A home theatre has quickly become a must-have for practically every family. From the simple family room setup to a much more elaborate theatre-seating wonder, today’s home theatres aren’t just for the wealthy anymore.

The décor of a home theatre will eventually influence how well the room functions as an entertainment space as well as how it shows when the lights are turned on.  Creating a functional and beautiful home theatre is easy to do on any budget.  Here are some ideas for creating a home theatre for all to enjoy.

Start by arranging the space. Choose an easy-to-clean surface or a dark colour carpet for the flooring, and select a dark colour for the walls and ceiling.

A home theatre would not be complete without its supporting cast, the furniture. If you plan on having a couch in your home theatre, get a curved sectional. Since the optimal viewing in a movie theatre is the centre seat, a curved sectional will simulate that effect for everyone viewing your television.

If you have a smaller space or prefer a more intimate area, purchase two recliners in dark leather or other fabric. A simple end table can serve as a shared table between the two chairs. Select comfortable and soft furniture which give luxury while absorbing sound waves to improve audio quality within the room.

Arrange the furniture for best viewing for everyone. If you have an HD television, your seats should be as far back as 3 to 4 times the width of the screen. This provides optimum picture quality and your guests won’t be straining their neck or eye sight to watch the television.

Secondly, consider the lighting. You never want to be in a completely dark room when watching a movie as this can be a hard strain on your eyes. Use wall sconces or other dim background lighting at a very low level while watching the TV.

Another typical visual task in the home theatre is entertaining. So you need to have a layered lighting approach. Add some accent lighting in the room, some general lighting and some decorative lighting.  Remember to use separate controls for each of these layers so that you can change the look and the aesthetic feel of the space based on function.

No home theatre is complete without refreshments. If space allows, install a built-in or freestanding bar. A complete home theatre bar should include a microwave and mini refrigerator stocked with water, juices and your preferred drinks.

If your budget allows, consider adding acoustic wall treatments to balance the acoustic properties of a room. You want to be able to crank up the volume while watching your favourite movie without disturbing other people in your home. There are many commercial products available and you can even buy ready to install treatments.

Most wall or ceiling mounted treatments are really just a wooden frame filled with sound absorbing or diffusing material. The material is then wrapped in an attractive sound absorbing fabric of your choice. You can also hang wall treatments from your ceiling to help control floor to ceiling reflections.

Finally, when selecting the focal point of your home theatre — the equipment, keep in mind that you can easily find speakers that are installed into the walls for a clean, less cumbersome appearance. The exteriors of these in-wall speakers can be painted and treated to blend seamlessly. If a drop-down projection screen isn’t in your budget, a large standard television with surround sound will do nicely. Add a tuner and some speakers for maximum sound quality.

A home theatre is a fun, relaxing place for families to spend time together as well as to entertain. The décor of the room should be about comfort and subtly allowing you to enjoy favourite movies or programs in the welcoming retreat of your own home.