Media room ideas – Having a designated private cinema, game room, or media room in your home was once seen as luxury which only possessed by the rich. It was extravagance that’s only a successful traders, movie stars, and industry titans with unlimited resources can afford. 

While such luxury is beyond the dreams, desires and cheque books of the ordinary people, technology advancement has brought the opportunities for broader circles of middle-class Americans to experience a private video and entertainment room.

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Media Room Decor Ideas

When we are asking people what media room is, then many will think about a multipurpose space equipped with a big flat-screen television, surround sound system and convenient seating. There we can invite our friends to watch our favorite game or watch movies together for a quality family time. It’s where the party hosted when guests visit.

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Actually media room can be more than just about movie. It may also refer to, home theater room, television room, game room and other designated bonus room for entertainment.

Why We Build a Home Media Room?

A. The Pros

1. Content Flexiblity

Unlike a theater, home media room gives the user flexibility to choose what to enjoy and when to enjoy it. It includes the free ability to pause certain content for toilet breaks, or wind back if they missed something. The users can also select their desired content ranged from movies, TV shows, cartoons, sport matches, and documentaries

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2. Environment

By owning the room, you can have full control to the temperature, sound levels, room style, seating management which are designed to meet your own taste of comfort. There will be no more worry about other people noise, or the lights from their smartphones.

3. Audience

Owning private media room lets the owners to invite people they desired. Whether it is in a movie time, video game competition, or enjoying TV show.

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4. Amenities

Media room facilities can be chose according to the owners taste and budget. You can choose between LED TV or projectors, various kind of surround sound, lots of comfy seating, the lights, and so on. The size of the space also determines the room’s decoration. Here we provide the media room ideas to help you choose the most suitable design.

B. The Cons

1. Intended Use

Before deciding to have designated media room, you must consider whether you will use it frequently. Many people do not have a lot of time to enjoy a couple of hours watching TV and playing games. Rather than making a media room which only serves single purpose, they choose to have multipurpose room. It ensures the family can do a lot of activities. Meaning it will be used more frequently rather than a single room with sole purpose.

2. Available Space

One thing for sure, you will need to have special room to serve as media room. Small house often do not have spare space to do this. But here is the tip: a 10 x 16 feet room, with space for two rows of seats is enough to accommodate friends and family. You can also use you bonus room such as the attic and garage to create media room.

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3. Cost

Adding another new room significantly more expensive than converting bonus room (basement or attic) or living room into media room. Components prices are also more expensive in larger spaces due to the facilities such as the soundproof, the lighting, the screens, the sound systems, and additional stuff will be upgraded to meet the room requirements. Before starting the project, calculate the number of maximum guests that can present at a single time to avoid extravagance.

4. Effect on Home Resale Value

It’s not easy to determine how much your house value will be decreased when you add a media room. Most real estate professionals agree that houses with a luxury media room is more likely to sell first compared to ordinary houses. While some professionals claims that the house price will be decreased if the media room is bigger than any other room in the house. People think that media room is not essentials, so it doesn’t have to take a lot of spaces. It will decrease the number of bedrooms and living rooms which are more essentials.

Small Media Room Ideas

If you don’t have big room for a big screen, you still have a lot of choices to design your media room. Sectional seating type is a perfect way to arrange your room because it will accommodate several person while keep it comfortable. During movie time, everyone can still cuddle one another under their blankets.

Some tips for small room media seating:

1. Traditional sofa and love seat set will do for apartment or small house.
2. Bean bags is a good option if you have kids, especially when your sofa or loveseat is too small to accommodate the kids.
3. Carpet and Large pillows can be placed on the floor for people who like to lay on the floor while enjoying movie time.
4. Sectional chairs or sofa is a good option.
5. 2-chair recliners are also good option as well

A simple media room with 2 chairs and 2 tables is convenient enough to spend our time with the TV. This kind of room won’t take a lot of space due to its minimalist furniture.

Having a good media room doesn’t have to own a large room. Use some creativity and brave to explore the ideas.

Doesn’t have space to make your dream media room? Make use your unused attic and transform the dream into reality.

Media Room Ideas on a Budget

As we stated earlier, building a media room with home theater is not only for luxury anymore. You can make one with minimum budget. You only need to follow simple tricks to get the job done.

The common mistakes in building a media room is in choosing the furniture and facilities. You need to know which thing should be skipped and which things should be considered. For example you can use LED screen rather than LCD projector for the long run. Choosing the right sound system is also tricky part. You can save a few bucks by considering the most suitable sound system, not deceived by certain brand or the size of the speaker.

One key to reduce the cost when building media room is keeping it as simple as possible. Single chair, carpet, and medium screen has done the job.

Cheap media room building usually comes with small room. As it is small, we must make it comfortable enough since we will spend a lot of time to enjoy movies or TV shows. Cozy sofa and TV are enough to make an affordable media room for the family.

Another inexpensive media room ideas with sofa and flat screen TV. If you think it it lack the surround sound, then you can add it. Using used sound system can be an option if you want to minimize the spending.

Using bonus room as media room is always been good ideas since it reduce the cost to build new room significantly. The small room can be transformed into home theater complete with projector, nice seating and surround sound system.

Media Room Seating Ideas

The first element you need to consider when you are planning your own media room is deciding the seating scheme. The seating is very important as you will spend couple of hours on it. Indeed you must make it as comfortable as possible. The term “comfortable” is based on the seating experience in two side: the comfy of the seating which pleases your body and the arrangement which pleases your view. There are a lot of options for comfortable and stylish media seating in the market such as sofa, sectional chairs, love seat and so on. Well-planned seating arrangement is also important. Isn’t it good idea to have comfortable room while also keep it in style?

Media room with cuddle seat serves great convenience. You can invite you friend or your lover to enjoy netflix together and have fun.

Media room with five seats is common to find. Here is the generic formula for the seating arrangement.

If you have a lot of friends or family members, then you must consider to arrange more seat for them. Here is a 10+4-seat media room seating arrangement.

Media room doesn’t have to be only focused on the movie, you can also make it family friendly if the seating arrangement is well managed. Here is the example, sofa with rectangular placement for family time.

Media Room Furniture Ideas

When you are done with the seating scheme, then you are moving on to the room’s accessories. The choices are ranged from extreme to subtle. For example, if you want to have a cinema experience, you can use accessories such as curtain or popcorn machine. You can also mix the decor with your favorite theme. 

In addition, there are also accessories that can add more viewing experience, making it more powerful and enjoyable for guests. Some offer cinema-like seating, 3D glasses, or vibrating seating (which can vibrate during the crash scene to add better experience).

Wall mounted with four sided storage cabinet is perfect for small media room. It can save a lot spaces.

If you have extra money, you can add small bar to your media room. It is nice to drink and talk after the movie

Having small stage in media room can add more fun in the house. You can host a game aftera movie or simply make an acoustic performance.

The Paint Ideas

Selecting the correct color paint for a media room is almost as important as selecting a flat finish. Some colors, such as green and yellow, can twist the colors on your tv or screen. With these color on the wall, Flesh tones may appear slightly yellowish or bluish, while natural elements, like the leaves and earth, may also look slightly unnatural. The solution is selecting a neutral color for your media room wall. Go with a darker neutral shade because lighter colors tendencies is reflecting light. Mid-tone to dark shade of gray or brown is the best option for viewing experience in your media room. If you are looking for an authentic theater experience, basic black wall works as well.

Black painted wall is great when you are watching movies.

Neutral color such as brown will not reflect the light so it is good for a media room.

White painted room can be an alternative if you are tired with dark and bored with brown color.

The Lighting Ideas

The lighting, as well as the other parts, are important to set the mood so that guests can relish an immersive and enjoyable feel. In order to achieve in-theater experience, ambient lighting is one of the best choices for media room. Traditional lighting types, hanging or suspended lighting may reflect on the screen, transmit shadows on the screen or hinder projected image. Thus in general, you look to keep your lighting integrated well with the room’s walls as possible.

Media Room Carpet Ideas

Carpet is essentials for a media room as it is the best in sound absorption. Besides that, it provides warm, comforting and beautiful basis for your space. Of course you want something that immerses up all that surround sound, rather not rebound it back to you. Nothing else can substitute carpet in term of sound absorption, not even close.

Media Room Door Ideas

It might be not really fundamental, but choose the door for your media room can add more convenience in it. Whether it is Sliding doors, French Doors, or Swing doors, it serves the purpose of media room, to make it free from outside distraction. Let’s see which style works best for your space.

Basement Media Room Ideas

Rather than making a new space for media room, bonus room such as basement and attic can be transformed into an entertainment room. It can save you huge sums of money since it only needs some improvements.

Bonus room, such as the attic and basement are often left unused. It usually filled with old and unwanted stuff in the house from worn out furniture or clothes to childhood memorabilia. Why not maximize the space for entertainment? The basement and attic is perfect space that could be turned into a warm and welcoming space for your family and friends to spend the time.

You could make a game room or play area for the kids or home theater room for family and guests. The ideas are unlimited and needs to be explored more.

Media Game Room Design Ideas

Having a dedicated space for playing video games is a dream for all gamers, although the equipment may be varied depending on the games type.

For example, if you are a console player, you need to have LED monitor and adequate technical support such as internet connection, while pinball machines or billiard table require more space.

This is might be the most progressive, clever, and innovative media game room ideas that will guide you to find the suitable room design. One thing to remember: each ideas will need different budget depends on the size, accessories, and of course the rig.

Deciding what media room ideas to apply is the next thing to do. In making the decision, you must consider who will use it frequently, what activity to do, and most importantly asking yourself whether you need designated media room – Media Room Ideas.