Home theatre versus media sitting room

bec · Dec 28, 2007 12:11 am

we had a home theatre in our last home
it was great and would have been a selling point

this next house the media room has a fantastic outlook
and so weve gone with windows to get the view
and will have a largish plasma or lcd instead
and make it more of a conversation/media/sitting room
rather than dark theatre experience

I know dedicated home theatres are so popular and wonder if this
will be a problem with resale....

PhoenixStar · Dec 28, 2007 12:20 am

bec

we had a home theatre in our last home
it was great and would have been a selling point

this next house the media room has a fantastic outlook
and so weve gone with windows to get the view
and will have a largish plasma or lcd instead
and make it more of a conversation/media/sitting room
rather than dark theatre experience

I know dedicated home theatres are so popular and wonder if this
will be a problem with resale....

Bec, i think, as long as the room is large enough to host a projection set up then prospective buyers will look beyond what's currently there...

The windows can be covered up with curtains (very thick ones), a projector etc can be installed and if people love the house and want a theatre enough, they will do it anyway...

Pre-wiring for a theatre might be a good idea though...you could always say it's all there, but just needs the projector and possibly a motorised screen.

Plus who's to say that the theatre will be the selling point of the home...people might fall in love with the other aspects as they might not be "into" theatres (like most of us) :wink:

At the end of the day, you need to do what is right for YOU...

Casa2 · Dec 28, 2007 8:16 am

bec,

You have the same situation as me. I'm planning a combined Theatre/Second Lounge. The room is 6 m x 4 m and has a window along one of the short walls that has an outlook.

So my challenge is how to make the room work well as both a Home Theatre and as a Second Lounge area.

Current thinking is, moving fom the front of the room to the back:

1) Thick curtains in front of the window (both darken the room and provide good acoustic performance)
2) Projection screen that comes down from the ceiling
3) Set of four chairs and a coffee table (for small group conversation)
4) Raised floor section with wall to wall lounges (for viewing)

The room is adjacent the main living area and has double sliding doors between the two. This way the room can serve a third function if required and that is as an extension to the main living area.

bec, how big is your room and which way is the outlook?

Cheers,
Casa

stonecutter1309 · Dec 28, 2007 10:33 am

Same issue here! Our media room has golf course views.

We are not big movie people - and at around $15k for home theatre + furniture - we could go see movies once a month for 31 years! We will have a large LCD in a living area that you can see from the kitchen that we plan to use as our main tv.

Our initial plan is for the media room to be more of a games room - foozball and airhockey with a decent sized LCD TV for watching sports or playing PS2/3.

I think we will do some pre-wiring - as I imagine that when we have kids and they get to their teens, we may turn it into more of a home theatre where we can lock them away.

bec · Dec 28, 2007 11:25 am

the room is quite large and has outlook almost 3/4 way round
to the left and right and to less degree directly in front.

yep it should be ok, as people say it could be adapted into
a home theatre later on.

thanks for your replies

Helyn · Dec 28, 2007 3:58 pm

Quote:

as I imagine that when we have kids and they get to their teens, we may turn it into more of a home theatre where we can lock them away.

I'm not much of a TV or movie person either so not fussed about home theatres - BUT ....... a room where you can lock the teenagers away - now that has potential !!!!

stonecutter1309 · Dec 28, 2007 4:35 pm

Helyn

I'm not much of a TV or movie person either so not fussed about home theatres - BUT ....... a room where you can lock the teenagers away - now that has potential !!!!

We were thinking about a shed out the back but I'm not sure Community Services may approve of that one

Rodda · Dec 29, 2007 4:11 pm

Hey Casa, everything you just described matches my own TV/sitting room come Home Theatre, with the exception of the raised section (and I have windows on my rear and one side wall, as opposed to your front wall).

As long as the room can be darkened to your liking when you want to put it into 'Theatre' mode (or you will only put it into 'Theatre' mode after the sun goes down

) there is almost no reason why it can't be a dual purpose room**

** It can be easier to set the room up to perfom better as a Home Theatre when it is dedicated to that purpose, but, with thought, planning and some budgetary allowances you should be able to get close (if that's what you want) to the ideal setup for a 'convertible' room as well. My own is still a work-in-progress...