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.
Wrap Yourself in Silence with Fabric Wall Coverings
Home theater design elements can be a multifold concept. One component of the home theater design process involves the selection of paint for your home theater. Additional considerations for home theater design and appropriate selections that affect audio and video reception involve fabric wall coverings for your home theater space.
Fabric wall coverings as a component of your overall home theater design are primarily installed to serve as sound insulation. The coverings may be selected as a complete wall-to-wall mural or they may be chosen in solid colors. Rather than using acoustical panels and tiles, the fabric wall coverings are able to fulfill their role in sound insulation through their sound proof canvas construction. The coverings are seamless and can cover up to 16 feet in wall height, which is equivalent to about a two-story building. Of course, the coverings do not have to go that high; but, they do have that height capacity without seams. In addition, the fabric wall coverings can be extended to as wide as 160 feet, which is the length of a basketball court. The fabric can be created to look like the walls in your basement without actually having to build slabs and drywalls. The fabric wall covering is acoustical fabric, which is a canvas that sits less than a half-inch away from the wall. It is unlike wallpaper or any wall covering that sticks with glue adhesives because the canvas is on a plastic track rather than flat against a wall. As a result, it will not show any imperfections or uneven areas. The installation of fabric wall coverings is an amazing and exciting new way of creating walls as part of your home theater design.
Although fabric wall covering installation is fast and efficient, the process should be handled professionally. Should the fabric wall covering need to be transferred, for example, if the home theater owner is relocating or moving from home to home, the removal of the fabric wall coverings may be handled by the home theater owner; which means, the fabric wall covering may be reused in another home.
Fabric wall coverings are an easier and less expensive alternative to acoustic panels and tiles for home theater owners who want to maximize their home theater experiences while minimizing their monetary investments. Stay tuned for future sections about the selection and installation of fabric wall coverings as home theater sound insulation.
