With everyone being stuck in their houses, building a home theater exploded in popularity in 2020 and 2021. When you picture a modern home movie theater the main components you think of are the home theater projector, cinema screen and sound system.
But to truly achieve that "wow!" factor from your home cinema room design it takes more than that. The ambience of the media room can help you achieve that cinematic feel. The décor and style of the room can change your perspective from feeling like you're going into your basement and transform it to feel like you're making your way down the red carpet to a world-wide movie premiere.
To help you achieve that "going out to the movies" feel in your home, we assembled a collection of top interior designers to give their take on the best home theater design trends for 2022.
Making Your Home Theater A Multi-Use Space
Nora Mitchell - Household Advice
One trend I have seen is transforming the room into a more transitional space. There is nothing like watching a great movie on a big screen, but having a room only for this purpose does not always work for every family. I have seen these spaces become gaming rooms, workout rooms and even a room used for a home office space. The bigger projector screen allows you to see better and a lot of them have a feature to plug in your own laptop making online meetings easier to sit in on. This also makes resale of a house less complicated as you can say it is a multipurpose room as opposed to just a home theater.
These trends are becoming more common, making home theaters still very popular and sought after. Especially for those who are out and about a lot, home theaters are a great escape!
Create Atmosphere With Dim Walls And Dark-Colored Lighting
Stacy Lewis - Eternity Modern
For in-home theaters, the first thing to work on will be the creation of atmosphere. The use of dim colored walls can increase the intensity, emotion, emphasis on the projector or the TV. Colors like gray, black, and dark brown can be your considerations. In this way, the movies will be more exciting and it will feel more cinema-like.
Lighting and ceiling style is also a great contributor to this. You can opt to choose any ceiling styles you want but I will suggest choosing a flat or step ceiling. These two are common in this because it is not so fancy but has a huge impact on the appearance of a room. In terms of lighting, yellow led recessed lights and dark-colored LED lighting strips will be my recommendation. These colored lights will not kill the vibe but rather add up to it.
Dark Colors and Classic Red Seating For Nostalgic Hollywood Art Deco Style
Richard Petrie - Thomas Sanderson
Paint your walls darker colors like greys or browns to create a cozy space, perfect for relaxing. With the walls being so dark, add small bursts of mood lightning like spotlights on the walls to create a cinema style atmosphere.
Go for classic red theater seating options to add a nostalgic ambiance with a contemporary twist or alternatively, if Hollywood-style is more your thing, incorporate comfortable ottomans and art deco accessories.
Sliding Walls And Moveable Seating
Thomas Jepsen - Passion Plans
One trend we've seen over the last year when it comes to home theaters is sliding walls. Sliding walls work great with a farmhouse-inspired home and help create a greater feeling of openness than traditional doors do.
We've also helped design creative hiding spaces for theater chairs. Over the last year, we've seen that homeowners often want a space that can double as a home theater and an entertainment space. By being able to creatively put away the chairs, you can use the space for multiple purposes.
With people requiring their theater space being multifunctional, we've also seen an increase in the interest for movable theater chairs. While they need to be comfortable, there's a bigger push for ones with wheels.
Cozy Neutral Colored Furniture And Most Importantly Drinks And Snacks!
Sylvia James - HomeHow
When cozying up to watch films, you want to be in a comfortable and aesthetically pleasing space. Use throws, blankets and cushions in neutral colors that won’t overshadow the viewing with additional bright colors. As standard, invest in a comfortable sofa if you are a small household and use giant bean bags for larger families that require additional seating. The upcoming trend is to invest in ultra-plush sectional seating or big ‘love seats’ that are perfect for romantic nights or family gatherings. Fairy lights will remain a popular trend to add some unobtrusive light into the room, and make the space feel magical with the perfect mood lighting.
Drink carts are also the latest home theater design trend. They are perfect as guests don't have to interrupt the film by going in and out of the room to top up their drink. If you have a larger budget, you can opt for an indoor bar space in your movie theater. For smaller budgets a mini fridge or ice bucket will ensure your guests can access a cold beverage and refill throughout the film without disturbing anyone.
Mood Lighting And Room Clutter Matter
Benjamin Stenson - The Norsemen
Be sure to only include the components and furniture you need in your home theater. This might seem like a general piece of advice, but it’s particularly important for home theaters because they require such an open design concept. A modern media room can feel claustrophobic with too many cabinets and small pieces of furniture, so be sure to include storage options that are large enough to house your entertainment equipment, A/V components and accessories.
If you’re building a modern home theater, add subtle lighting to complement the room. Track lighting might be your best bet - recessed or otherwise - and while it may seem like a standard option, consider using LED lights to reduce energy costs and provide an ambient glow. Illuminate the ceiling with LED lights to provide an interesting, dynamic feeling for your home theater.
Open The Floor Plans With Neutral Tones And Extra Lighting Fixtures
Zac Houghton - Loftera
In the age of multifaceted home entertainment, the design of the space must reflect this. Rather than providing stadium-style seating, for example, it is more important to provide an open floorplan where people can exercise and play interactive games.
Family time at home is more prevalent than ever, so comfort is extremely important. Form and function come together perfectly in the traditional and modern seating styles.
If your style is traditional, choose furniture and architectural details that are ornate and indulgent. Color schemes featuring lighter, more neutral tones are a complement to traditional home theater design trends.
Home theater designs today are incorporating more light fixtures than ever before, thanks to screens and projectors that perform well under any lighting conditions.
Lighter Colors And Social Seating Make It More Of A Home Theater And Less Of A Commercial Theater
Andra DelMonico - Trendey
Modern theaters are one function of a multi-use flex space. Gone are the days of a blacked-out basement, and in its place is a more social atmosphere. They have adaptable lighting for group activities during the day and date night at night.
You’ll see more large-scale lounge seating in modern theaters. This allows multiple people to stretch out and relax while easily engaging with each other. It also turns your theater into more of a homey space and less like a commercial theater.
The traditional colors used in movie theaters are black, red, and purple. Modern home theaters follow the color trends of the rest of the home with lighter color pallets. You’ll see more neutral color palettes to create an open and airy feel instead of a cavernous one.
Make Your Living Room Feel Like A Home Theater
Angela Boswell - The Drape
A living room can easily be turned into a home theater with a little thought and planning. A key element is light management. You'll have already invested in an amazing entertainment system (especially if you buy an ultra short throw projector, made for rooms with ambient light), now, create the perfect viewing environment.
To create a dark movie theater experience, invest in blackout curtains. There are a variety of options on the market, so look for 100% blackout, and if possible, hold the flashlight of your cell phone up to the fabric to see if the light passes through. A velvet curtain panel lined with a blackout liner is the true movie theater aesthetic. However, if you already have the curtains, it is possible to purchase the blackout lining that can be added to your existing window.
How the curtains are hung is just as important. To eliminate light peeping around the edges, mount the curtain rod 4”-6” above the window and 4”-6” to either side.