Home Theater Design: Using Foresight to Optimize Seating Strategies

Veteran home theater owners know the importance of planning through the entire theater design before building begins. Furthermore, they also know that it is futile to even begin to build before the scene has been selected. The selected space needs to be designed to accommodate the seating. Although spaces vary and options may be limited due to size, all home theaters must pass the planning phase before any construction is begun.

Home theaters are as varied as the people who own them. Dedicated spaces can originate as an extra bedroom or other unused room because of a limited number of space options. Or, theaters may result from a creative homeowner who is looking to construct a space or reconfigure a room, knock out a wall, expand the space, or make an existing space more theater-friendly.

Generally, most homeowners wishing to create a dedicated theater space build the room and install platforms first and then look for seating options. What often happens without the design step is that the seating rarely fits. Sight lines, in particular, are compromised by unplanned seating. For example, a two-row seating option is installed in which the back and front rows both recline. However, when the viewer in the back row reclines, the viewer in the front row is kicked in the head by the viewer in the back row. There is a broad variety of seating options for any size or type of space. The most common type of theater seating includes plush recliner-type chairs, known as club chairs. Club chairs have options for the seating space available to maximize seating while minimizing viewer obstruction. More specifically, a club chair may recline partially or perhaps a foot rest will pop up and the back will lean back just enough to improve sight lines. Yet another option is the full recliner, some of which slide all the way forward. Finally, some home theater seating options include commercial style movie theater seating. Pricing can range from inexpensive basic theater seating to custom commercial seating designed by suppliers for the theater industry. For those looking to maximize their available spaces, commercial style seating can be installed using seating that consists of a four-seat width that is comparable to the three-seat standard width selection. The homeowner knows both space and price limitations and is the one to determine what type of seating will best fit the space and the budget available. Because home theater owners are trying to make the best use of every inch, and every dollar, the depth of the platform from front to back is important. Most people want the biggest screen they can possibly get and the seating should be one of the first choices that is made so that the room can be designed for the seating.

Many seating customers question the ideal number of seats when designing their dedicated spaces. However, it is the customer who should determine their own ideal number of seats. The ideal number of seats in a home theater is basically decided by how the space will be used and for whom. A theater for a couple with no children will differ from that of a couple with six children and a constant stream of visitors. Whatever the number of seats, it is important to plan for seating and to design the seating to maximize the home theater experience for every viewer every time.