By Dud Eddy
With home cinema technology improving, as well as becoming even more affordable, it is becoming even easier for residents across the country to begin recreating the full cinema experience from within their homes.
Projectors, for example, are no longer the costly and cumbersome devices they once were, requiring perfect darkness to provide any form of image clarity. Instead, they are becoming smaller and more efficient, enabling fantastic image definition, even in small rooms.
Despite these developments, however, technology can still be undermined by poor interior design. Many homeowners continue to neglect certain design considerations of their home cinema and end up failing to achieve the experience they want. To ensure your own home cinema experience is flawless and that your favourite movies are presented in the best way possible, here are the four most common mistakes homeowners make.
Failing To Control Your Light
A common conflict between homes and the cinema experience is that residential properties are generally designed to welcome as much natural light as possible, whereas a cinema space requires as great an amount of darkness as possible, so as to ensure absolute clarity of a screen.
As such, it is generally recommended that a cinema is established in a dedicated space, a room where the amount of natural light can be minimised and artificial lighting can be curated accordingly. Ideal spaces include attics and cellars, as well as free-standing garden buildings, such as log cabins, which can be designed for a specific purpose.
Understanding Sound Leak
The audio experience of a film or television show is just as important as the visuals. This is why a cinema is often very loud, to ensure that even a pin dropping on the screen can be heard with clarity.
For the homeowner, this can be a challenge to achieve partly because turning the volume up might frustrate others in the home or even neighbours. Thankfully, soundproofing a space not only solves this issue, creating a dry and crisp space for sound but also prevents exterior noise from creeping in, such as traffic or a noisy washing machine.
Design For Focus
A very common mistake homeowners make when designing a cinema room is failing to consider the reflective nature of certain objects. A cinema should be perfectly designed to ensure focus on the screen but if there is glare occurring, say, on a table, then focus is likely to be compromised. As such, homeowners should install their screens with careful consideration as to how light will travel around the room, minimising the likelihood of distractions.
Comfort Over Time
Despite the importance of comfort in a cinema, many homeowners neglect to consider how they will position themselves during a screening. Every aspect of a home cinema comes into play, from the height of the visuals to the reclining angle of a chair.
Be sure to install a screen no higher than natural eye level or else you may risk discomfort. Additionally, ensure that seating arrangements are suitable for multiple people and positions, so as to accommodate comfort in a variety of ways.
