when it comes to the carpet.  They do this to hide stains from tons of people walking through each day, tracking in dirt and spilling food and drinks.  Since you won’t have to contend with crowds of visitors, you can probably opt for something a little more toned down if you wish, but saturated tones and a repeating pattern will definitely help you get the look you’re going for.

Seating

Although most movie theater seats are kind of cramped, you can still get the basic idea with more comfortable seating.  The trick is to use a system of graduated seating to mimic the theater, and this means you’re going to have to include at least one platform in your room.  You can hire builders to do this for you or try to do it on your own (the DIY Network has a handy tutorial for this very project).  Then all you have to do is put a couch (or chairs) on the floor and some behind it on the platform.  Of course, if you really want to get authentic, check out theater closures (or Craigslist) for actual theater seats.

Home theater seating can help provide a comfortable experience

Image via: Faisal Carper

Screen

The most important part of any theater setup is the screen.  If you have a smaller space, simply opt for a large HD flat screen to show flicks.  But if your space is large or you have a long room to work with, think about mounting a projector on the ceiling at one end of the room and a pull down screen at the other for a truly spectacular picture.

Accessories

It wouldn’t be a theater without the extra touches, so include a concession stand (or at least a popcorn machine and a mini fridge stocked with candy and sodas), as well as a couple of wall sconces on a dimmer switch and of course, some velvet curtains to frame the screen.

Storage

Unless you want your basement to resemble a DVD manufacturing company, with discs stacked and strewn across every surface, you’re going to need some storage solutions to keep your media contained. Built-ins are the best option, but you can also put together your own setup for less by installing pre-made cabinetry.  For the latter, consider frequenting garage sales or simply stop in at your local IKEA.

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